Intake manifold (possible problems???)

[TougeTune180]

today when doing general tests on my car in the shop, i noticed that while running there seems to be a whistling noice coming from around my 3rd cyl injector, and there is also oil slashed everywhere around there, from the strut tower all the way down to the transmission bell housing. im just wondering if that can be caused by a blown intake manifold gasket?

[TougeTune180]

well i drove it a bunch this weekend, and it appears that the oil leak is from the valve cover gasket being twisted, but im still having reliability issues with it. both friday and sat nights i had problems with it running, like all of a sudden it would start knocking, running like crap, and having absolutly zero power (as in hardly movable); but then after allowing it to cool off for a while, like an hour or so, it would be possible to limp home, then the next morning it seems to be fine again. i can still feel air coming out of the intake manifold around the 3rd injector, so im wondering if this could be whats causing it to act like that. please help me, as i need this car running asap, and i need to know if anyone has had similar problems and what can be done to fix them. thanks for all your help.

[TougeTune180]

anyone? please?

[TougeTune180]

bump

[ETTInnov04]

Haven't had a similar problem but will try to help troubleshoot. If you were to be leaking air from only the third cylinder the car would still be able to move, would be less powerful but would be able to get you home. Are your coolant temps normal? Since you hear the leak I would go ahead and replace the inake manifold gasket as well as the valve cover gasket since you said it was leaking.

[TougeTune180]

yeah, it did drive home, i think the reason it would quit on me is just getting too warm, but right now i dont have a temp gauge so i have no real idea how hot it runs at and stuff. also, tonight i pulled off my valve cover and that gasket is demolished, so i need a new one of those, so i might as well do intake mani gasket too. i thought it was kind weird though cause the air leak is like directly above the 3rd injector, not like at the thirdintake port on the head where you would expect the leak to be from gasket problems...i also know that my car isnt running full power, and that it feels pretty doggish at times, but other times seems fine. if you have any other ideas, i am all ears!

thanks again for wroking with me on this, as this forum is pretty much my only real source of info on SR stuff

[ETTInnov04]

Whoa!!! No temp sensor??? You shouldn't be driving that car. Knowing that the car sounds as if it may be overheating, your car loses a tremendous amount of power once the engine temp rises over normal(like not being able to make it up hills, really low on power, etc.) The car could be overheating and youd never know it. Running your car while its overheating is really dangerous especially on alluminium heads. You can warp the alluminum and when that happens you'll need a new head. Get your temp sensor hooked up and replace the gaskets, be sure to replace the 4 rings that seal the tunnels for the spark plugs.

[TougeTune180]

i have the sensor, but i cant seem to find a plug on the harness for it, and the place that put my engine in rigged up this dumb little temp thingy in the top of the radiator. so i dunno what to do about that, cause there seems to be nothing to plug in left. any ideas?

[ETTInnov04]

have a pic of what they installed on you radiator? I dont know where the plug is for the coolant temp senser off hand. I just hope you didnt do any serious damage to your motor.

[IanS]

the coolant temp sensor is under the #1 intake runner, there are 2 sensors one has 1 one the other has 2, the plug for both is bolted to the valve cover near the oil cap.

[TougeTune180]

does that mean that i have to cut and splice? id there any way to fix it without doing alot of rewiring? i can go get pics of it if that would help

[TougeTune180]

nvm, i just went out and looked at it, and it appears to be plugged in, but my water temp gauge doesnt read, and my car seems to over heat. also, there is a sensor on the side of the block that isnt plugged in, it is right next to the oil filter, what is that?