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Given space re: the leaking oil pedestal...plan to take earlier suggestions to replace the reloc head unit inner o-ring and install the sandwich adapter in an effort to improve long-term pedestal oil sealing.
Is that your drain line for your turbo on the bottom of the oil pan? If so, is that causing any issues (turbo smoking, etc)? I was always under the assumption that the drain line had to mounted above the oil line to keep oil from backing up into the turbo.... Other than that, I hope this all works out this time.
Is that your drain line for your turbo on the bottom of the oil pan? If so, is that causing any issues (turbo smoking, etc)? I was always under the assumption that the drain line had to mounted above the oil line to keep oil from backing up into the turbo.... Other than that, I hope this all works out this time.
Yes, that's the turbo drain connecting at the rear of the oil pan. I didn't have any issues w/ turbo smoking before..., but you raise a good point. Even if not backing up to the turbo...I'd expect oil w/b standing in the line. I'll add some insulation in the area closest to the runners. Thanks.
Is that your drain line for your turbo on the bottom of the oil pan? If so, is that causing any issues (turbo smoking, etc)? I was always under the assumption that the drain line had to mounted above the oil line to keep oil from backing up into the turbo.... Other than that, I hope this all works out this time.
Originally Posted by jcbrx8
Yes, that's the turbo drain connecting at the rear of the oil pan. I didn't have any issues w/ turbo smoking before..., but you raise a good point. Even if not backing up to the turbo...I'd expect oil w/b standing in the line. I'll add some insulation in the area closest to the runners. Thanks.
You won't have any issues since the turbo itself is mounted higher than the oil level. I have a similar turbo oil drain set-up.
Hasn't been an issue for me either . A few people have had issues but I suspect that is due to the drain line being too small or not fitting a restrictor to the oil supply line.
So, a bit more detail surrounding my start-up & beginning engine break-in experience...
I took Fri. afternoon off work and finished the reinstall. Push started her and began driving around the block in my subdivision w/ no or little white smoke. About 7min in my coolant temp alarm goes off so I stop. No low coolant icon...no CELs at all. ??? I wait about 15 min. push start her again to drive home (around the block) and pretty quickly notice a good deal of white smoke!? Back at the house I'm perplexed :
Why is she putting out white smoke again... is it remnant assembly lube?,... or a coolant issue?
Why is she overheating?
Honestly, taken together...I'm concerned...but I break for date night. Happy wife...happy life.
Sat. morning first thing I research how long should I expect assembly lube white smoke after a rotary rebuild? I find the below site which indicates"...Expect this to get into your exhaust and smoke can remain for up to 8 hours afterwards..."
W/ only ~ 30 min run time on my engine, white smoke is still to be expected. Immediately feeling better. So, I presume that assembly lube has vacated the combustion chamber, but is still in the mid-pipe & exhaust, which would explain why I initially saw no smoke, but smoking once the mid-pipe and exhaust heated up. Conversely, an internal coolant leak would emit white smoke immediately and consistently. K, cool.
So, why is she overheating? I theorized here that putzing around my subdivision at 15-20 mph was too slow to achieve effective cooling. I'd need to test at > 40mph. So, I push start her again and drive to a local main road. OEM coolant gauge comes right up to normal operating temp. While I'm waiting for my thermostat to open and my Prosport gauge to read correctly, I pull up my OBDII reader app on my phone to read the actual OEM coolant temp. Soon after...my thermostat opens and my Prosport temp gauge comes up to temp. I'm glancing between them both and discover at that speed & ambient temp, my Prosport gauge consistently reads ~12F +/- higher than my OEM. Aha moment... I realize that b/c of sensor positioning...my Prosport reads coolant temps exiting the engine, while my OEM gauge reads coolant temp entering the engine. So, my Prosport 210F threshold alarm is actually alarming when the coolant entering the engine is ~ 198F +/-. So, I raise my alarm preset to 220F.
By now she's driving nicely... no white smoke, coolant temps are stable at ~180-185F ...w/no CELs. I'm finally able to relax..."a bit", and ...enjoy the drive.
Drove ~100 mi. total predominantly on a 5 mi loop requiring regular decels., downshifts to 1st, u-turns, & a moderate acceleration running thru the gears back up to ~45 mph. Over the course of the day I could feel engine smoothness, compression, and acceleration out of u-turns increasing.
Currently, she idles at ~925rpm +/- , but won't quite start on her own yet.
I have always kept all my compression readings from when the engine was assembled to thousands of miles out.
I just pull a spark plug from each (i do Leading), pull the fuel pump fuse, and check maximum compression in each chamber while listening to the pulses in the other chamber. Its not the proper way to do it, but its better than nothing. Make sure your battery is charged, throttle is open, and engine warm if you can. Depending on many factors, both my chambers fall in the 90-100 psi range which is okay considering I rebuilt a junkyard motor with old housings, plates, and rotors. It also gives me some background readings to compare to in the event if I think I may have hurt the motor.
Given that the MSP motor is 10:1 compression, I would be worried if either chamber was below 100 psi after a few hundred miles. You should be able the start the car by now unless your battery/starter are weak. Good luck.
I have always kept all my compression readings from when the engine was assembled to thousands of miles out.
I just pull a spark plug from each (i do Leading), pull the fuel pump fuse, and check maximum compression in each chamber while listening to the pulses in the other chamber. Its not the proper way to do it, but its better than nothing. Make sure your battery is charged, throttle is open, and engine warm if you can. Depending on many factors, both my chambers fall in the 90-100 psi range which is okay considering I rebuilt a junkyard motor with old housings, plates, and rotors. It also gives me some background readings to compare to in the event if I think I may have hurt the motor.
Given that the MSP motor is 10:1 compression, I would be worried if either chamber was below 100 psi after a few hundred miles. You should be able the start the car by now unless your battery/starter are weak. Good luck.
Stroker, Yeah, was just IM'ing w/ Brettus about comp testing...to get a base line. From what I've read...compression is changing on a rebuild, depending on components changed, for up to 1200 mi. +/- So, at this point... I'm hoping she'll get to starting cold & hot via starter....and I'll plan to perform my baseline comp test at ~1000 mi. +/-. But I will work out doing the testing myself so I can check regularly as you've done.
The idle note sounds a hair deeper & louder w/ a hint of "wobble" which I believe are a result of the exhaust port work.
I'm running a 4# spring w/ my EBC off
Driving style is reasonably aggressive w/in the break-in rpm range. No WOT.
She's no CELs, and idles ~925rpm.
"Feels" a little less responsive down low, ~1k-2k rpm, which I suspect is the result of the street porting. We'll see...hoping to experience the opposite in the upper rpm range,>6k & up.
Pulls firmly at ~ 65% throttle from 3 - 6k (my current rpm limit).
Looking forward to seeing the response as I move above 6k rpm, start tipping in more throttle, and finally start increasing and shaping boost onset via EBC.
Great news. You should also be keeping note of your engine vacuum at idle as it also gives you a bit more information on how well everything is sealing.
Great news. You should also be keeping note of your engine vacuum at idle as it also gives you a bit more information on how well everything is sealing.
Stroker - Thanks, will do. I presume the stronger the vacuum the better. What range should I look for, i.e. what's healthy?
Hopefully w/ no or minimal damage to housings and plates this is a good opportunity to learn and sufficiently "harden" the engine to handle the power the "Rock's cooking" Ideally, I intend to rebuild this engine w/ all new seals, a street port, dowells, a stud kit, and likely softer apex seals. THEN, FINALLY get my ex mani sealed. We'll see how it goes... more to come...
Originally Posted by jcbrx8
Who knows what tomorrow holds..., but at this point pleased with progress toward my objectives back in Nov. '18. - engine rebuilt w/all new seals - street exhaust ported - full length doweled - precision studded - OEM apex seals - ex-manifold FINALLY sealed
- have learned MUCH
All-in cost of engine rebuild to date:
- $925: Atkins closing kit (w/all seals & springs)
- $475: Turblown stud kit - $440: 2x new "used" housings from Goopy
- $129: Pineapple solid dowel kit
- $125: Pineapple HD water seals - $115: Mazdatrix porting templates - $70: New turbo thermal cover - $2,279: TOTAL
01-30-2019, 08:06 PM
I wait about 15 min. push start her again to drive home (around the block) and pretty quickly notice a good deal of white smoke!? 
Back at the house I'm perplexed 
:
So, I raise my alarm preset to 220F.
We'll see...hoping to experience the opposite in the upper rpm range,>6k & up. 
Continued thanks to the entire community, but special mention to Brettus, Stroker, & RotarymachineRx!
