1.8 ring replacement

[nofear39427]

So I told you guys about my engine problems with my eclipse,using oil and some major valve tapping.I talked to a guy and he told me that it was more than likely that I needed to replace my rings and possibly my bearings.What I want to know is it a hard job and would it require of me to yank the whole engine apart.I mean the 4g37 is a small engine and dosent look that hard to work on,but lets put it this way I am still in the learning process.Help would be much appreciated.Thnx

[SilvrEclipse]

You need to pull the motor to replace the rings in it. Go ahead and replace bearing and gaskets, timing belt and water pump while your in there. I would make sure its the rings before you pull the motor apart.

Do a compression test and see what numbers you get, then pour a capful of oil in the cylinder and if compression goes up your rings are warn. Make sure you do the test correctly.

[nofear39427]

how would i go about doing a compression test?What type of tools will I need?

[SilvrEclipse]

A compression tester, you can pick them up at a parts store. Warm the car up to operating temps, pull the plugs out and disconnect fuel and spark relays. Screw in the compression gauge, hold the motor at WOT and turn it over untill the gauge stops moving. Do this for all of them and see what you have, then compare them with the specs of what it should be. If they are a little lower pour a capful of oil in the cylinder and do the test over. If compression goes up then your rings are warn and leaking. If nothing changes then it could be a valve or headgasket.

[MazdaX]

Originally Posted by nofear39427

how would i go about doing a compression test?What type of tools will I need?

Do you even know anything about mechanics ....?

[SilvrEclipse]

Originally Posted by MazdaX

Do you even know anything about mechanics ....?

Calm down man, No reason to start shit for no reason.

[MazdaX]

Originally Posted by SilvrEclipse

Calm down man, No reason to start shit for no reason.

Not that really it's just a lot of people try to learn as they go but it ends up backfiring and their ruin their motors :/ would just hate to see that happen with someone like him just starting out.

[nofear39427]

No i am not a mechanic I am a Uncertified Technician at Wal-Mart.Most of the work I see is just changing oil,air filters,batteries,fuel injection services and tires related work.I really havent had much time to just sit down and work on stuff with working and having a baby to take care of.I am trying to learn and like everything we must start somewhere.

[MazdaX]

True that I would recommend getting a DSM shop manual though to go by for specs.

[TalonEclipseMixGsx]

Yeah man we all have to start somewhere. Just so happens my 1.8 talon was the first oil change I ever did. Learned alot of basics about this car.

Anyway, the talon has had that tapping coming from the engine ever since i got in back in 1999, especially on real cold mornings. At 40 below in alaska it sounded like a diesel on startup if i didn't plug it in. It always goes away for me when the car warms up.

The oil useage is pretty noticeable on mine as well. But with near 180K miles on it that is to be expected. What I do is change the oil with that castrol 10w40 high mileage, and add a bottle of either stop smoke, or that 4 cyl engine restore. Unless it's a very hot day, I usually don't get smoke from the tail pipe. The thicker oil and additive also get rid of that lifter tick for me. But, on some mornings I can still hear it.

These are very easy engines to work on, and perfect for learning. However, I never pulled the engine on it. If that's what you wanted to do, then go for it, but those problems could be patched up without going too deep. My talon has lasted 80K miles (4 winters in alaska, 1 winter in Idaho, and a cross country trip from Seattle to SC) since I got the car, with both of the problems you described. Only thing I've done is basic maintenance and 3 alternators. The only reason I haven't done any serious work to it is because these problems aren't too serious to me and it still runs good, and gets damn near 30mpg on the highway, unlike the gsx that loves eatin up that premium.

[MazdaX]

Originally Posted by TalonEclipseMixGsx

Yeah man we all have to start somewhere. Just so happens my 1.8 talon was the first oil change I ever did. Learned alot of basics about this car.

Anyway, the talon has had that tapping coming from the engine ever since i got in back in 1999, especially on real cold mornings. At 40 below in alaska it sounded like a diesel on startup if i didn't plug it in. It always goes away for me when the car warms up.

The oil useage is pretty noticeable on mine as well. But with near 180K miles on it that is to be expected. What I do is change the oil with that castrol 10w40 high mileage, and add a bottle of either stop smoke, or that 4 cyl engine restore. Unless it's a very hot day, I usually don't get smoke from the tail pipe. The thicker oil and additive also get rid of that lifter tick for me. But, on some mornings I can still hear it.

These are very easy engines to work on, and perfect for learning. However, I never pulled the engine on it. If that's what you wanted to do, then go for it, but those problems could be patched up without going too deep. My talon has lasted 80K miles (4 winters in alaska, 1 winter in Idaho, and a cross country trip from Seattle to SC) since I got the car, with both of the problems you described. Only thing I've done is basic maintenance and 3 alternators. The only reason I haven't done any serious work to it is because these problems aren't too serious to me and it still runs good, and gets damn near 30mpg on the highway, unlike the gsx that loves eatin up that premium.

Dude you live in AK ? lol..I spent 6 years in anchorage / palmer / wasilla triangle. hated the drive into anchorage every day :/ especially with the cross winds on the seward during winter and all that icey 60 miles of roughness.

oil consumption won't be a biggy unless you run the motor dry then it's a real biggy. My RS has only 76 K but I go through about 1 quart a month ...but where ? who the hell knows...no smoke , no leaks , no burning...my muffler tip is still clean from a install 2,300 miles ago :/ go figure.

[nofear39427]

Well I live in the complete opposite of Alaska.I live in hot ass mississippi lol.
Now I believe my biggest issue about the car using oil is when I first crank it up to go to work.After its been sitting there all night and I turned the key it dosent want to crank up.I believe its my o2 sensor but I priced one and its like almost three hundred bucks.Once it bust off and starts running it idles badly and smokes like a...well it smokes about as much as I do.That is bad.
I was running 30W in the car but I was told that was a stupid idea and was badly scolded by a mechanic/engineering major.He told me to run 20w50 in my car so thats what I run in it now.It wasnt using that much oil after the last oil change but I have a heavy foot(do they make a speed limiter for a 1.8) J/k I dont dog the little car but sometimes I will run it around 80to85.

[Black99GST]

Originally Posted by nofear39427

Well I live in the complete opposite of Alaska.I live in hot ass mississippi lol.
Now I believe my biggest issue about the car using oil is when I first crank it up to go to work.After its been sitting there all night and I turned the key it dosent want to crank up.I believe its my o2 sensor but I priced one and its like almost three hundred bucks.Once it bust off and starts running it idles badly and smokes like a...well it smokes about as much as I do.That is bad.
I was running 30W in the car but I was told that was a stupid idea and was badly scolded by a mechanic/engineering major.He told me to run 20w50 in my car so thats what I run in it now.It wasnt using that much oil after the last oil change but I have a heavy foot(do they make a speed limiter for a 1.8) J/k I dont dog the little car but sometimes I will run it around 80to85.

not wanting to crank has NOTHING to do with an o2 sencor... i would reconsider your engine pull/rebuild and just use that engine restore stuff at the autoparts store... much easier, Cheaper, and Faster...

[TalonEclipseMixGsx]

Yeah I lived in Fairbanks/North Pole for 4 years. 4 wasted years of my life. But enough of that.

I'd say no on the 30 weight oil as well. But you changed to 20w50 which is some thick stuff so you shouldn't have to worry about any burning oil unless the engine is that worn out. As far as the speed limiter on the 1.8 is concerned, I don't think they have them, and I really don't know why they would put them on to begin with. The most I've had it up to was between 105-110 and that was going down an incline and it still took forever to get there. I think I've had the speedometer to 120-125 when I was windin out the gears on a slick sheet of ice, which leads me to believe there is no limiter.

[defiancy]

The tapping you hear is called lifter tick. It happens in a large majority of DSM's. It doesn't hurt anything but there are ways to fix it, you can replace the lifters with 3G lifters.

Atleast on the 4g63. I'm not to sure if the same fix would work for the 4g67.