I've put about 1500 miles on my new Pineapple large streetported engine with stage 3 oil mods (don't think that affects anything) and the whole car is suffering from vibration. With the new engine I also got a new motor mount as one of them was bad, but if I didn't vibrate before with it broken. The vibration changes with the RPM and everything from my dash cover to seatbelt is rattling like hell and driving me crazy! After I felt the engine was broken-in I took it up to 7k rpm to get a taste of it, at about 5300rpm and up there was a HUGE amount of noise and vibration and the car sounded like **** (pulled real nice though). What the hell could be causing this?! Any ideas???


By the way, My shop wants to charge me $80 for a compression test on the motor they just installed, is that ******* hilarious or what? If I just charged someone $2000 in labor, I'd do everything in my power to make sure the car ran right! Pay money - get a car back that runs right, not like ****. Is that too much to ask? Seriously.

 

Check your motor mount. When I put in solid urethane mounts mine did the exact same thing. After a few thousand miles they softened up but it really sucked for a while.

Chris

 

I don't think $80.00 is ridiculous at all, unless they built the motor - which it sounds like they didn't. Everything I have ever read about Pineapple is that they are one of the best shops in the country and I have a feeling they would stand behind their product 100%.

Unless your install shop has a Mazda brand OEM compression tester you are wasting your time having them do it.

There is absolutely no way you can get an accurate reading any other way. Period.

 

Considering all the things that could be causing the problem, I think they could atleast diagnose where it was coming from. You don't think so huh?

 

What would be fair is to have the shop do the compression test and if it normal, they eat the cost, assuming then it is something they did that is causing the problem. If it is abnormal then Pineapple pays for it.

 

Yeah, that's what I thought too...they're doing the test now and we'll soon see if the motor is bad or not.

What I'm really fearing is that if there is something wrong with the motor, I'll have to pay the $1250 labor cost again even if Pineapple replaces the motor. I would think that Pineapple should pick up the tab for it since it's their fault (if it turns out that way). We'll see soon enough...As much as I don't want it to be the motor, I really don't want it to be something I can't fix, allthough I can't immagine what that would be.

Wish me luck guys

 

Something to try.....rev it up in netruel. I once had a bent input/output shaft on the transmition, due to a poor install. This made one heck of a vibration. CJ

 

Make sure no part of your exhaust is touching the frame of the car. If it is, vibration from the engine will be transferred to the body, resulting in some MAJOR shaking.

Dale

 

The car does vibrate when revved up in neutral, what is that supposed to prove?

The exhaust is also missing the mount from the powerplant frame (broke off), so it's only mounted on one holder towards the back of the car. However, it was like that before the new engine, and never made the HUGE vibration and noise that seems to come from the engine at about 5000rpm.

 

Just trying to find out if was a driveline/rear end problem. I would drain the oil into a clean container and see what it looks like. Then give Rob a call. Give him all the symptoms/problems that the motor is having, and go from there.

Are you shure nothing is rubbing on the hood, frame rail etc? And have you tried reving the motor up from under the hood....while trying to find out where the noise is coming from?

If I where you I would'nt drive it to far. CJ

 

Replacing the engine and motor mount may have changed how the exhaust hangs enough to make it hit something. It will certainly be hanging a little differently, and it may have been enough to cause some contact. If it is really that bad, that's the first place I would look. I had a downpipe that hit the frame rail under hard acceleration once, and it made a lot of noise and vibration.

-Max

 

I bet it may be in the flywheel/clutch (loose bolts) pull the clutch cover off the tranny and check the bolts..also make sure the flywheel is tight. I assume you are using an aftermarket flywheel? also check the front pulleys, alternator, ps pump etc...

 

Hows the vibration at idle? You know the builder could have easily accidentaly installed the wrong counter weight (13b NA) from another engine.

 

The idle is horrible...with the new engine I also installed an Aasco lightweight flywheel and automatic tranny counterweight (they designed the flywheel around that counterweight so it's an easy swap). I'll check the exhaust stuff, havn't driven the car in a week, left it at my mechanic shop so they could do a varience compression test and find out what the hell is wrong...I'll update you guys tommorow, all the help and input is really appreciated.

 

Dude, I feel for ya. I've had my own rebuild nightmares, believe me.

By any chance did you add a front strut to the car with the rebuild?

I added the triangulated Mazdatrix strut that ties in the struts, engine, and firewall on the FC. Shook the interior so badly that I disconnect the engine tie-in.

It's a long shot. Just checking.

Hoping for the best for you!

 

Well, did the compression varience test tonight, turns out that's not what the problem is...

My subframe and front swaybar are fucked up making the motor mount points unbalanced. Why they didn't figure this out beforehand, don't ask me...luckily however, they just so happen to have a used subframe off of a trashed FD they bought just for the motor, good thing they had the sense to keep it around just in case! We'll see how much they plan to rape me for it though...I don't want to spend any more than $500 on it. Also need to get a new front sway bar from racingbeat and the little things it connects to as they're bent up too. After that, off to laser frame straightening to make sure everything is A-OK. Gotta love lifes little surprises! (even if my wallet doesn't)

 

Glad you found out what the problem was. CJ