I Am A Spannerhead!!!!! - Seeking the forum's help

Uncle Arthur · Postby **Uncle Arthur** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 10:59 pm

JBT wrote:Does it look like all the water went into one cylinder?

Yes - it was all in Number 1 - I couldn't see, or remove anything from 2, 3,4

StanTheMan · Postby **StanTheMan** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 11:03 pm

Thats terrible UA..... especially after going through the effort of installing the Turbo.

i hope its just stuck and you get it unstuck......somehow.

JBT · Postby **JBT** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 11:05 pm

hmmmm.........still no joy moving it in gear with all the plugs out?

Uncle Arthur · Postby **Uncle Arthur** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 11:09 pm

Nope - no luck.... I've already started undoing bolts tonite, but it's just too bloody cold in the workshop.

ben wilson · Postby **ben wilson** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 11:47 pm

If you've bent a rod enough to seize it, the pistons should be at different heights - you might be able to measure the piston heights with a long screwdriver or something similar.

lowmiata · Postby **lowmiata** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 12:06 am

Uncle Arthur wrote:Nope - no luck.... I've already started undoing bolts tonite, but it's just too bloody cold in the workshop.

umm bugga.

I would hesitate to put any liquid into a combustion engine at all.

Any way
A. Is all the water out of the engine?
I mean is it bone dry in the cylinder?

as if not the bore will rust quickly and if it is an easy fix you will have rust to contend with and scratching of the bore etc
Leave it for a day or so cause you'll only piss yourself off more if it is terminal!

I ain't doing anything on saturday so I might be able to come and see what I can do.(i'd bring my new workshop supervisor :mrgreen:

but sable might disagree!)

B. If hydraulic lock has occured its not the end of the world replacement engines can be got cheap enough

C. I have tools and equipment to remove engines (snatch strap in the 4by!) :mrgreen:

and will be able to get you going in a couple of hours.

D. If you learn from your mistakes it wasn't a mistake!(just a steep sometimes expensive learning curve)

Ryno.

sabretooth · Postby **sabretooth** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 12:18 am

Doh! Sounds like it inhaled the whole lot in one stroke. Sorry to hear! Apparently it's safe to do, but farked if I'm going to try it ever. It just doesn't sound like it's worth the risk.

Even with a bent rod, I'd imagine the engine should still run. I drove from QR to North Brisbane on 3 pots when I holed one of the valves at QR that day.

Have you verified the timing belt hasn't snapped?

Why was the CAS disconnected?

jules · Postby **jules** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 12:34 am

He would have disconnected the CAS to see if it turned over. Probably didn't want to fire it in case it did more damage.

Jules

sabretooth · Postby **sabretooth** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 1:33 am

My approach is to yank off all the vac lines, or try and suck any water out of them. Trace the vac line you pulled and make sure there's no water in what they lead to. Will it start with a little throttle applied while you crank? has the MAP sensor got water in it? Will it start with the factory ECU?

Has the engine got spark? (need the CAS connected for this, obviously). Are the injectors squirting fuel? If you have those, then you probably have an air measurement or other issue.

If you have neither of those, then the engine either isn't rotating, a sensor is cooked or some other component is now toast. I presume other stuff could have gotten water in it.

EDIT: OH. If by turn over you mean the starter won't even rotate the engine, then you've bent a rod and it's f#%ked. Give Richard at MX-5 Plus a call. He'll have something. Sorry, I thought it was just rotating but not \"firing\".

Alex · Postby **Alex** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 2:16 am

Sorry I have no experience with engines so can't offer any advice
but good luck in getting it all fixed up

AJ · Postby AJ » Thu Jul 19, 2007 5:59 am

jesus mikey...........water in any engine = NOT good............compression lockup = something broken, water does NOT compress

99MXV · Postby **99MXV** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 7:58 am

AJ wrote::shock: jesus mikey...........water in any engine = NOT good............compression lockup = something broken, water does NOT compress

Your no more helpful than me when I tried to explain that too him on MSN last night AJ !

I love any excuse for a Dodgy Day... but this ones not one I expected.

Uncle Arthur · Postby **Uncle Arthur** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 8:41 am

sabretooth wrote:My approach is to yank off all the vac lines, or try and suck any water out of them. Trace the vac line you pulled and make sure there's no water in what they lead to. Will it start with a little throttle applied while you crank? has the MAP sensor got water in it? Will it start with the factory ECU?

Has the engine got spark? (need the CAS connected for this, obviously). Are the injectors squirting fuel? If you have those, then you probably have an air measurement or other issue.

If you have neither of those, then the engine either isn't rotating, a sensor is cooked or some other component is now toast. I presume other stuff could have gotten water in it.

EDIT: OH. If by turn over you mean the starter won't even rotate the engine, then you've bent a rod and it's f#%ked. Give Richard at MX-5 Plus a call. He'll have something. Sorry, I thought it was just rotating but not "firing".

The short answer to all is this.....

Yes - apparently this is a safe way to clean a motor, but I'm never advocating it to anyone.

It looks as though it sucked the whole lot in. Pot 1 had about 100ml of water in it - I pulled all the plugs and CAS to try and turn it without spark (as Jules correctly surmised) but it is locked - tighter than two tight things.

I've cleared the pot(s) of water - the plunger from a soap pump bottle (having only been used for pumping water for a long time) attached to a length of vacuum hose - a few pumps, and all water gone.

I've contacted Richard - he has some good options, and Drift-fury has some motors for sale as well - just have to look at shipping options and costs.

AJ - I know water doesn't compress - it wasn't supposed to all go in at once. So - a dodgy day it is..... a good opportunity for anyone who wants to help (re)install a turbo

At least there is an upside - a painful annoying one, but an upside none the less.