Skullzaflare Posted August 9, 2013 Report Share Posted August 9, 2013 hopefully in your case, someone hasnt changed the steering column.i would recommend taking the lock off the gas cap door with you, as factory all key holes are the same, so it will fit the door/ignition/gas door/hatch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krudmuphin Posted August 9, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 9, 2013 I took in the passenger door lock because apparent;y that's the only one with a code on it which greatly reduces the cost of the key cutting. Speaking of which, i got the keys today. Only had enough time to test the electronics, which amazingly, all work great! Yay!Although the fog lights don't come on... but after close inspection, they aren't even wired up for some reason, haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krudmuphin Posted August 13, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 13, 2013 (edited) Okay, after today I have a looooonnng list of updates. If you have the patience and curiosity to read on, please do! If not, just sit back and enjoy your Starquest which is probably a lot healthier than mine... K, so lots happened today:Ran a Compression Test and the results are eehhhhh not horrible, but obviously there's leakage. RESULTS (Cylinders numbered front-to-back) #1 - 120 psi#2 - 101 psi#3 - 90 psi#4 - 90 psi Most signs lead to a bad head or head gasket for sure. Good thing this car came with a new head and gasket set, seen below~ The car started right up so we gassed it, put a small bit of oil in temporarily to counteract the sludgy crap we haven't changed yet (don't worry, will do that soon!), and changed the coolant. Unfortunately we could only fit about 6 quarts of the 33-67 mix even after bleeding the air from the lines, which is really really odd... no leaks though! Next, we tried taking her around the block. Being highly inexperienced with driving a manual made the drive a lot rougher than it should've been, but it putted right along.We made it about 80% around the block but it plainly overheated to so we rolled it back home. Temp gauge read slightly hot, but it was evident with steam pouring from the grille. The overheating is definitely a major setback in this ordeal. Because the engine idles almost perfectly. It just sounds very slightly off-timing.I'm thinking of either pulling or replacing the thermostat to see if maybe it's blocking coolant, and gonna test the water pump too. Just some other random things we found: -There is a definite exhaust leak in a weld behind the catalytic converter. Not only did we spit some black smoke from the tailpipe, but it poured out from underneath as well. Also a bit of black smoke on the hood -Blowoff valve worked and the turbo gauge read 9 lbs. with a heavier foot. Then again, who trusts the OEM boost gauge?! -Transmission and clutch felt good, but I'm not an expert on manuals...-The power steering is absolutely not working. And the previous owner used PS fluid instead of the stuff meant for our cars... it's probably ruined!!-We found a little mouse in the interior. I named him Herbert and let him run free into the wild again!-And lastly, there is a thing next to the coolant reservoir that we're having trouble identifying. It looks like a pump of some kind? Having trouble finding it in the FSM. On my car, it is plugged into the electric system, but it has two hoses which are not connected to anything. This concerns me! So yeah...I found this $150 gasket set in the trunk under the floor bed... Merry Christmas!!!http://img713.imageshack.us/img713/3430/lg1l.jpg And I picked up the new head from the PO today. (sorry, forgot a picture!) The head on the car actually appears to be brand new and the one he gave me looks a bit used...strange...As for the condition of the head on there, we're not sure until we dig more, but I want to get a local experienced Starquester to come inspect my car first to see if this hunk is even worth keeping at this point. I'm remaining positive so far! Edited August 13, 2013 by krudmuphin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeMeyerhoff Posted August 14, 2013 Report Share Posted August 14, 2013 (edited) The little pump is a vacuum pump. It is there to supplement the engine vacuum used by the cruise control. One vacuum hose should lead over to the passenger side and connect in somewhere near the cruise. The other hose is just a drain that just hangs down a couple of inches. Your head is indeed new because it doesn't have any provisions for jet valves. If you pull the head apart, you can cut off those tabs on the intake rockers to free up some valve train weight. Its a shame they didn't use ARP studs, thats almost a given around here. mm Edited August 14, 2013 by MikeMeyerhoff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krudmuphin Posted August 14, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2013 (edited) You mean the head I posted in my original post? I agree, that one definitely looks new to me.... But here's the catch... I just picked this up yesterday. I got this from the previous owner and he said this is a brand new head. He insists that the car needs a new head, but since the actual previous owner is deceased, I'm wondering if there was a miscommunication and this is actually the old one(?) It looks a little dirtier than the one on there (but still immaculately clean...) so I'm not really sure what to make of this situation. By the way, does this look like the same type of head or is it an aftermarket one? It came with a yellow slip hinting that it is a refurbished head, but I'm not sure. There is no company name on the slip. --Again, this picture is of the "new" head I got yesterday. I haven't taken off the nice looking one in the engine bay yet to compare why it would even need this one in its place...http://img607.imageshack.us/img607/3518/00wx.jpg I really don't know what to do next until I pull the other head and compare them side to side. But that might be over a month away because I need to find a new storage / work place for my car by the end of the month. Edited August 14, 2013 by krudmuphin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeMeyerhoff Posted August 14, 2013 Report Share Posted August 14, 2013 I can't tell from that pic angle. I will say that if it is the original head it has been VERY thourghly cleaned compared to all the ones I've ever seen. The factory heads had a jet valve right next to each intake valve. Your first head did not have jet valves or even the hole for them. You can tell for yourself on the second by looking for the jet valve or a sharpie sized threaded hole next to each intake valve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krudmuphin Posted August 14, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2013 Cool, so neither of them have that then. Is there anything else necessary to "eliminate" the jet valve system?Or is not having those holes the only thing I need to worry about? Haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasQuest Posted August 15, 2013 Report Share Posted August 15, 2013 Nothing else to do your fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krudmuphin Posted August 26, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 26, 2013 (edited) No updates recently because I will be moving my car to a different garage soon.I decided I'm going to do a full engine rebuild once I get situated. I know there's lots of threads about engine rebuilding, but what are some quick recommendations from you guys? I've already read through the "Basic Rebuild" thread and a few others about the intake manifold which is a bit confusing to me...Like what are some MUST do things when rebuilding. What are some recommended replacemtn parts or upgrades to make it as good as or better than stock? And for future notice, is there a way to move this thread to a different category? I don't think it's appropriate to have a build thread in the Newbie's seciton once I get started on the project, hahaha. Edited August 26, 2013 by krudmuphin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC_99 Posted August 27, 2013 Report Share Posted August 27, 2013 (edited) Just follow Dads basic rebuild thread and you will be all good. You still haven't posted any better pictures of your choices of cylinder heads. What you replace is up to you. The obvious stuff is gaskets, rings, and bearings, but do you want/need to replace pistons, timing components, oil pump, ect? We don't know your car so its hard to say with that stuff. What is your final goal with your car? Stay TBI and enjoy driving it or go MPI? That kind of stuff should be factored in to your decisions. Good luck with it. BC_99 Edited August 27, 2013 by BC_99 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krudmuphin Posted August 27, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 27, 2013 Final goal is a good running car (I could care less about gas mileage... haha)and I'm aiming for 250 - 350 HP range on mostly stock components with necessary upgrades here and there.If I can, I'd love to reroute some of the Turbo piping, but that would require a different intake manifold. A couple friends told me to swap out for an MPI instead of TBI because it's "easier to manage", but I haven't noticed any downsides to TBI really... Pics of the cylinder heads will come as soon as I tear them out of the car. I'm in a kinda crappy situation right now with storage and I'm relying on friends to rent me some space to work on it. I have to move it again within the next week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasQuest Posted August 27, 2013 Report Share Posted August 27, 2013 No need for MPI unless you want big hp numbers. 350 horse is easily do-able with tbi. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krudmuphin Posted August 27, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 27, 2013 I figured...Is the Stock '88 ECU capable enough then?I hear the '89 is the one to go for but I can't imagine that being a very simple or cheap process to change it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasQuest Posted August 28, 2013 Report Share Posted August 28, 2013 No difference in the two. 88-89 components are pretty much the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC_99 Posted August 28, 2013 Report Share Posted August 28, 2013 And it is as simple as unplugging one then plugging in another. BC_99 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAinsworth Posted August 30, 2013 Report Share Posted August 30, 2013 And for future notice, is there a way to move this thread to a different category? I don't think it's appropriate to have a build thread in the Newbie's section once I get started on the project, hahaha. Start a build thread in this forum, once you reach 50 posts, let me know and I'll move it to the Build Forum.Jimmy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Posted September 9, 2013 Report Share Posted September 9, 2013 looks like you're at about the same starting point that I was at (minus the bad head/gasket). dont let yourself get discouraged and keep up the good work!Colin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Posted September 9, 2013 Report Share Posted September 9, 2013 Hello there! This isn't my first post on SQC, but it is my first since I actually acquired my new ride. Unfortunately she's a loooong way from showtime, but for a 25 year-old-car, who really expects that. I did, however, overpay for this lump. It's non-running and I dropped 2 grand for it.... oops... but it's quite rare in my area so well worth it in the end (so I hope!) Well, here it is in all its 80's glory.My 1988 Conquest TSI On the farm where I bought it from... this thing was REALLY DIRTYhttp://i.imgur.com/l9W6p54.jpg After I cleaned up a bit and got it into a garage, unfortunately not my own garage so my time here is limited.http://i.imgur.com/lAmB1YD.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/k7DZ2np.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/mNKOjxs.jpgI was told that this car just needed a new head to make it run well, but that sounded waaaay to good to be true... This thing is a pit. He included a new head in the sale, but I have yet to see it so i don't know what kind it is. The wiring in this is especially bad. It's poorly laid out, disconnected in random spots, cut in places, etc, but no frays and it looks to be all there still. Disconnected that ridiculously complex air intake system (seriously, what's the deal with that huge thing anyway?!) so I could actually see things better...The turbo is brand new OEM but the intercooler is shot. There's an aftermarket blowoff valve on it, but for some reason the previous owner left the old one plugged into the wiring system...why did he----?!http://i.imgur.com/82qIhYZ.jpg Then, after pulling the valve cover, I was really shocked. This valve-train looks brand-spanking new, doesn't it? Why would the owner say it needs a new head? Guess I won't know till I pull the darn thing off... The valve cover even looks new-ish.What are all those little threaded holes in the valve cover? Is there supposed to be something in those? They don't line up with the head, but I don't think it would be a good idea to have oil spurting out of those after all is put together again, haha.http://i.imgur.com/xs6OQ6X.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/rqU8GiR.jpgTo put this whole thing simply, I bought a project car that I don't even understand, lol. I have 0 experience with engine work so I'm relying on friends and forum members to get the car back on its feet. To make matters worse, I can't even drive a stick yet. But... we'll see what happens. I don't have any big plans yet besides getting it running, but i'd like to go for something more rally-inspired as I've always been a huge fan of rally racing and the Starion has "some" roots in that motorsport. If you guys see ANYTHING that looks wrong, missing, or out of place, PLEASE let me know!! Thank you! And if anyone's interested, this is what I'm stepping over from. This is my daily driver:http://i.imgur.com/CYUt1GJ.jpg what wheels are those on your civic? they look really nice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAinsworth Posted September 11, 2013 Report Share Posted September 11, 2013 http://i.imgur.com/xs6OQ6X.jpg Those small holes do not go all the way through. The ones on the passenger's side is to hold the clips that hold the spark plug wires in place; the drivers side is for clips to hold the pcv hose in place.Jimmy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krudmuphin Posted October 24, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2013 (edited) UPDATE! YAY! But first, @ Patrick_Starion, my wheels are 17" Konig Deception, powder-coated white. Finally got my car moved to my own house because I had a driveway space cleared! The car at that point was running, but very poorly. Lots of black smoke poured out the tailpipe and some from behind the turbo as well. The car stayed running but got hot after about 10 minutes. Also there was a slight knock upon start-up for about 30 seconds... not sure which cylinder. The "old" head is off. I say "old" because it doesn't look very used... it has the EGR delete and Jet Valve elimination kit. The "new" head that the previous owner gave me is indeed a lot cleaner, but in actuality, it doesn't seem much better. I'm actually torn between which head to use in my rebuild, both seem to do the job and not have any sort of noticeable damage to the deck. But now I will go into much more detail about my findings of each head... I'll need as much help as I can get to decide which is better to work with... OLD HEAD-Not sure the mileage, but it was perfectly clean when I got the car, apart from the massive carbon buildup on the combustion chambers and manifolds. Lots of black crud!-Apart from loose gasket material, the deck looks perfectly flat, not scratched, and not warped.-Jet valves and EGR eliminated, it looks properly done.-Cam has two markings on it, one GREEN and one PURPLE. Not sure the meaning. Has "F011" and "C1 CWC" stamped on it-Number "18" cast on the side of the head, above the intake side.-Number "7" cast in the coolant port.PICTURES:http://i.imgur.com/7eNO0Pv.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/GUUKONF.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/tloYTpP.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/fZcBM4X.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/g7QsL7e.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/5Oklumr.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/idLpQzp.jpg NEW HEAD-Deck surface is machined, no scratches.-There are numerous chips on the outer edges of the combustion chambers.-Combustion chambers have a blue paint-like coating?-2 of the Valves look pitted and chunky.-Valve seals are blue colored.-Paint on the head is new, but flaking off.-Has Jet Valves.-Looks like a re-manufactured unit.-Number "4" cast on the head.-Number "8" cast in the coolant point.-Camshaft marking: "92X"PICTURES:http://i.imgur.com/6VmyJqo.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/GGN5IXf.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/blsCZru.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/qcmaCsH.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/dYpLIu6.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/g2hTqjI.jpg Right now. I'm at a loss for which head to use or if it's best to combine the best of both into one great head. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.I'm going to have a friend look at them who's rebuilt a few engines in his day, and another Starquest owner for specific advice. Better start prepping my wallet :/ NOW, HERE'S THE BLOCK Not as bad as I thought, just lots of carbon buildup and gasket material everywhere!I've included pictures of each cylinder.The deck is okay, but I need to scrape the gasket stuff off.3 of the 4 pistons have a semi-circular chip mark in them. It looks like they may have been striking the valves. You can clearly see the marks toward the outside of pistons 2-4 from the pictures.http://i.imgur.com/MXB61uH.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/6zKhTCC.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/AQcvifM.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/xvldF8v.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/37nyuAY.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/uE5aDal.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/XsbKhQL.jpg So.....? To me, it looks like the engine isn't all that bad, and now that's it totally torn apart, I may have made a big mistake. Seems like the bigger issue here is injection or air intake related.However, the gaskets are all shot. Luckily I got a complete gasket set for free. That gives me the excuse to rebuild everything I suppose... From here it's just going to be decision after decision after decision. I want to rebuild the engine to be running perfectly. I'd also like to build it to anywhere between 250-300 HP using the TBI. So far i only have plans to reroute the intercooler tubing and remove the AC, but I'm open to suggestions for what I could do. I'm looking into ARP Head Studs, new pistons and rings, new exhaust manifold, slightly bigger turbo maybe, 3" exhaust, crankshaft bearings, and whatever else you guys think would be a good move when building from scratch. I bought a 1G MAF which is apparently better, but I'll save the details for another post where I also have some questions about injectors... Thanks for being patient with me, this is all new stuff to me, so any and all help, ideas, criticisms are encouraged. Have a nice day Edited October 24, 2013 by krudmuphin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiveWire Posted October 25, 2013 Report Share Posted October 25, 2013 Just to doublecheck you should use a straight edge and feeler gauge on the block and the head to see if there's any warping Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krudmuphin Posted November 17, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 17, 2013 (edited) Pistons and rods are out now and I started cleaning the deck. I'm going to pull the block as soon as I can get the AC components out for good. Who needs 'em anyway. At this point I'm realizing that for 120,000, it's actually all in pretty good shape. I could've had this car running with a few new injectors, clips, and maybe a new MAF. But that's boring. It's gonna be rebuilt and put back together in a way that is much simpler, and much much more efficient. I'm keeping the TBI, rerouting some turbo hard-lines through a new IC, redoing the entire cooling system, relocating some things, and possibly upgrading the turbo and obviously a new exhaust. I want to get a GM MAF + Translator and AEM Wideband but I don't quite understand how they will work together? Is that something that can be plugged right into the '88 ECU? Is it better to get a Megasquirt ECU instead for tunability? Anyway, some picsIt looks like some brackets of the timing assembly are madly bent out of shape.... hmmmmmhttp://i.imgur.com/o7rRa5L.jpg The Piston from Cylinder #4 has a manufacturing error I think. The oiler hole is not even drilled through.... http://i.imgur.com/01sBSVQ.jpg The Piston from Cylinder #2 has nasty scoring marks on the side and burred edges at the top.There are no matching marks in the cylinder, which is kinda surprising to me.Regardless, I don't want to keep the stock pistons anyway. The rods are still savable for sure If I drill that missing oiler hole.http://i.imgur.com/1xzHRJk.jpg Edited November 17, 2013 by krudmuphin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
19cturbo Posted November 18, 2013 Report Share Posted November 18, 2013 good progress... keep up the good work and stay on the road your on and youll be fine.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack86 Posted November 22, 2013 Report Share Posted November 22, 2013 Good progress. You should do some research about the 3in exhaust. I've read that the 2.5 in exhaust is better unless your producing higher HP. I don't remember the HP ranges though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack86 Posted November 22, 2013 Report Share Posted November 22, 2013 Here is where I read about the exhaust, http://racetep.com/starexhaust.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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