kimokalihi's 91 SS EJ20 Swap

[kimokalihi]

BKR6 is NGK iridium plugs meant for EJ20 and EJ22 heads, not STI heads. They're not the stock ones because stock they come with coppers but they're the same size as stock.

I've looked at the plugs. They look fine. I just had them out the day before the dyno and I compression checked my engine and got the following numbers - #1. 136 #2. 142 #3. 140 #4. 147

I thought it sounded a bit strange that running a colder plug would take care of a misfire but I figured the kid knew more about it than I did since he worked at the shop and did the dyno runs. He said I probably have spark blow out (which I had before I gapped the plugs down to .030 (or .028 I can't remember) and he said they usually run one range lower plugs to take care of that issue). I researched the lower heat range plugs thing and the general consensus was that for every 75 HP over stock you should run one heat range lower to avoid detonation because it removes 75-100 degrees F from the plug tip for every heat range lower. This sounded like a good idea since I am running a lot more HP than stock and (never did get a definitive stock number though) and there is knock in boost sometimes. It's not always present but usually if I downshift and really get on it the knock light flashes a couple times and you can feel the power drop and pick up again. But if I just press the gas in without downshifting and it's nice and smooth acceleration then it doesn't knock. This to me is the same problem I was having before I tightened the gaps down but much less severe.

I think the real issue is either I need to drop the gaps down even further to .026"-0.028" or more preferably get a new ignition system to supply more power to keep the spark from blowing out.

The plugs only have about 2,000 miles on them right now and they're in great shape. I'm running 17 or 18 lbs right now. I just changed it the other day and I can't remember which it's set at but right between 17 and 18 psi.

I just thought running colder plugs couldn't really hurt and if it keeps me from detonating I'm all for it.

[kimokalihi]

Soo....went to the bar after work and texted a friend who needed a ride to the bar. Went and picked him up 1 mile down the road and hit taco bell on the way back. Went to pull out of the intersection and heard a loud bang when I let off the clutch and the pedal stayed on the floor! I rolled backwards back into the parking lot and popped the hood. Removed the intercooler and starter and found out the clutch pivot dowel plug worked its way out (wasn't all the way tight before. Lesson learned.) and fell out and the pin came out. So I pounded the dowel pin back in to hold the clutch fork in place and that's when I tried the clutch again and it only comes halfway back up. I'm pretty sure the clutch itself broke. Also a large chunk of the transmission housing broke out right below the clutch fork boot. So we walked back to the bar and continued drinking until they closed and now were waiting for nationwide roadside assistance. 100 miles feee towing for only $20. A year.

[mike-tracy]

Jesus Kimo. that sucks!

[kimokalihi]

No doubt. Still sittin here waiting for nisqually towing. Big chunk of my tranny busted out.

[kimokalihi]

Got the car back to my moms. Cost me nothing. Thanks to nationwide $20 a year 100 mile tow and roadside assistance. Now my metro is on the battery charger getting ready to go back on the road earlier than I had planned. Hurry up and charge little buddy. I'm sleepy.

[PhyrraM]

Holy crap. Man Kimo, that's a bummer.

Hopefully you it's not as bad as it sounds.

[beatersubi]

That sux, Kimo.
That exact thing just happened to my buddy. He had the case welded and its working fine now.

[Legacy777]

Kimo,

That sucks to hear about the transmission dowl pin!


Regarding the misfire and colder plugs, I still disagree about the colder plugs. You've seen my dyno plots for my car, and am probably close to 300 chp and am running stock plugs and gap without any issues. I attribute that to the MSD Dis-2 ignition. Based on the feedback I've seen on here where others have started seeing spark "blow out" above 15 psi of boost, I have had zero misfire/ignition issues at close to 20 psi. The plugs may wear quicker, but I just run copper plugs since they are inexpensive and seem to run the best in the engine.

You can try the colder plugs, but I don't think it will fix your problem. Again a misfire is a result of incomplete combustion. As I'm sure we've all learned, you need three things for fire, oxygen, fuel, and heat. Removing or reducing heat is not going to help a misfire situation, it's only going to make it worse.

Also, just to note, the term spark "blow out" is incorrect. The boost is not blowing out the spark, the pressure inside the combustion chamber is just much higher and requires more energy to jump the spark plug electrode gap. If you look at it that way, you need more juice in your ignition system.


Hopefully you can get the transmission repaired or replaced and get back on to trying to resolve the misfire issue.

[Alphius]

My stock ignition system sparks just fine at 18psi of boost with a .035 plug gap. I had a little problem with the old plugs not sparking above 15psi but when I pulled them out the gap was at .055 or more on every plug!

[kimokalihi]

Thanks josh. I call it spark blow out because that's a familiar term with auto enthusiasts but you're right, the spark isn't blown out, it never even happens.

[usliberty]

Man that sucks about the trans. I am fearing the day mine goes, its not if but when. As far as plug gap I was told by John at outfront motorsports to run less than .025 thousanths, I was at .028 and was getting hesitation under boost while he was dyno tuning it.He had me regapg em to .024 and the problem disapeared and he was able to set a decent tune on the EMS.

[kimokalihi]

I think msd is the answer. Gonna do some research about it.

I believe the failure was due to my laziness but I won't know for sure until the trans is removed. When I put the engine in last time I had everything in and realized I forgot the plug that threads into the trans to hold the dowel pin in place for the clutch fork. I didn't want to pull the starter to get enough room to get an hex wrench in there so I just threaded it in by hand but it only went in about halway. Its gone now. Worked its way out and split town. The dowel pin was sticking out an inch and the clutch fork was pretty loose due to the other end of the dpwel pin not being in its hole inside the bellhousing. I believe this to have allowed far too much play side to side and up and down for the fork causing something to contact the spinning pressure plate and resulting in some type of failure but I can't see enough trough that tiny hole to determine was broke but it broke with enough force to punch a hole through the bellhousing directly above the dowel pin hole.

[PhyrraM]

Kimo, IIRC the end of the clutch pivot pin has a slot. This is engaged on a pin or such at the far end of the bore. The reason for the slot is to keep the pin from spinning as the clutch is operated over time. If the pin spins, then it could theroetically spin the plug out if enough contact is made.

If the plug didn't go all the way in, then it's likely that the slot on the end of the pin wasn't lined up and the pin couldn't be seated.

If you need anything, just ask and I'll check the parts pile.

[kimokalihi]

Oh I know what you're talking about. Makes sense. I need the plug unless it happened to fall on in the crossmember somewhere but as far as I can tell it's history. I will know if I need a new fork or anything else when I pull the engine. Or tranny. Haven't decided which yet. Might be a while.

Thanks Jess.

[mike-tracy]

Geo Metro time!

[PhyrraM]

Pull the tranny, it's got to come out anyways. No sense doing double work when you know which way it's going to go in the end.

[kimokalihi]

I was hoping I could pull the engine with the hoist and not have to climb under the car and mess around with trying to balance that tranny on a jack. I hate that. You have no strength to get it back in place either when you're installing it because you're laying down with very little room.

[kimokalihi]

The stupid odyssey dry cell in my metro is completely dead. I jumped it and drove it home from my mom's where I was keeping it and shut it off and it wouldn't start again so I put the charger on it for 5 hours and still won't even crank. It's toast. So now I'm stranded both my stupid cars down and the cables won't even reach the terminals on the optima from the subaru. GRRR.

[kimokalihi]

Here's some pictures from last night.

It looks as thought the fork got slammed into the tranny housing and broke a big chunk out of it but I tapped the dowel pin back into place and put the slave piston back into the clutch fork and put the spring back on it and had my friend push the clutch in and it only comes maybe halfway back up (the pedal that is). It wasn't even pulling the fork back enough to hold pressure on the spring and the spring was so loose it just fell off again.

[CAV3MAN227]

-Sorry to hear about your recent problems. The car still looks good, even on a tow truck.

-Joe

[kimokalihi]

Thanks.

[beatersubi]

The part of the bellhousing that contains the pivot pin cracks when the pin gets sideways. Grab hold of the the throwout fork and try moving the entire thing forward and back (without pivoting it). This will let you know if there is play in the pivot pin and the housing is cracked.

[kimokalihi]

Looks like somebody on SLi figured out how to relocate the IAC so they could run a USDM intercooler with the BPV still in stock location on the intercooler with the JDM intake manifold.

[SiCkSTi04]

Got a direct link to that thread ?

[Dominator]

I would venture to guess it's this one.

http://www.sl-i.net/FORUM/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=13417

Searching Google with the Photobucket user name, this comes up from SL-I.