[HadMany2s]

Day 18 - Continued...(pic post limit)

So by the time I went to look at the head, that particular valve closed. So I couldn't see if there was anything between the valve and head seat. Will have to check when I disassemble...

While #1/#4 look fairly normal assuming 193k miles is correct... #2 certainly shows evidence of oil burning, and has likely helped remove some of the carbon buildup. #3 looks like it was getting fairly hot... not sure if that crud on the intake valve is new...need to check. I'll clean up the surface and see if the head is warped at all

So at this point, there are several strikes. Damaged CAM journals, unknown valve issue in #3, unusable #1/#4 pistons, still unknown to cause of low comp in #2. Who knows what I'll find when I do the bottom end. At this point though, I don't hold much hope... I was just going to rebuild if the internals were good, but with cams and pistons being bad...sigh While there is the 4AGE in #2, I know absolutely NOTHING about why it was parked 7+ years ago. I didn't see any coolant in her, and spiders came out of the coolant cap when I released it...so I honestly do not put any faith in that engine.

All this is making me favor going with a used 20V. Else I'm going to have to buy pistons and cams, and hope there isn't crank journal or rod damage. At which point the rebuild cost is same as low mileage 20V (with transmission).

I looked at the tops of the #2/3 pistons and they looked ok...so did the bores of # 1 & 4

Sadly I won't be able to do anymore this weekend, being my daughter's 20th!! Boy I feel old! But before I go... a little AW11 porn!!

Oh yeah...can you guess what these rare and expensive items are???

MMmmmmmm shiney... Nice new front pop-up headlight guards. How many MKIs have I seen that these are gone/deteriorated... These are brand new orignals!! Thanks to Obsolete JDM Racing folk!!

 

[mikemo]

Great work so far. Reading your updates makes me feel quite guilty about the lack of progress on my project car. Ugh, I need to get my act together.

Too bad about that engine, but not surprising either. Don't discount the engine in your parts-car. It might be nasty on the outside, but could very well be in good shape. Even so, if the cam journals are in good shape you could swap the heads. I'm curious to see what you find when you pull apart the bottom end. Hopefully all of that is clean.

Good luck brother! And just wait until your kid turns 30. Then you really start feeling old

 

[HadMany2s]

Day 21 (Took a few days off) - 'dem bound gears
Quote of the Day - "The first thing a kindness deserves is acceptance, the second, transmission." - George MacDonald

So getting back into the saddle after a weekend away, had to remove the transmission and water pump lines. Unfortunately, I forgot that there tends to be quite a bit of coolant left in the lines, even after draining. So once again, garage floor had to be mopped up. (Why oh WHY didn't I paint/coat the floor before I moved into this home!!!) The good news is, all the lines are in excellent (for the age) condition, and very little reconditioning will be necessary. Water pump, apart from the nice coat of 5W on the outside, looked new. Yet again everything pointing to being changed recently.

The pile 'o parts was getting a bit bad, and all my hefty bins are storing my 2nd 3S-GTE parts... So bought a few new bins at Lowe's. Much better... though once I start cleaning, blasting, and painting parts, I'll need another bin for those parts reconditioned.

The crank pulley is in poor shape, with nearly half the rear guide for the Alternator/Water Pump belt is gone. Probably need to just replace it with one in better condition. After having removed the crank pulley, I saw a broken/damaged timing gear, and oil pump hoising (Yeah not sure what incompetence number I'm up to, but I'm going to stop counting...it is depressing me!!). The later doesn't impact much, but no way I'm reusing the timing gear, with the risk of edges slowly shaving the belt (need to see if that was already happening.)

Next up, time to remove the transmission.... Anyone whose been there, done that, solo...knows it can be a pita when the alignment pins are nice a seized...which one was. Thirty minutes, a tapered chisel, and many a colorful metaphor later, and off it came.

As you may recall, I had tried to "test" the transmission while everything in the car, and it simply wouldn't connect back to the engine. So I locked one output spline, and manually set different gears...rotated free spline, and no movement of the main spline. Tried a few other gears...same. So what's a guy to do? Hamma-time dun da da dah... Pinging it around the ctr body while rapidly turning output shafts back and forth...suddenly CLICK....woah, sounds like she finally went into gear!! Sure enough had good rotation of main spline... changed gears and ratios changed appropriately! YAY So in all, I suspect something was just "stuck" from sitting for several years. Whew that's a relief, because even if I go 20V route, will still likely use this transmission!

All this was also good, because there was nothing wrong with the pressure plate. After removing the plate and disc, it was surely near the end of it's life by the wear and tell-tale discs. What bothers me though, and I haven't looked into why...is the note the uneven wear on the disc...very odd. The pressure plate had the typical rust one sees from sitting a while... but there was quite a bit of carbon buildup between it and pressure plate mounting points.

Pay no mind to the "pharmacy cardboard"...drugs are not required to rebuild and engine.... BUT they may help one cope based on all the incompetence cough they find.

 

[HadMany2s]

Day 22 - Oh the CARNAGE
Quote of the Day - "Every time we fix something that (is) broken, whether it's a car engine or a broken heart, that (is) an act of magic. And what makes it magic is that we choose to create, or help, just as we can choose to harm." - Charles de Lint

Now is the time, in which I get to witness what further carnage this poor engine has experienced. What do you think? Will it be WORSE or BETTER, based on what we've seen so far? Let step into the garage shall we?

Had to take off the flywheel, and sometimes it can be a struggle, depending if previous person used loctite. I also use a custom tool (need a pic) that is inserted between the teeth and the alignment pins. This prevents the flywheel from rotating as I loosing the bolts (also used for the crank pulley bolt if impact doesn't get it off immediately).

I wanted to put the engine on a stand, but my 3S-GTE is already on it... went to get another, trying to different stores that usually carry them....all out. sigh OK, time for more cardboard then. As always there is going to be a bit of residual oil, and OF COURSE some of it missed my pan & rags.... sigh With that cleaned up, it was clear by the EXCESS of sealer, that the bottom end was opened up before. That took some effort to separate, and I there is AT LEAST a 2mm thick layer of tar-ish crud at the bottom of the pan. Next there was metal on the oil suction mesh..not a good sign, but better there than in the oil passages/pump!

(NOTE: Block is stamped with 33332 for main journal bearing sizes)

I inspected the main seal, and honestly saw no signs of oil leakage history... With it and the oil pump removed, I noticed a groove on the seal surface on both ends of the crank. Interesting, as I've not seen such there on a untouched engine, and could be a sign it's been to a machine shop. In any case, time to remove the pistons.

#4 - Has damaged ring lands, cracked in several places but still held in place. Severe top/side detonation loss of material. Amazing it held 140psi.

#3 - Was the cyl with 0psi due to stuck valve, and is in the best shape. Even it has a cracked ring land, and beginnings of some damage.

#2 - CARNAGE!! When it came out...it threw up...metal.. This is the one that looked fine up top, but had 20psi. Now we know why...no seat, no bang bang.
#1 - Didn't take pick but not quite as bad as #4, but close. Ring lands cracked but still in place, detonation damage down to the land.

Soooo yeah, expected 1 & 4 to be bad, and the one I thought would be the worst, was the best. Just goes to show you never really know until you disassemble!! Whilst I removed the pistons carefully I inspected their bearings, and they all look about the same. The crank journals are perfectly fine!! No scoring!! WOOT Finally a break!!

...but there is one LAST check... the crank... First I checked to see if there was any thrust play...will check later with dial gauge but no discernible movement. Then I removed all the bearing caps, and visually inspected everything. VERY ODD, the bearings look in great condition...by which I mean hardly worn. I've taken apart half a dozen 4AGE and no bearings from a 180k engine ever looked like this. Clue #4 this engine had significant work done before. What worries me, is the bearings look a bit thick... will mic them tomorrow and see if they are std or oversized. In any case all crank journals looked beautiful and healthy! The rods were also in perfectly fine condition. THUS the bottom end could be potentially rebuilt with new pistons!!

Next I'll need to measure everything and ensure everything is within spec. Also check the cyl bores, but I'll likely 0.5 overbore with Wiseco pistons if rebuilding. Hopefully this gives me the option of just rebuilding the bottom end. Sadly it looks like this, combined with the parts now needed, the overall cost may be over a good used 20V. I'll have to run the numbers.

 

[HadMany2s]

Day 23 - You get what you pay for...
Quote of the Day - "Find out what you like doing best, and get somebody to pay you for doing it." - Katherine Whitehorn

So I ran some numbers, between rebuilding the 4A-GE w/overbore pistons, and a used 20V. While expensive either way, it's still notably cheaper to just rebuild. My wallet is crying right now...in pain...as I just ordered MOST of the engine parts I need. OMG have bearing prices gone through the roof! Would've been cheaper to grind the crank and go with oversize bearings, but I've always had success using OEM replacements when the crank is still within spec. (Which technically I still need to mic, but can't find my 2" micrometer! sigh). For those interested, the Rods were all size 2, and the crank were 33332.

Today I decided to start removing all the lines at the rear of the fuel tank. You know the one with two pin hole leaks that left my garage with an overbearing gas smell for weeks! I was about half-way through,and was having a PITA of a time getting the bottom banjo bolt off on the fuel filter. Suddenly it moved in a weird way...OMG it totally broke at the body!! Freakin' FRAM...well you get what you pay for, and this is why I go OEM!! Yeah, I'm going to have to soak that...but I don't think it's coming out TBH.

With only a few lines remaining, they are REALLY hard to get to... so I think I'll try getting those as I start pulling out the tank.

Somewhat discouraged, and hot, I decided to save that for tomorrow, and began something more satisfying... CLEANING! Yeah call me weird, but I actually enjoy taking things that look like crap and making them look shiny again. First up that engine bay...
Before

After (basic cleaning)

I'll be working more on the sealant and harness areas, and painting the frame with a good rust preventative type.

Also did the Alternator, Igniter (mostly), and compressor (mostly). That compressor...good god...1hr alone scraping all the build up of oil residue on it! For the igniter, I'll be taking the bracket off, sanding, and re-painting it. The alternator was basically all black... had to take the regulator cover off to clean it up decently.

Next I started on the transmission... years of scale and build up. The Inside was coated from carbon (clutch disc) and oil. Just LOOK at that pile in front of it (Hard to tell but it's as high as the bell!) I just started cleaning up the outside housing with a brush wheel, and there will be MANY hours still to come to get it all cleaned up. Haven't decided if I will paint it or not. They are an uber pain to polish, and I'm not doing this car to car-show levels! I've also taken off the transversal brackets and will sanding and repainting them.

Lastly I setup a work-bench for the engine... keep everything covered up. I'm having difficulty finding any USED 16V cams. I'd love some streetable cams, and timing gears, but 750 is a bit out of my price league, when I can buy a completely rebuild head (valve guides, seals, re-grind, etc..) for just a little bit more than that. Again I'm really going for a "stock" restoration here since sticking with the blue-top.

 

[HadMany2s]

Day 24 - F*&# You ETHANOL
Quote of the Day - "I never saw a miracle of science, that didn't go from a blessing to a curse." - Sting

Today was tank dropping day. Most the pre-work to do so was already done. As I unbolted the front, and then the rear retaining bracket, the tank lowered itself down easily. Then it was the task of getting that BIG hose off of the filler neck. This can be a huge PITA if completely stiff. Fortunately the hose clearly wasn't original, and some NON-OEM clamps also told me the tank had been dropped before. Thus the hose was able to flex and release it's death grip. Came out and I slid it out from the car. It was actually amazing how good the outside looked. Even in the channel it had been was amazingly clean (and of course free of rust.) Little did I know, that ALL THE RUST the body DIDN'T HAVE, was actually hiding somewhere else. Interesting enough, there is a date code stamped on the front, looks like 06 09 15? Could that bee when it was replaced?

Not sure why, but I went ahead and cleaned up the exterior. Man it really looks good! So let's get the float/sensor and fuel pump assy outta there and see what is causing the pin-hole leaks shall we?

"HOLY RUSTY METAL BATMAN!!" - Robin OMG this is bad... I've....I've never seen something this bad. Oh for the love of Pete, I'm afraid to look inside. (BEFORE PROCEEDING, PLEASE HAVE ANY YOUNG CHILDREN LOOK AWAY...)

EEEEEK horror movie screams Emanate from me... Damn this is bad...it's not just along the entire bottom, but most of the way up the sides, and lots of rust scaling all the way to the top. This people, is why you should say no to DRUGS, I mean ETHANOL!! The moisture sucking little b of an alcohol. If you are using gas mixed with this #($*& in your 2, and haven't prepped for it...let me come and personally slap you until you see reason!! This is why I run non-ethanol my my '91 folks!

I won't lie, I've found issue after issue on this car, and each one I've been able to get over... but this... this has really broken my spirit. It's also something I even told the guy I just wouldn't deal with before buying the car. He said he went through tank issues on his SC and understand not wanting to deal with such, and was very confident this one was ok. I took a shop vac, and omg the crud it sucked up. Afterward I could see that the bowl was rusted through, and below it the tank.

I might be able to save the fuel pump assembly... I just don't know, even after getting most the scaling off, it's eaten so much. The fuel line clamps...well the outer layer of them, fell right off. Leaving me nothing to compress them and get'em off. I worked to clean the float & empty sensor (which had hardly any corrosion), and saw why the float sensor output was bad. The scaling had been so bad, it shorted the windings out. ( Basically the float works like a variable resistor, where a tap moves along the winding as the fuel level changes.) Amazingly enough, when clearing the scale away the output was proper again. MAYBE I can save it...not sure, as it depends on how much I can disassemble and re-coat.

Well, I think this is too much scaling/rust to resolve via electrolysis or muriatic acid. So much metal has been eaten away at the bottom/sides... So now I have to hope that #2 has a decent fuel tank (engine still in it, so dropping tank is going to suuuuuuck), or find a used one in far better shape. Well this day sucked... So if you have a tank in good condition (with only minor contamination) that can be cleaned up, please let me know. ALSO anyone know if any other toyota of the period used the same fuel pump bracket?

 

[HadMany2s]

Day 25 - Wallowed in self pity, did absolutely nothing,

Day 26 - If one MR2 pisses you off, work on the other one to make it jealous!
Quote of the Day - "There are two types of pains. One that hurts you, and one that changes you." - Unknown

So #1 is playing the "screw you I'll never live...NEVER!!" game. Have to admit it's doing a damn good job. So with it's fuel tank unrecoverable, bearings being hard to find, and no decent stock cams to be found...I've turned to my #2. As mentioned, there is absolutely NO info about this car, why it was taken off the road in 2014, and what all is wrong with it. What I DO know, is there was enough plant material stuffed everywhere in it to make a TREE! Though I washed it and removed allot of it, there is still plenty in the nook and crannies. Shop vac to the rescue! Then I gave it a little wipe down here and there.

Took the plug wire cover off, and all-in-all FAR less crud in the spark plug wells. I'll remove and check 'em later. Right now I just want to power her up and see whats what. The good news.... I didn't blow up...annnnnnd the door buzzer works. The bad news...fuel indicated empty, and pump doesn't run... power at the connector verified with the Fp/B+ jumped, but no joy. If this tank is my hope of saving me, it's not off to a good start. So I'll need to remove the float and stick a camera in it to see the tank condition inside.

For giggles, I press in the clutch and feels normal then POP.. and to the floor it goes...yeah that master cyl is now dead. I tried to see if at least the starter would kick (really didn't expect the engine to turn over, just wanted to see if it at least tried...) No joy. sigh something else to troubleshoot. Well at least the interior fan worked... that's something right?

Just about that time goodies from PrimeMR2 arrived! So I keyed off #2 and welcomed the distraction to shiney new things! Tune up kit, Exedy clutch, oil pump, and new engine hose set arrived! I noticed the hose set didn't include any protective lining on the heater hoses...so will have to see about moving those over. Also I found some "STD" bearings online from Partsology and were relatively inexpensive so figured I'd try 'em if I absolutely can't get OEM. (Four dealerships all saying the same thing, the bearings are on NATIONAL BACK ORDER, with no ETA listed.) Also my trunk is starting to run out of room to store the new parts I've procured thus far... It's getting crowded in here!

(Oh and don't look at me for the Carquest parts... those came with the car..)

So the parts I'm needing right now are:
-Stock cams
-Crank Timing Pulley
-OEM bearings
-Fuel Tank & Fuel Pump Hanger

So if you have any of these you'd like to sell, and are in good condition, please PM me..

On the way are;
-Wiseco 81.5 18mm pin pistons
-Engine overall gasket set/kit

 

[HadMany2s]

Day 27 - Taking measurements, but not telling the wife...
Quote of the Day - “I am emotional about engines, if you hurt my car, you hurt my heart.” – Amit Kalantri

Didn't accomplish too much today, as I woke up with an eye sealed shut. Apparently something got in there, scratched the cornea, and caused an infection. I personally think it was some rust flakes from #2...just tapping her rust falls down like rain. Still, I wanted to accomplish SOMETHING. So I removed the spark plugs, and all things considered, look pretty normal. Some typical carbon build up, though outside cylinders seem to have more than the inner. Did a quick vacuum over the plug hole check and it certainly strained on most (but #3 not so much). So I'm really hopeful, and wanting to do a compression check, but I wasn't able to rotate it. It's sat for 7 years so rings are probably seized/stuck to the cyl wall. So going to spray some penetrate and work the crank lightly and see if I can get them free without breaking anything. It would be WONDERFUL if this was retired, not due to engine issues, but maybe the fuel problem? If usable I could certainly install in #1 whilst I rebuild it's engine! (You may ask why'd I want to do such...but I have ZERO info about these transmissions and could be garbage for all I know. So I want to get at least one running to test them and see if they need rebuilding too (which rebuilding such is not something I've ever done, and don't have the tools anymore to really do.)

For me to do more, I have to get #1 on it's wheels and moved around... which means I need to do a driveshaft rig (I don't like putting weight on the bearings without 'em installed.)

Received an update on the Wiseco pistons...won't be ready until mid-august. Amayama did get back to me tough, and said my OEM Toyota bearings (13041-16040-02) should be in their hands by the 28th. 22$ a bearing though...yeeeesh. I plan to do tests on one of these aftermarket "STD" sets, vs. the Toyota bearings. Who knows maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised? I didn't mention it but I did mic the journals just to ensure in spec, and they are toward the high side so that's great!!!

Run-Out on all main journals was also good, no more than 0.02mm, with most being 0.01. Next I need to mic the journals themselves.

I also measured the cams, as I wanted to see where in the tolerance they were, to determine if they could be polished due to failing nail test. Yet I need to recheck, because they are all LARGER than spec (26.949-.965), with most being ~26.99. So either I did something wrong, or the specs I have vs. blue top are different.

Next I'll be pressing out the piston pins, which I had forgotten where pressed in on the older 4A-GEs (These are also 18mm pins w/40mm big ends, while later they used snap rings and 20mm w/42mm big ends) I need to ensure the pin sleeves are in spec for the Wiseco's. While I ordered them with 18mm pins, if worn out, will need to buy new sleeves.

Some of my goodies for my FUR (F-U-Rust) tank came...Screw scrubbing/sanding away rust...I'll be science-ing the the #$*(& out of this.

Just need to finish fabricating a ground hanger!

 

[HadMany2s]

Day 28 - Making it shine again
Quote of the Day - “Cleanliness is next to Godliness.” – Proverbs

With more and more parts on their way, I have a few weeks to get all the old parts, that I'll be re-using, clean. As the engine was a leaky oily mess, many pieces have either baked in residue, caked in oil. So time to crank up the cleaner! Now enjoy some clean part pics...deeply satisfying!!

There was so much build up, I worried it wouldn't clean as well as it did...

Cleaner didn't do much for steel, but it's amazing on Aluminum!! Sadly, as the way things go, the heater element went out after I finished these parts. Cold cleaner just doesn't do the job nearly as well. I began working on the T-VIS, and realized it wasn't working at all... Frozen in the shut position, and caked with oil and carbon build up... so the cleaning didn't do much. Have to work on chipping away the build up and use some carb cleaner next.

Tomorrow it's time to start putting the bits and bobs in the ultrasonic cleaner!

Also, found a better condition tank (Thanks Dan) and it should be arriving tomorrow! I have a KBN 3-step tank cleaning & coating kit on it's way as well. Never used it before, so we'll see how it goes!

 

[HadMany2s]

Day 29-31 Kicking Rust's arse with science!
Quote of the Day - “I'm not saying it's hot today, but two hobbits just ran buy a threw a ring at me!” – Unknown

Yeah, 30m in the garage, and I'm a soaked in sweat noodle. Mind you it's not the temperature, it's that with this close-to-the-coast humidity!! So I really haven't accomplished much work lately. I've also put my Yamaha FZ6 up for sale (to support the costs of this project which are out of control). So I had to spruce it up and ensure it's ready for sale.

So as indicated on Day 27, it was time to let science do some work! Work smarter not harder, right? Why brush, sand, file, sand again...just to get all the rust out, especially in the nooks and crannies! So electrolysis tank to the rescue! Here's my setup, which only ran me 28$.

A glass fish tank, filled with 5gal of regular tap water (no you don't want distilled), with 1/3cup Sodium Carbonate (which Arm & Hammer sells as Super Washing Soda). Then I have my power supply I use for all my RC charging, set to 12V. What I like about this supply, is I can dial in a set current limit, IN CASE something overloads/shorts out etc. I have 10AWG positive and negative wires, running to some large alligator clips (yeah 10AWG is excessive, but it's what I had). The positive is going to a thin 8*16" steel plate at the back of the tank. The negative is going to go to the part.

Now recently I received the mkib gas tank I bought, and sadly it has rust too. Fortunately it is not really deteriorated any metal significantly, so it's salvageable. The fuel pump bracket is rusty, but not as bad as mine. Here it is after removing the fuel pump and wire brushing the surface stuff off. In the tank it goes, about 2-3" from the plate. If the amps are too much, I'll move it further away.

Time to turn it on... BUBBLES! Electrons be moving, hydrogen in the making! 8Amps being of current pushing through that part to journey to the plate!

Within an short time (30min or so)

After an hour, and swapping sides... majority of the rust is gone...rinsed & sprayed with WD-40. Spraying it with rust-stabilizer just in case. I think I'm going to let it coat itself with the same KBM fuel tank 3-step system. plug up the ports, and that should coat it well.

Not too bad when you look at how it was (FP on the right, my original on left)

 

[HadMany2s]

Day 32-33 Engine color scheme choosen!
Quote of the Day - "To achieve great things, two things are needed; a plan, and not quite enough time." – Leonard Bernstein

So I debated on the color scheme for a long while. Last Mki I had, I went Red/Chrome/Black. This worked well as the interior, seats, etc... were also red. This time I wanted to go more stock looking, but to those knowledgeable, still be slightly upscaled. So I hunted and hunted for that light gold of the original valve covers. Sadly I just couldn't find anything close, but there was this "Cadillac gold" that stood out, and reminded me of my first car (no not a Caddy)... an 1979 Oldsmobile Cutless LS Sedan. Which for a little guy like me, created many a joke! Still it rode great, had a small block V8, and COOL rear windows! Unfortunately the engine died my jr year of college, and being broke...yeah no more ride.

Anyhoo this made me also think of my latest EBMM JP6, and thought that such would be a cool color scheme (even though I'm not big into "gold"). So I went for a gold/black/silver look!

So I've largely been cleaning, sanding, and painting these last few days. I also used the "tank" to clean up some other parts:

I ALSO noticed my water pump pulley is warped while I was sanding it!! sigh Whomever worked on this car previously was abusive as all heck, and it's cost me a lot of cash to get replacement that I wasn't planning on needing!

Next up, the KBM tank stuff is in, so once there is a warm/dry day (been raining everyday lately) then I'll get to work on the tank!!

 

[HadMany2s]

Day 34 - When one valve shuts, another one...HEY why won't this valve shut!
Quote of the Day - "Victory comes from finding opportunities in problems." – Sun Tzu

I didn't feel in the mood to juggle a fuel tank w/KBM just yet. As I really wanted to get some better pictures first, so I could compare through step1 & 2, to see how much rust it actually removed.

My local buddy brought back my simple valve spring remover, so I decided to finally look at why #3 was shutting SO SLOWLY (like minutes to shut!). I'd also do the wiggle test to see how much play the valve guide had, to know what needs to be replaced (I'll ID mic them later, but this gives a good initial estimate.) Nearly every single exhaust valve had plenty of movement. The intake were much better off...if anything some were perfect.

That is, until I came to MR BAD VALVE. This guy likes sticking around.. and like that high school linebacker, you couldn't even push him over. First time I've ever had to try and tap a valve out... Mr. Valve, meet Mr Wood n Hamma. Mr. Bad Valve scoff'ed, unimpressed.... he didn't move. This is bad...I'm gonna take a small tube of steel and stick it right up his.... Hey that got'em moving!! I swear at first, it looked bent...but it was just the debri. I had to hammer him out all the way. There was SO MUCH crud on the shaft... gunked up to heck. I looked at the inside, and it's like someone painted and glazed the valve cavity!! It's hard as a rock!

These pictures don't capture it well... but looks like volcanic rock!! Couldn't even chip any away! So I decided to take some 600 grit and clean up the crap on the valve stem. Oiled and and it moved with no issues, and didn't even move side to side much. So WHY did it start getting so much build-up. In fact, I noticed one valve in each cyl was pretty bad (but not like this one.)

(valves are right to left 1A, 1B,...4B)
I looked at that, and immediately recalled ...T-VIS...remember I found the actuator seized. May have been due to sitting, but the head shows how the T-VIS flapped valve ports are fairly clean, while the ones w/out are funky as heck. That makes me believe that the T-VIS may not have been operating for a WHILE and thus the valves were closed, not letting oil & guck in that way. That would have left the other port to do the heavy lifting airflow wise. Yet you'd think that would help keep the guck from building up....unless it was coming from up stream. The only thing I know that could be dumping guck like that is the valve cover breather to the intake. So now I'm going to pull that out of the pin and see if I can spot a trail.

In other news I did a separate post about this horror:

That'll be enough for today...

 

[HadMany2s]

Days 35-37 - Tanks allot!
Quote of the Day - "It is almost always the cover-up rather than the event that causes trouble." - Howard Baker

Yeah, I don't think Howard had rusty fuel tanks in mind. So apologies for the time between updates! A lot going on and this tank was a struggle! I've done this in photo stages so you can see the impact of each step!

Step 1: Clean - As you may recall if you've been following along in the crazy story book, the replacement tank I bought still had some rust. So this step was supposed to remove the majority of the rust. The cleaner was a 1:1 so barely a gallon in all. Thus, get those bicep/triceps ready.... 'cuz your going to be flipping the tank around constantly. They said you could use duct tape...well I found if you cover the opening entirely with ONE piece, yeah it works. If you do two overlapping...leaks right through. So I ended up putting the fuel pump holder in, along with the inlet nozzle, and used some rubber gloves to seal it up.

After 1hr of constant flipping my arms were tired...and OMG the amount of rust that came out, was...unbelievable! I didn't think it was that rusty!

Step 2: Etch and Zinc Phosphate coating, another 30 minutes of sloshing and wow, what a difference! At this point had to let it dry completely, so waited until the next day to do the coating.

Step 3: Coating. Ok, with the humidity here in the southern coast, and this stuff being moisture activated, it should be setting up fast. With the odd design bowl, and all the tubes and baffles, it was a HUGE PITA to try and get things coated. One cannot "slosh" it else air would easily cause bubbling, so I had to put the tank in some odd angles to get things coated. Even then I simply could NOT get some spots. Meanwhile once the coating was done...even though 30min was to be setting up, it wasn't fully. So for the next 2 hours had to keep rotating around to try and get it drained. OMG what a PITA. I really think these coatings are better for simple tanks, and not our complicated tanks.

I also took the time to apply around the fuel inlet, pipes, and any previously exposed outer spot. In the end, it's NOT pretty by any means, but the results seem quite good. It took 3-4 days for it to cure, but once done it was a SOLID surface...I mean this stuff couldn't even be bothered by my chisel!! I even tried to get some of the remaining solidified drips on the bowl, and couldn't remove them lol! So in the end I think the results are good enough for the need, which is to ensure fuel stays in, rust stays out!!

I wish I had a pool to do a leak down test, but I guess I'll just have to partially fill it and test it before emptying and reinstalling. Here's hoping all is solid!