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Old 08-12-14, 04:23 PM
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worst news ever..

Got my fd out of the shop a few weeks ago with a fresh new coat of cym, got my boost gauge in. Sent the car to get the vaccum lines redon... turns out compression is getting low and I need a rebuild. .. what luck
Old 08-12-14, 04:25 PM
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Originally Posted by JAlfano
Got my fd out of the shop a few weeks ago with a fresh new coat of cym, got my boost gauge in. Sent the car to get the vaccum lines redon... turns out compression is getting low and I need a rebuild. .. what luck
sucks, but better then a blown motor and needing to replace housings

what are the compressions #'s
Old 08-12-14, 04:41 PM
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Yes, what are the numbers?
Old 08-12-14, 04:55 PM
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They told me the front rotor, has 87,84,83

The rear
82,78,81.

I believe those were the numbers, i will have the print out when i pick up the car tonight
Old 08-12-14, 05:55 PM
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Exactly, better rebuild now while the internals are intact.

Welcome to the club that no one wants be a part of
Old 08-12-14, 06:21 PM
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The shop said the rebuild is going to start at 2500, 1000 to pull the motor, and the possibility of new irons depending on condition. Also if I want to port the motor that will obviously cost more..

Does that seem accurate?
Old 08-12-14, 06:31 PM
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Is that just labor?

How many miles are on the engine? Is it original?

You'll most likely need new rotor housings before you need irons.
Old 08-12-14, 06:38 PM
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They told me the 2500 would be starting, not sure if that's with parts.

I believe the engine to not be original. I am the third owner of the veh, the first owner was "mark" from tri point engineering in LA. The guy i bought it from (2nd owner) said he bought the car just after the engine was redon.

Ti my knowledge the engine has about 40k since it's last rebuild.

Also i do not know how extensive the previous one was
Old 08-12-14, 06:56 PM
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...the biggest bummer is having to do this AFTER getting it painted. Nothing worse then putting a nic (or worse) in a fresh paint job... and pulling a motor isn't always a clean in n out. Good luck.
Old 08-12-14, 06:58 PM
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It is never a good time for news like this
Old 08-12-14, 09:12 PM
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Just picked up the car. They told me the starting price of $2500 includes pulling the motor, tear down, replacing seals o-ring kit and other basic parts for the rebuild as well as installation.

They said they will be able to tell from there if things like housings, irons ect. need replacing.
Porting would be 300-1000 depending on the type I want.

They also told me if I wanted they order jspec motors from japan w/ turbos, they guarantee compression above 100 but nothing else (and if i get lucky it may be a 99+ with efini twins.)

Got a lot to think about . Open to any advice.

Thank you,
Old 08-12-14, 09:26 PM
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Compression is only part of the equation, it doesnt tell you anything about the health or condition of the coolant seals or the turbos. If your pulling the engine out in the first place I would want to be sure that what goes in won't come back out in a few months time
just my two cents. Some people have had luck with JDM engines and others have been burnt
Old 08-12-14, 09:48 PM
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That is where my head was at...paying all this money I want atleast a little piece of mind.

What would you guys recommend with porting? I like the idea, and sound ect of a hbp. But the guys at the shop tell me thats out dated tech and can achieve similar numbers with a big street port while maintaining driveability. I have done some of my own research prior to this and I get a lot of mixed reviews. To some they say its undrivable others say its not so bad just poor mpg.
Old 08-12-14, 09:56 PM
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Maybe check out no rotors?......Not sayin' but just saying....

Edit.... Oh you are from Cali, never mine that ^
Old 08-12-14, 09:58 PM
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I wouldn't bother with all that. If the car is driving then just keep driving it. Low compression doesn't mean you need to drop coin on any rebuilds now. That's my .02. If it were me, I'd keep driving until the motor won't run then drop the coin on a either a rebuild if you trust the shop or get a factory reman and just swap it out yourself. Swapping a block is a weekend task. It's not that complicated.


And just for to make another point. I read the title and was thinking car theft or car-be-que.

A low compression engine is NOT the worst news ever...
Old 08-12-14, 10:08 PM
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The shop I'm working with is Lucky 7 Racing in Duarte, they seem to have a good rep.

Similar to what Boost said, the car will run till one day when it won't turn on.

I appreciate all the insight and have some money to save for this. So I'm going to weigh all my options
Old 08-12-14, 10:44 PM
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Originally Posted by Fd3BOOST
I wouldn't bother with all that. If the car is driving then just keep driving it. Low compression doesn't mean you need to drop coin on any rebuilds now. That's my .02. If it were me, I'd keep driving until the motor won't run then drop the coin on a either a rebuild if you trust the shop or get a factory reman and just swap it out yourself. Swapping a block is a weekend task. It's not that complicated.


And just for to make another point. I read the title and was thinking car theft or car-be-que.

A low compression engine is NOT the worst news ever...
I agree with this. Its not like its gonna chunk a seal because the comp is low. Save up your cash in the mean time enjoy it.
Old 08-12-14, 10:48 PM
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That seems really cheap. I would get a complete list of what is being replaced. A full oem gasket and seal kit for a twin turbo motor is over $1700 alone. A proper build should run $5000-7000 installed depending on what is replaced. They should be putting in new spark plugs, oil, coolant, replacing coolant hoses in the engine bay, etc. Stuff like the clutch, motor mounts, spark plug wires should also be checked.

And yes, you can break a seal when compression gets low. Worn seals will eventually get weak and break. It is usually a lot less expensive to do a rebuild before a motor blows then after.

Last edited by IRPerformance; 08-12-14 at 10:51 PM.
Old 08-12-14, 10:58 PM
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I had my engine rebuilt by Lucky 7 Racing. I currently have a HBP. I would highly recommend going large street port with a mid sized turbo, that was my first setup. My engines that I have had from L7R have been great with absolutely no issues. HBP is driveable, but it takes practice. It is also ridiculously loud. I'm going to be having an exhaust system fabricated with like 3 resonators and a race muffler, all 4".

What kind of power are you looking to make? If close to stock, I would go small/medium frame single. It will keep your engine cooler as those twins run hot.

You can run the engine until it's dead, and risk having to spend more on parts you could have used, or you can rebuild now and save that money you might have had to spend. Really, It's up to you and what your budget/time frame looks like.

Either way, good luck. Hope you get it all sorted out.
Old 08-12-14, 11:08 PM
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Basically I bought the car cause I love fd's. I have no "time frame" so to speak, just hobby I dont plan on ever racing the car nor make it a daily, just a fun weekend toy.

Regarding power I am sort of torn for being in the mid 300's to the mid 400's I know one will require me going single, but I am not to sure yet.

@IRperformance I will call and ask for a complete list tomorrow and maybe you guys can take a look at it with me,

@R3AL: What do you mean practice? I am only 21 but I grew riding 2 stroke dirt bikes in the sand (if you guys have never tried it, its one hell of a mission). First car was a fox body, now I have my Honda 600 (my dd) and my fd. I would say I am a decent driver but more insight on what practice you mean I am all ears.

Also when I looked at Banzai's prices their stage 2/3 rebuilds look to about the same price and quite thorough, but that's just a best guess.
Old 08-12-14, 11:33 PM
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Originally Posted by JAlfano
Basically I bought the car cause I love fd's. I have no "time frame" so to speak, just hobby I dont plan on ever racing the car nor make it a daily, just a fun weekend toy.

Regarding power I am sort of torn for being in the mid 300's to the mid 400's I know one will require me going single, but I am not to sure yet.

@IRperformance I will call and ask for a complete list tomorrow and maybe you guys can take a look at it with me,

@R3AL: What do you mean practice? I am only 21 but I grew riding 2 stroke dirt bikes in the sand (if you guys have never tried it, its one hell of a mission). First car was a fox body, now I have my Honda 600 (my dd) and my fd. I would say I am a decent driver but more insight on what practice you mean I am all ears.

Also when I looked at Banzai's prices their stage 2/3 rebuilds look to about the same price and quite thorough, but that's just a best guess.

Sure, run it by me. Be more than happy to help. Just keep in mine with engine builds there is a HUGE variance in price and quality of the builds. I for example, NEVER re-use any seals, gaskets, or bearings. This is why all my builds have over 120-130 psi compression whens starting with new parts. The pic below shows a brand new build that was tested hot after 20 minutes of initial run time. All things being equal, the higher compression numbers you start with, the longer the motor will last, and the more power it will make. The following is a list of what I typically replace in my builds:


Engine installation gasket set
Inner coolant seals
Outer coolant seals
Dowel pin O-rings
Metal front cover gasket
Oil pickup gasket
Tension bolt O-rings
Apex Seals
Apex Seal Springs
Side Seals
Side Seal Springs
Corner Seals
Corner Seal Springs
Oil Control Ring inserts
Metal Oil Control Rings (if needed)
Oil Control Ring Springs
Front & Rear Main Seals
Thermal Pellet plug
Rotor Bearings
Main Bearings

I may be forgetting some stuff I'm tired Not saying it can't be done cheaper, but the end product is not as good and I only do the best.
Attached Thumbnails worst news ever..-getattachment.jpg  

Last edited by IRPerformance; 08-12-14 at 11:54 PM.
Old 08-12-14, 11:50 PM
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130, whoa!
Old 08-12-14, 11:53 PM
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Also proof that a proper engine does not have to "wear in to build compression".
Old 08-13-14, 12:18 AM
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Worse news ever is that you wrecked your car, dont have insurance, and someone was seriously hurt or killed.

Needing a rebuild is what happens when you own an FD for any amount of time.
Old 08-13-14, 01:18 AM
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Alright so it's not the worst thing ever, trust me I work in insurance and I have seen some f'd up cars without insurance, but I am a little bummed out


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