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Did my engine pop?

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Old 01-13-04, 03:16 PM
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Did my engine pop?

Think my engine may have popped. You guys tell me what you think?

Well, I was driving out to lunch. It was a nice open road and I decided to pass someone so I did a quick WOT in 3rd gear. After I let off the gas I look down at my gauge cluster and notice my tach is reading at zero at my dash lights are on. I realized that my engine was off. At this point I was still coasting at about 60 MPH, so I popped it in gear and popped the clutch while I was coasting to get it started again. Then I come up to a turn and press the clutch down and notice the engine wants to die again. I finsh the turn quickly, let the clutch out and get going again. At this point I decide tha I should skip lunch and get my car home. so I get on the free way and notice I have very litle power. I still get a little power, but even if I boost to 10 psi its pretty weak. After I get off the freeway and get to some stop lights I notice that half the time if I let it idle it'll be really rough and bouncy, other times it'll idle ok. So the rest of the way home I keep my foot on the gas to keep it form dieing. Twice more on the way home I had to pop the clutch while I was coasting to get the car started again. I finally got it home in my garage and wanted to see how it idled. It idled rough and the vacumn was bounceing rapidly between 10 and 8 inHg.

Does it sound like I popped my engine or am I jumping to conclusions? Is there something simplier I should look into as well?
Old 01-13-04, 03:36 PM
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list ur mods and check ur vacuum hoses see if there is any major leak also perhaps ur air pump is shutting off? It supposedly makes ur idle jumpy and weak.
Old 01-13-04, 03:37 PM
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oh also if you did blow ur engine you would be seeing alot smoke through ur exhaust (I had one and it was a bad experience)
Old 01-13-04, 03:42 PM
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You blew it man, sorry.

What you describe is exactly what has happened to me in the past. What is your oil change interval?
Old 01-13-04, 03:43 PM
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Open the hood while the car is idling, does it look like a paint shaker?
Old 01-13-04, 04:07 PM
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Originally posted by SWAT81
oh also if you did blow ur engine you would be seeing alot smoke through ur exhaust (I had one and it was a bad experience)
not true...i blew a side seal and it was exactly as he describes above...and i didnt have the smoke problem at all.


only one way to find out for sure...COMRESSION TEST TIME!
Old 01-13-04, 04:11 PM
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Have you checked to see if the map sensor pipe has fallen off?
Old 01-13-04, 04:33 PM
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Mine is the exact same way, compression test is pending. I'm getting one done this week. I still drive the car, it just don't idle.
Old 01-13-04, 05:29 PM
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You're fucked as fucked can get without actually taking the beef bus to tuna town if you know what I mean.
Might as well quit and give up now.
Old 01-13-04, 05:32 PM
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Old 01-13-04, 05:34 PM
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You popped like a virgin on Prom night. Sorry man
Old 01-13-04, 05:51 PM
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sounds like your engine is gone but do like someone else already mentioned and check your map sensor tube. Mine slipped off once and my car acted just like you are describing. I was convinced my engine was done. Good luck.
Old 01-13-04, 05:56 PM
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Originally posted by SWAT81
list ur mods and check ur vacuum hoses see if there is any major leak also perhaps ur air pump is shutting off? It supposedly makes ur idle jumpy and weak.
Mods are DP, MP, CB, Intake, and ECU.

oh also if you did blow ur engine you would be seeing alot smoke through ur exhaust (I had one and it was a bad experience)
Well the G-force ECU is tuned rich anyways so it always smoked at WOT. Although this time I noticed alot of smoke. Hope I didn't **** off the cars behind me lol.

What you describe is exactly what has happened to me in the past. What is your oil change interval?
every 3k or so. had about 1k left before my next one.

only one way to find out for sure...COMRESSION TEST TIME!
Yeah, I'll see if I can drive it up to the dealer to get it compression tested.

Have you checked to see if the map sensor pipe has fallen off?
Not yet. but if the MAP sensor gets disconnected it'll still idle. correct?

You popped like a virgin on Prom night. Sorry man
Thats not something to be sad about. lol
Old 01-13-04, 06:01 PM
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if your map sensor hose fell off or the sensor itself went bad, it would give exactly the sympthoms that you have right now. So you better hope that it's the sensor and not your engine, because it's a lot cheaper to replace one
Old 01-13-04, 06:13 PM
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Originally posted by Mahjik
Open the hood while the car is idling, does it look like a paint shaker?
yes. Idles really rough and pulls about 10 inHg @ 900 RPM.

The map sensor is connected, anyway to test one?
Old 01-13-04, 06:29 PM
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Originally posted by Zoomspeed
yes. Idles really rough and pulls about 10 inHg @ 900 RPM.

The map sensor is connected, anyway to test one?
If the engine is shaking, most likely, you blew a seal.

If you want to test the MAP sensor, check the manual F-181.
Old 01-13-04, 06:41 PM
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a LOONG time ago before I knew anything about this cars a hose popped off when I was at WOT. The car would hesitate, shake and smoke. Attached the hose and bam! problem fixed.

Do you have a boost controller?
Old 01-13-04, 06:55 PM
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If the engine is shaking, most likely, you blew a seal.
you cant go by that!! you should know that big guy. on my fc, i was racing, and when i hit 2nd, the engine just lost all power... came to a stop, and it was shaking and knocking around like no tomorrow. i really thought it was gone. turned out to be a vaccum line!

nothing else matters, no reason to try to problem solve or any bs, the only way to determine if you have a blown engine is a compression test, stop trying to guess or listen to the people on this forum. its a very simple concept. compression test!!! now!!

get rid of the ecu, my friend blew his engine becuase it didnt give enough fuel. get a m2 or pettit, much better designed IMO.

also, dont go to the dealership, get a ride from someone to pep boys or some rice boy store, and get a compression tester, dont want to drive the car if you dont have to. in other words you dont want to hurt any other inturnal engine parts. irons,housings,etc.

now go get a tester

o ya anything below 80psi, and its gone.

Last edited by rx7raca; 01-13-04 at 07:00 PM.
Old 01-13-04, 06:55 PM
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zoom your engine is definetaly blown
how many miles were on it? how long had you been running it with your exact setup?

your engine is flooding while you are driving because gas is able to go in other chambers except for the combustion chamber

dont waste your time with the dealer. This is simple take out the fuel pump relay (labeled and is under rectangular black box in engine bay

then take out one of the top spark plugs and remove it from the wire. Now have someone get in the car and try to start it....youll hear the noises of the engine it normally makes 3 identical sounds...youll probably hear 1 loud sound and then 2 quieter ones in a row. Its a pattern it will happen over and over as the motor spins over....try the rear housing first thats the one that blew on both of my cars and the spark plug is easiest to get to

sorry and good luck
let me know if I can advise you in anything
Old 01-13-04, 07:11 PM
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Originally posted by rx7raca
you cant go by that!! you should know that big guy.
I'm not going by that alone. I'm going by his description of the events and prior experience with similar situations.

If the engine is shaking like mad, the vacuum is bouncing (not constant)..... the times I've seen that, the engine is toast.
Old 01-13-04, 07:30 PM
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Originally posted by Mahjik
I'm not going by that alone. I'm going by his description of the events and prior experience with similar situations.

If the engine is shaking like mad, the vacuum is bouncing (not constant)..... the times I've seen that, the engine is toast.
so your saying he shouldnt do a compression test and just pay 2k for a new engine? shouldnt you say well do a compression test and get back us and then we can tell you what you need to do? you cant go by what he says, i could see if you were there, and you heard the engine or something. maybe your right, maybe he did blow it, but i think he should still do the simple steps of trouble shooting, instead of just, o ya its gone. just my opion i guess.
Old 01-13-04, 07:39 PM
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I blew a side seal and the car didnt act differnt at all that i could notice. It was just leaking coolent slowly into the compbustion camber. So dont think its a side seal.
Old 01-13-04, 07:48 PM
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Originally posted by rx7raca
so your saying he shouldnt do a compression test and just pay 2k for a new engine? shouldnt you say well do a compression test and get back us and then we can tell you what you need to do? you cant go by what he says, i could see if you were there, and you heard the engine or something. maybe your right, maybe he did blow it, but i think he should still do the simple steps of trouble shooting, instead of just, o ya its gone. just my opion i guess.
Who is telling him not to do simple tests (or not to get a compression test)?

No one. You are mixing apples and oranges here.

He's an experienced FD owner. He knows what he needs to do. He's just looking for opinions about what people "think" is wrong with his car.
Old 01-13-04, 07:54 PM
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Originally posted by Mahjik
Who is telling him not to do simple tests (or not to get a compression test)?

No one. You are mixing apples and oranges here.

He's an experienced FD owner. He knows what he needs to do. He's just looking for opinions about what people "think" is wrong with his car.
Ok, im sorry, i wasnt trying to get on you, but it seemed like you were saying his engine is toast so there was no reason to do anything.
Old 01-13-04, 08:27 PM
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Come on guys, it HAPPENS - seals go.

I know everyone is conditioned to look for alterior reasons but in this case it's hands down a blown apex or oil seal. I would think a rotor bearing went or a rotor over-expanded from heat - possibly due to bad-oil flow, previous damage, etc.

How many miles on the engine?
Oil-temp gauge?

Last edited by clayne; 01-13-04 at 08:32 PM.


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