well, got everything hooked up, engine is in and looking nicer than ever. Double check all my connections, have my mommy crank it as i inspect. Everything looking great, sounding great, within seconds a mist of oil starts squirting out from the timing belt area. Car is immediately turned off, i go see under car, and an INSANE amount of oil is coming out from the timing belt area. So i'm guessing it's the oil pump, but what the fuck, everything looked just fine. I'm ticked! x( Will look at it tomorrow morning, what else should i look for?

Did you double check that you put all gaskets on and put sealant in all of the needed places?

Hopefully it's something simple and a "smack youself in the forehead" error.

Hopefully you simply missed the front main seal that goes into the oil pump. I've had a a rebuild end up like that with the front main leaking. The oil pump I got with my kit (Go Gottude!) already had the seal in place, so I didn't think to inspect my buddies when it was on. All I did was make sure it was sealed up with the right sealant in the right places.

It can lead to a nasty leak. Look on the bright side, you don't have to pull the engine back out... yet.

My guess is the oil pump seal. Hopefully that's as bad as it goes. Definitely not leaking from the oil pan, and not from the head. Sucks, cuz now i'm gonna have to work in limited space! that should be fun..:(

Originally posted by 96rs-t
My guess is the oil pump seal. Hopefully that's as bad as it goes. Definitely not leaking from the oil pan, and not from the head. Sucks, cuz now i'm gonna have to work in limited space! that should be fun..:(

Heh. At least you won't have to do the timing belt all over again in the engine bay... Oh wait. Yes you will. :+

It could be worse. It could be a lot worse.

ahhhh!!, it looks so freaken cramped in there. Are there any tricks or helpful hints you learned when doing it, that I may benefit from?

The best trick is the one for removing that damn motor mount bracket on the tBelt side of the motor. You know, that mount. :P If you haven't already heard, the best bet is to back all the bolts out as far as you can get them, then push them back in (without threading them in at all).

1. Lower the motor as far down as you can get it (meaning, lose the cross member), then pull the lowest of those three bolts out from under the frame. You might have to "pump" downward on the engine to get it to clear, but it's the easiest.

2. Raise the motor back up as high as you can get it, well, high enough that you can get the top bolt out.

3. With the engine up like this, check out the strut tower down there on the engine side to find the recess for the last bolt. It will be between the little hard lines for vacuum or whatever. Once you find it, follow the line above it to where it gets to the top of the strut tower, and use a larger screwdriver (wrapped with a rag) to *gently* pry that line upwards a little bit. Then you lower the engine back down until that last bolt lines up with the recess. Pull the bolt out into the recess and try rotating the bracket counter-clockwise (when viewed from above) while you pull on that bolt. It should come out without too much fuss.

This is my favorite tip of them all. One time, I had to redo my timing three times in a week (which involved having a friend pick me up and drive me an hour out to his house, then an hour back to mine when it still didn't work - worn out tensioner). This was a lifesaver, bro.

Other than that, you can pretty much do it all through the wheel well if you lower the engine down enough. If you get the engine moving - no crossmember or tBelt-side mount, you can pull the UDP/crank pulley, yank the tBelt and it's cover, then use a puller (the same, I think) to remove the crank sprocket. If you just rebuilt the engine, this is nothing new to you, I'm sure. (Be sure you reinstall that crank sprocket the right way or you'll be buying a drill bit and tap set!)

One other tip I could offer that I have done on my car and like is to "window" the tBelt cover for timing mark inspection with the engine still in place. I've got the AFX UDP, but I'm sure any other pulley with openings in it will work.

While the tBelt cover is off, cut a little "window" into it that will allow you to look in to see the timing mark on the oil pump and the edge of the sprocket when the cover is installed. Then, simply install your UDP with one of the openings aligned with that mark on the crank sprocket. If you cut a window from about 1 O'Clock to 3 O'Clock, you should be cool, but double check it for yourself.

Should you need to check your timing in the future, you can raise the car, pull that one wheel, and manually crank the motor over at the crank knowing you can look right through the UDP at the lower timing mark without having to remove anything else (unless you're still running the splash shields, which I've long since lost, myself :P). This could be a MAJOR timesaver, imo.

Anyways, hope this helps.

I bet its the camshaft seals.

Tip for removing timingbelt/sidemount? Use a 1" holesaw on the inside fenderwell, high up as you can. Make sure the drill misses the brake & fuel hardlines in the engine compartment. Seriously, it makes the job 100x easier.

^yea, that's what Dan and I did on my car. makes life much easier, and that hole is your initiation scar into 2gnt.

Looks like everyone else has all the possibilities covers, but one...Dont forget the oil gallery soft plug..its right there behind the timing belt..If these soft plugs arent installed with a good tool to fit them nice and tight, they can leak. If its that much oil, it would have to be gone totally, which is possible i suppose. Hopefully its something easier to get to like the cam seals, or front main seal. YOu didnt forget to put in the rubber O ring that goes inbetween the oil pump and block?

When I did my rebuild I had the problem with that small oil gally plug. The one I installed was a couple thosands out of round.

Brian, that is great info man, thanks a bunch. I would love it if it were the cam seals, but will check in the morning (been at school all day today). Oh, and yea I saw ez's car at MOD 05 (i think) where you guys drilled a hole in the fender well, also a great idea. Oh, and yea the front main seal is there, and all gaskets are there. Tomorrow when I have some morning daylight, I will fire up the engine very quickly and look at the cam seal for leaks. thanks for all the info dudes!

Originally posted by 96rs-t
I saw ez's car at MOD 05

You saw Daisy, there, too. Don't deny it. LOL.

Good luck with the inspection. Hope it turns out to be something really easy. :thumbsup

It takes me a few minutes to get that bracket. I still cannot believe you guys drill holes in your car because you are lazy.

You should see what else I do to my car because I am lazy.

Bottom line, its a 10 year old car, worth less than the tires on it, and a little hole in a completely invisible, nonstructural part of the underbody, in a desert climate where rust is nonexistant, is not going to hurt anything.

It's not my fault Mitsubishi put the wrong engine in the car because THEY were lazy.

Originally posted by Star Turbo Talon
It takes me a few minutes to get that bracket. I still cannot believe you guys drill holes in your car because you are lazy.

If we were lazy, we'd take it to a mechanic to have it done. We drill b/c it's not worth the frustration. I don't know how you've danced that 4 inch bolt & bracket out of there, but it took me way longer than a "few minutes" and I just got pissed. Besides, there are no negatives to the hole, we don't have to worry about rust in cali. The chassis is not going to buckle someday when I'm leaving my driveway.

Originally posted by DR1665

Originally posted by 96rs-t I saw ez's car at MOD 05

You saw Daisy, there, too. Don't deny it. LOL.

lol, and i was also there when you revved her up and burned the crap out of the poor little flowers behind your exhaust tip. :P

Well, i found out the source of my oil leak. Definitely not the front seal, definitely not the cam seals.

EDIT!!! nevermind, i just noticed, it's the damn oil plug right above the oil pump by the bypass bolt. there is no plug there!! no freakent wonder. omg, i feel happy inside now.

Originally posted by 96rs-t
Well, i found out the source of my oil leak. Definitely not the front seal, definitely not the cam seals. EDIT!!! nevermind, i just noticed, it's the damn oil plug right above the oil pump by the bypass bolt. there is no plug there!! no freakent wonder. omg, i feel happy inside now.

i bet you do.....(giggle)

ok, now i'm pissed - yet again. I fix the leak coming from the timing belt area, and now i have a MASSIVE leak coming from the other side of the block. Guess i also missed the other plug!!! ahhhhh.

So how long has this project been going on for? Like the whole rebuild. Your car is coming along nicely though!

P.S Update sig picture that picture doesnt seem worthy to represent the progress your car has gone through

i believe it's been two weeks now, since school delays the process. So far the update is, the engine is currently OUT yet again. Only took me 3 hrs this time...:) . Anywho, gotta buy new oil plugs to make sure they are nice and tight, but i don't think local stores will have my size (hopefully they do). Can't believe how easy it is to take out the motor once you've done it once. I have taken pics of the current state, and will update sig soon :)

edit: there. Next sig, you'll see the new bmw retrofit (i don't think anyone has done my type of retrofit, at least i think) and my leaks will be finally fixed!! damnit.

Very nice. Can't wait to see the retro-fit car is coming along nicely. By the way you need a new corner marker. Still.....

Originally posted by EclipseTenzoR
By the way you need a new corner marker. Still.....

lol, yea i do. I actually had bought a new one, but the bumper is fugged up, and the marker won't stay on. It fell off while driving. I need a new front bumper.


edit: engine is going in again, NOW.

I have nothing to add except...

I know how it goes, man. A couple years back, I picked up that 93GS ATX with a hatch full of parts (including the head). Uber and I put the engine back together in my apartment complex parking lot using whatever bolt looked right out of a couple boxes into which the previous owner had tossed them. We didn't know there were supposed to be seven little set screws to seal up the oil galleys in the head. LOL.

Got the engine together, filled it with oil, and cranked it over. It started just fine, but then oil ran everywhere. Shut it down, picked up three of the set screws (since it only leaked on that side), tried again. OOP! Oil now shooting out the other side. Heh.

Been there. Done that. Still. Don't you like how easy it is to pull the motor now? :7

Originally posted by DR1665
Been there. Done that. Still. Don't you like how easy it is to pull the motor now? :7

Yea, when i first started this rebuild, it took me a day and half to take it out, since i took lots of time reading the chiltons and labeling sensors and stuff. This time is was out with such simplicity.

..but yea, those oil plugs - total rookie mistake on my part.

puke.. ok, testing car now. Now gotta fix a coolant leak from the firewall heater hose. I changed the tranny oil, and now my 1st and 3rd gear feel like mush. It doesnt click like the rest of the gears, just feels soft as if it were not in gear or something.

Originally posted by 96rs-t
puke.. ok, testing car now.

Good times. This is do or die time. :thumbsup

Originally posted by 96rs-t
Now gotta fix a coolant leak from the firewall heater hose.

Just use regular hose from VatoZone in the right diameter and loop any slack between the barbs. Should one of them fail in the future, chances are you will be able to cut the split off and just reconnect on the side of the road.

Originally posted by 96rs-t
I changed the tranny oil, and now my 1st and 3rd gear feel like mush. It doesnt click like the rest of the gears, just feels soft as if it were not in gear or something.

What fluid? Any particulate in the old fluid? :wary

i bought the tranny fluid from satan specifically for the mtx tranny. The old fluid seemed was not contaminated or anything.

How does 5th feel?



Brian

haven't even hit 5th yet. My car was overheating big time, so i wasn't able to go thru all gears. Hopefully today i fix my overheating problem and i'll see how 5th feels. 2nd, 4th & R feel just fine.

well, i guess i can just shift into 5th while parked and see.

edit: 5th feels good, and somehow 3rd now feels good. Guess fluid and tranny just needed some time to get to know each other.

Yeah, you saw where I was going with that question. Maybe it's something in the external linkage that's causing it to feel like that. Hopefully you can get into 5th and see how it feels.

Brian

Originally posted by ForceFed420a
Maybe it's something in the external linkage that's causing it to feel like that.

OOoOoOOOh! Good call, man. Good call. If one of the linkages is out of whack, it could affect and entire side of the shift pattern.

Now might be a good time to double check that you've got both your lines clipped to the tranny. Sometimes people will forget those thick metal clips that you have to tap down at the ends. You might also check for any kind of kinks or shit.

Ok, no more leaks, car doesn't overheat anymore, gears all feel good, BMW retro finished and looking beautiful. Breaking it in at the moment. Will post pics of the retro later when i develop my 35mm pics. I'm breaking it in according to Corbin's write-up, and hopefully everything goes well from now on. phew!

congrats man! can't wait to see pics, happy boosting!

This is exactly the same case scenario that happened to me. I hope you RTV'd or JBwelded those damn plugs in there good.

I feel your pain though, I really do.

The fuckers who cleaned my block did the same shit! and I too installed without checking them.... I feel your pain!



mods include but not limited to:
engine: AEM cai , pp head / TB / intake runners, Chikira 4-2-1 header , custom 2.5" exhast / pacesetter high flow cat/flowmaster2 muff,1mm over sized SS valves,PT valvetrain, AEM cam gears/pully set, prothane motormounts,440 injectors , ground kit.
Trans: Custom ATX (1 of a kind) poly-graphite steels , kevlar clutches , final drive , shift kit,3500 stall TC, Tourqe Wonder trans chip ($120.00 2gnt price only!!email for order info)

Originally posted by thedawg
I bet its the camshaft seals. Tip for removing timingbelt/sidemount? Use a 1" holesaw on the inside fenderwell, high up as you can. Make sure the drill misses the brake & fuel hardlines in the engine compartment. Seriously, it makes the job 100x easier.

and weakens the chassis, sweet!!!

damn, this thread is still going... and yet I still have a shitless oil leak I have to fix. haha.

Originally posted by turbo8u

Originally posted by thedawg Use a 1" holesaw on the inside fenderwell, high up as you can. Seriously, it makes the job 100x easier.

and weakens the chassis, sweet!!!

Explain how "fenderwell sheetmetal" = "chassis".

Bonus points for using your Mechanical Engineering skills to determine the structural load placed on said wheel well.

Refer to pictures of perfectly functional DSM's with the fender sheetmetal rusted out completely for reference.

I'll let you know when any of my DSMs tear themselves apart from structural compromise. I'm sure I'm just minutes from failure... :rolleyes
OMG THE FLOORBOARD JUST FELL OUT!

lol in referance to that F&F pic... that had to be the funniest shit ive ever seen. Untill heading down the highway to our last meet and this fucking "nub" decided "glueing" diamond plate under his sunroof was a good idea... i mean ya it prolly looked pretty....that is until I found myself dodging 1/4" diamond plate on the freeway...

(I know who u are and I will find you , asshole!)



mods include but not limited to:
engine: AEM cai , pp head / TB / intake runners, Chikira 4-2-1 header , custom 2.5" exhast / pacesetter high flow cat/flowmaster2 muff,1mm over sized SS valves,PT valvetrain, AEM cam gears/pully set, prothane motormounts,440 injectors , ground kit.
Trans: Custom ATX (1 of a kind) poly-graphite steels , kevlar clutches , final drive , shift kit,3500 stall TC, Tourqe Wonder trans chip ($120.00 2gnt price only!!email for order info)

ahh yes I remember this post I have gone through the rebuild from hell as well.

I plugged up both those holes and no more leaks

then someone sold me bad spec 3 clutch so I had to pull the engine again and put my LuK in

curse that machine shop curse them!