Donor Engine Problem

**Guy Mayers** · 02-06-2012, 19:33

Hi guys, as some of you know I've bought a donor 164 12v Cloverleaf that's had some work done to the engine and box with the intention of just doing a straight swap whilst the current engine and box are out and the chassis is being repaired. Unfortunately the engine is burning a significant about of oil, it's getting into the inlet tract via the oil breather and pipe to the throttle body rubber elbow. I'm assuming that the crankcase must be getting pressurised to cause this much loss.

I've cleaned out the breather tank attached to the back of the plenum and swapped it for a second known good one, pipes are all clear too. I've just done a compression test on the engine and had 155psi on cylinders 1, 2, 3 and 130psi on 4, 5 and 6. I'm coming to the conclusion that there are issues with the rings on the front bank.

What sort of compression are other people seeing on their engines? And if anyone needs to borrow a tester in the future just let me know!

So, does anyone have any bright ideas? The engine and box are coming out of the donor tomorrow/Monday so I probably won't be able to run it again until it goes into the Stratos at some point in the future.

Does anyone have a good source for 164 12v gasket sets too? I'll probably need one soon and a spare sump gasket. There's a brand new pan to go on the engine once I've had a boss welded onto it to take an oil temperature sender!

Cheers
Guy

**ChrisCar6** · 03-06-2012, 10:51

Good old AlfistoSteve :

Good strong 164 engines give me 195-210psi with plugs out and throttle body butterfly blocked open.

**Guy Mayers** · 03-06-2012, 12:46

I had the plenum off so no restriction from the butterfly..... Sounds like there's problems with both banks...

Thanks Chris.

**turbonutter** · 04-06-2012, 11:32

You Can try EB Spares for the gasket set, I have used them before for 12V gasket sets, albeit a long time ago, Sounds like the engine could do with a rebuild....

**Guy Mayers** · 04-06-2012, 21:22

Thanks Neil, I'm sure it's going to have to be rebuilt, just a matter of when. The engine/box/loom is out of the donor today, I followed the engine out the top route. Never again. I've done it twice by removing the body from the subframe, supporting it VERY carefully, then removing the engine/box from the subframe and put the subframe back. Pretty straight forward.
This time the exhaust was a nightmare.. It's wasn't the usual system, tubular manifolds and three downpipes off each manifold, almost impossible to get at the nuts, took all day but it's out.

Anyone need any 164 bits?

Guy

**Cadami** · 04-06-2012, 22:20

Hi Guy, the results are odd but very uniform!! Did you squirt oil into the cylinders before pressure testing? Bit late now the engine's out... I did the top out route with mine and it worked well. Are the front hubs for sale?

**Guy Mayers** · 05-06-2012, 10:02

Probably not - unless you wanted to take the whole shell! I need to be able to move it easily enough but if I can find a way to get it scrapped without them... I'll have a think!

**ProtoTipo** · 06-06-2012, 11:39

Maybe a bit late in the day, but here is a message from Chris Savage (I'm saying 'hi' from Chris) which I'm relaying for Guy:

Re Guy’s engine issue. Assuming it is due to lots of crankcase pressure rather than ingesting lots on overrun (presume Guy has done the usual overrun test), and given those poor CT results (I used to see well over 220psi on my aspirated engine from cold and 190 on the LC supercharged one), I’d say rings for sure. If it was valve seating/seal, there wouldn’t be the loss of oil. If it’s had work done that included rings/liners before, then almost certainly it’s got glazed bores due to pussy-footing about during the ring bedding period, so there’s a slim chance it might respond to a de-glaze…but most likely it would want new rings.

For decent head gaskets, I used to use EB spares but don’t know how they are for the older stuff these days. Certainly avoid e-bay and cheap pattern kits like the plague.

As you probably figured, I’m not a club member any more so can’t access the forum or I would likely have chimed in as I assume guy posted this. Say hi for me.

Cheers

Chris

**turbonutter** · 27-06-2012, 20:47

Originally Posted by Guy Mayers

Thanks Neil, I'm sure it's going to have to be rebuilt, just a matter of when. The engine/box/loom is out of the donor today, I followed the engine out the top route. Never again. I've done it twice by removing the body from the subframe, supporting it VERY carefully, then removing the engine/box from the subframe and put the subframe back. Pretty straight forward.
This time the exhaust was a nightmare.. It's wasn't the usual system, tubular manifolds and three downpipes off each manifold, almost impossible to get at the nuts, took all day but it's out.

Anyone need any 164 bits?

Guy

If you havent scrapped the shell yet, is the handbrake lever available? The ratchet keeps slipping on mine!

Cheers