swivel
10th April 2008, 11:09
Well,
I've finally completed major heart surgery on the '89 323.
Last winter she overheated, blew the head gasket and warped the head. I got a new head, but it was never quite right after that, and then last summer the engine got a death rattle. Main crank or rod bearings went -- I dropped the oil pan to replace the rod bearings and saw handfuls of metal fragments. I told the g/f, "It's time for a new car".
As the weather's been getting warmer, I decided to rip into the 323. I got a used motor from Harry's U-Pull it in PA during a 1/2 off sale for $60. The donor car looked like it was well taken care of, but was hit pretty bad in the rear -- hence why it was in the bone yard.
Anyway, this past weekend, I swapped in the "new" engine. Taking care to replace all oil seal seals and gaskets before re installation. Also replaced all the coolant lines and rubber fuel lines.
I have to say it's better than it was before. No clacking HLA's, no strange noises, etc. The only thing I'm still trying to sort out is getting the Throttle Position Sensor adjusted right.
Previously the idle was hunting a little bit. I check the TPS and it was out of adjustment -- the car didn't know it was supposed to be in idle mode. I adjusted it according to factory spec, and now I have a weird hesitation when the throttle is just cracked. I'm guessing I went a tiny bit too far with the adjustment. So, the throttle is opening, engine speed in increasing, but the computer thinks it should be idling. A tiny bit more open, the hesitation disappears and it revs like normal.
35 mpg here I come!
All of this will let me do all the work on the miata for summer -- that laundry list could be a post in itself.
Anyway, I'm just feeling pretty accomplished right now. It's the most ambitious project I've ever done outside of a shop. And it seems to have gone off without a hitch.
I've finally completed major heart surgery on the '89 323.
Last winter she overheated, blew the head gasket and warped the head. I got a new head, but it was never quite right after that, and then last summer the engine got a death rattle. Main crank or rod bearings went -- I dropped the oil pan to replace the rod bearings and saw handfuls of metal fragments. I told the g/f, "It's time for a new car".
As the weather's been getting warmer, I decided to rip into the 323. I got a used motor from Harry's U-Pull it in PA during a 1/2 off sale for $60. The donor car looked like it was well taken care of, but was hit pretty bad in the rear -- hence why it was in the bone yard.
Anyway, this past weekend, I swapped in the "new" engine. Taking care to replace all oil seal seals and gaskets before re installation. Also replaced all the coolant lines and rubber fuel lines.
I have to say it's better than it was before. No clacking HLA's, no strange noises, etc. The only thing I'm still trying to sort out is getting the Throttle Position Sensor adjusted right.
Previously the idle was hunting a little bit. I check the TPS and it was out of adjustment -- the car didn't know it was supposed to be in idle mode. I adjusted it according to factory spec, and now I have a weird hesitation when the throttle is just cracked. I'm guessing I went a tiny bit too far with the adjustment. So, the throttle is opening, engine speed in increasing, but the computer thinks it should be idling. A tiny bit more open, the hesitation disappears and it revs like normal.
35 mpg here I come!
All of this will let me do all the work on the miata for summer -- that laundry list could be a post in itself.
Anyway, I'm just feeling pretty accomplished right now. It's the most ambitious project I've ever done outside of a shop. And it seems to have gone off without a hitch.