I have the worst luck. This is really stupid guys. When I did my compression test, the fitting which hooks up to the hose and screws into the spark plug place is stuck. I found this out when I went to put the spark plugs back in today.

So that was frustrating, so I threaded the hose to the fitting to get it out, no dice, when I would turn the hose left, it would only unsecure the house from the fitting. So I grabbed some lock tite for shits and giggles, placed it on the threads of the hose and screwed it into the fitting, now the hose won't turn because it's fixed into that fitting.

I don't care about the compression test kit, I ran it last night, the numbers are good, it was cheap, if I have to break it, so be it. But do you guys have advice?

 

Why couldn't you have removed it w/ the same socket that was used to install it- - or am I misunderstanding something?

 

 

You don't use a socket on it, when you screw the fitting into the spark plug area, you turn it hand tight with the hose. A socket wouldn't fit in there

 

Long, skinny needle nose pliers

 

That's what I'll resort to. Was just wondering if anyone had similar problems and if they had tips

 

I take it you used the one that screws the adapter to the hose and not the style that has the extension with it on for overhead cam style motors?

You will have to try using a needle nose to unscrew it and hope you didnt tighten it by hand too much

That or if you dont care about the compression test equip put some quick setting epoxy in the end of the threaded part of the hose and thread it into the part in your motor and let it set up then hope it removes it.

 

I think so, I circled the adapter above.

The needle nose I grabbed was too thick, it'll go down the canal, but I don't have enough diameter to wiggle around.

I don't care about the compression kit. I had already used lock tight on the threads of the hose, screwed it into the fitting, let it set for 6 hours and still no dice, the hose only rips when turning it left. I'm guessing this fitting is either cross threaded or too tight, either way, I was going to pull the heads to check the gasket because the shop tested exhaust in the coolant. Thanks Kris.

 

Take the hose to a hardware store and see if you can find a pipe with the same thread and do the same thing to it. It shouldnt rip.

Did you test the compression on that head and was it fine or low?

 

lol. That's the thing, the threads on the hose won't give because it's lock tighted onto the fitting. That's probably what I should have done instead though

Compression was great. That's why I'm not sure if it's a headgasket or if it's some sort of exhaust leak into the coolant? Or maybe the shop was just trying to turn me down.

1 - 225
2 - 220
3 - 215
4 - 215
5 - 215
6 - 213

 

are you finding coolant in the engine oil or vice versa?
Why was it diagnosed?

should we guess its a rear plug thats involved?
I mean,, its no fun if you can just reach in and fix stuff in the front!

 

Didnt you swap engines on this car? or was that trans

Were you having temp issues? running more than 2 clicks below half?
driver side fan running correctly?,,ac fan..all the usual questions
water pump changed when? coolant age? engine miles?

exhaust gas in coolant is pretty much guaranteed head gasket leak
Only reason I know of besides an actual crack in the head between the ports

It may be small enough at this point to be bleeding pressure over to next cyl
Was the testing done with all spark plugs removed?

or it may only be affecting only 1 cyls exhaust ports- which sit right next to the coolant port in the casting-gasket holes

gasket gets weak- pressure of exhaust transfers in and can be tested in radiator with exhaust sniffer or special carbon monoxide test kits for coolant

Any exhaust in rad fluid means blown gasket at least-
when it gets really bad - it will push pressure back thru rad and into res bottle,, where it will pop the plastic cap off and make a huge mess under the hood

 

I thinking outside the box here-
what about cold from a can of computer duster- highly compressed air? (flip can upside down)
sprayed down into the well

It may contract the plug enough to be able to grab the hose and get that first 1/4 turn

Or is my logic backwards on which part, plugs or head side threads, react to heat or cold more?

You are smart enough to know if it felt different screwing in than the others
Cross threading is obvious if you have ever done plugs right,,you know when it feels wrong

 

Actually Tom, it's in Cyl 3 so you'd think it'd be easier.

why was it diagnosed? It was turbo charged wasn't running right because of engine management system and such so I got tired of playing around with it and wanted better gas mileage than my Yukon (14mpg) so I took the turbo off and all that and then it's running like this....

http://youtu.be/P1z82dKEjUk

My brother (he's a new mechanic, but is decent) claims that the timing is probably off (I did change the timing belt before putting the engine in the car). Which totally made sense as that's what the AEM EMS was throwing error codes for, but it seemed to run fine on the stock ECU.

So being a full time college student and working full time, I didn't have the time to fool with it. Being a military veteran, I've got a decent amount of money saved from deployment, I'd be able to pay to have a shop fix that for me. I take it in, and the first thing they do is test the coolant and said they tested carbon monoxide in the coolant and it might be a head gasket. They recommended that it'd be a lot cheaper if I had done it myself working on it here and there. So I brought it back home, and you mentioned in my other thread to do a compression test, now here's where we stand lol.

I did swap both the engine and transmission. I swapped a j32a2 in from a j32a1 and added a 6spd transmission from a 2003 CL. I don't think I was having temp issues, when the stock ecu was hooked up the temp gauge worked fine and never went over operating temp. However, the AEM EMS would not give me a temp gauge, as soon as I'd turn the key, the temp gauge would spike all the way to the top before even starting the engine, so that could have been it?

The fan works just fine, actually it works too much sometimes, it would keep running even after the car was stopped. The water pump is the same age as the timing belt, practically brand new, no more than 100 miles on it. The engine had about 70k when I put it in the car, it hasn't ran more than 100 miles since the overhaul.

I'm not sure how they did the coolant testing, kind of my fault for not asking. but my best guess is they tested it through the sniffer on the radiator.

I'm halfway tempted to just order another engine and swap some parts over to that one lol.

That's a good idea with the computer duster. I don't think I have any on me right now so I'd have to go get some.

I figured I probably didn't cross thread it, but it's a possibility. maybe the thread pitch was off and caused it to get stuck? Not sure, I just wanted to try one last thing before pulling that engine, wanted to swap coil packs from another engine to see if maybe there is a misfire?


Sorry for the novel.

 

Sounds like a misfire to me but I'm no expert. My first guess would be that from just watching the video. I had that happen and it was a coil pack. Sorry haven't checked up on your other thread, but from your last post sounded like you haven't tried switching coil packs yet.

 

yeah, that's what I was thinking, can't exactly do that now tho

 

you blew a head gasket= probably from over boost

or that engine already had bad gaskets from an overheat

if the timing from cams to crank was off, it would have run bad from the start.. and 100 miles would be as far as it went

the end fitting of the tester unscrewed because those type suck

I will alter my statement to -ck compression with the right tool for the job- only fits our size plugs (I have 3 different testers just for that reason, 2 car types and the bike is way different size!)

for the work/labor of doing both head gaskets- lets assume its going to need a valve job too,,,that `get another engine` plan is realistic
Maybe install heavy duty head gaskets if you plan to boost again
and a pop off valve set low~

You can think its coils all you want-
BUT
there was carbon monoxide found in the coolant = only 2 ways- which are overlapping- that can occur.
blown gasket or cracked head

Note: I said before it can back-pressure thru rad and pop the top off the res bottle.
I remember from the past- it can also overpressurize the radiator and blow the top seam off of it!! not good!! = now it needs new rad too

 

option to the can of dust-off is dry ice, sold in many supermarkets for 1$ a pound, you need a few ounces
just a tiny bit, about the size of end joint of your little finger dropped into the plug well-
that will create a cold like you wont believe

caution!!!! wear heavy gloves!!!!- this stuff is COLD COLD COLD and will cause frostbite if it touches your bare skin

 

Thanks for all the help! The powertrain is about ready to be pulled, I forgot I needed a pickle fork to separate the ball joints and I have a stubborn tie rod on the drivers side. Other than that, I'll pull the axles, undo motor mounts and engine will come out.

 

pickle fork only worked on one side I guess I should go buy a smaller one.

 

or borrow from parts stores

 

I forgot I needed a pickle fork to separate the ball joints and I have a stubborn tie rod on the drivers side.



i have never used a pickle fork it destroys the boot use a good solid hammer hit the end of the spindle leave the castle nut on but very loose so if you miss u dont damage the threads it will cause a shockwave and the tie rod wil jump out of the spindle

 

Thanks for the help. The ball joints are already destroyed so I didn't mind forking them (that can go 2 ways )

I went to Lowes and picked this up...



So yes the hammer trick should do it. I've got classes all day and night so I'll try it first thing in the morning.

 

The hammer method is so elegantly simple and fast that it makes pickle forks and tie rod presses obsolete. Just my opinion, but I've never seen anyone go back to the old way once they try it.

 

This also works very well and it is free.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISY8bGof3bQ

 

Thanks for the help guys. A few good whacks with the new hammer knocked that bitch loose. Just haven't had much time lately, but the axles are out and motor mounts need to be undone and engine will come right out.