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I've lost track. What o-rings? Are you talking about the donut gaskets in the exhaust?
It sounds like there is concern about exhaust blockage. Hard to say if this is the case. I certainly found your flaming video of concern and thought the rear cat might be blocked, but if it was very blocked I thought the engine would stall once you sealed the exhaust up. Cat blocked wouldn't explain why your O2 sensor popped out, but blockage behind it doesn't either. I don't see how that sensor can just pop off when it is bolted in place.
I don't know the best strategy for exhaust blockage testing. It's relatively easy to disconnect the rear cat from the y-pipe. You can cut the bolts if necessary and replace them.
After that the next connection is at the muffler. I'd replace the hardware and donut gaskets.
I don’t think the cat is blocked at all, because of the air coming right out of the hole. It’s a lot of pressure, but a lot of air is coming out of the back too. I think this is a resonator/muffler issue. However, I’m keeping my mind open.
Originally Posted by Pwrdude
Like I said before those O-rings on your spark plug tubes (actually they are seals) only keep the oil in the head from getting on the outside of the valve cover. That is all they do. They will not cause you to throw a rod or bend the valve or anything like that. That is their only purpose is to keep the oil inside the valve cover.
Then my new spark plugs having carbon deposits must be something other than oil. I don’t believe in burning oil according to your response. At all. This is all I want to clarify. It’s scary knowing how much you don’t know, and when I think of all the possible damage the neglect could have done I wonder how I drive her sometimes and other times I’m like ok this was normal.
by the way, guys, I simply cannot get spark plug #5 (i think) out (closest to driver). Any suggestions ? It is super tight, both the space I have and the plug itself.
thanks for bearing with my unfocused driven motivation to get everything done at once. Sorry again!
The O-rings (seals) that you are talking about are on the outside of where the combustion is. The carbon deposits are inside the combustion chamber where the spark plugs are. You could have oil leaking past your valve guides and or past your piston rings into the chamber and then being burnt creating your deposits. Those O-rings (seals) are completely separate from the combustion chamber. Also, I have no idea what you are calling carbon deposits. You could have black on your spark plugs from oil consumption or you could have black on your spark plugs from a too rich fuel mixture. My best advice that I could give you is to tackle one problem at a time. It seems you are all over the place with this vehicle. Attack one problem and then move on to the next one.
which problem should I attack first? I haven't been taking that advice. I just want to fix the most important thing first, but so many things are equally important. I apologize again for being this way lol.
Edit: I am trying to fix p0171 first. Just wondering which contributing factors could make it so intermittent. I can literally feel the engine rumble and the fuel trims at the same time.
p0330, knock sensor
the car is now not as drivable, as I have to erase the ecu codes or else it won't shift into overdrive. pretty annoying, but im thinking I just have to replace the sensor...?
I’m assuming those are things that often need to be changed at high mileage? I will definitely take off the manifold if I can bang out a few things, there is a new valve cover I believe, but there’s a few screws missing lol so.. how heavy of a task is it? This is what I was looking for. I’m getting weird vibrations now at different rpms and I feel like I went backwards. So annoying .. I’m gonna try the splice and solder trick right now see if that helps
I’m assuming those are things that often need to be changed at high mileage? I will definitely take off the manifold if I can bang out a few things, there is a new valve cover I believe, but there’s a few screws missing lol so.. how heavy of a task is it? This is what I was looking for. I’m getting weird vibrations now at different rpms and I feel like I went backwards. So annoying .. I’m gonna try the splice and solder trick right now see if that helps
I didn't solder it. Just used one of those quick splice connectors. It's been like that for nine years. I get a little engine knock on occasion, just ease up on the gas and it stops.
The only hard part of the knock sensor project is removing the intake. Also note the problem could be in the wiring between the ECU and the knock sensor harness connector.
This makes sense as to why the engine would knock LOL. I just didn’t think it was a knock I thought it was a misfire.. and this it the first knock code I have received the only difference is I see a little o of smoke come out of the exhaust every time it knocks so that’s a good indication I guess.
my expertise is soldering and micro electronics. So that I can do. But before I make a semi permanent modification, I’m just going to make sure. I think it’s that though.
Should I reset the ecu or will the p0330 go away on its own after the Bobster hack?
she seems to be running smoother now.. just tryna get the p0171… p0446 didn’t come back as of yet..
but we’re getting there.
I would clear the codes after a fix, and see what pops up next
12-05-23, 03:02 PM
