SR problem. Need suggestions.

[vangj]

I have a 1990 240sx with red top SR20DET. The car was running okay, besides idle problems (if you have any answers for idle problems, let me know). I took my car out for a spin the other day, and I pushed my car; first gear, and second gear. I wanted to see how far my redline went, so in second gear I pushed it up to about 7,500, and then slowed down. I have a Mines tuned ECU. After that, I was driving it, and I heard a sputtering noise coming from the motor. No smoke or anything coming out of the exhaust. Took it home, and noticed the sputtering noise was coming from the intake. Now the motor shakes alot more than usual too. Any suggestions? I was thinking it might be the spark plugs, coil packs, or maybe injectors, but I don't want to have to wast money on things that I might not need to buy. I checked my spark plugs and the last one is really black compared the other three, they still look new. Can anybody help me out. Thanks.

[Silviaspeed]

Check all your vacuum lines. You may have blown one off by revving it so high. Check all your clamps that hold the vacuum lines on also. Also, if your gonna rev it so high I would suggest some rocker arm stoppers, maybe some stiffer springs. Your gonna beat the piss out of your valves reving it so high.

[Cyberkreig]

let me ask you, does the motor shutter had when you get into boost? Irratic idle and sputtering sound to me like unmetered air is getting in, or you have a boost leak..

[SpeedRacer1]

Was the area around the spark plug black? The plug may be loose. If one of your spark plugs was black then it was letting air in and out. This will cause misfiring, and it can cause idling problems. In fact I had a problem where my #4 plug wasnt torqued to proper specs. It let out gas (bad for emissions), caused bad misfiring, caused a weird idle, and ultimately caused this...One of my coils shot out of the engine.

[vangj]

I'll check all my vacuum lines, and intercooler piping. I should try getting new spark plugs too. I don't expect to rev it pass 7,000, I just wanted to see where it went up to. Thanks for the suggestions. Let me know if anyone has any others.

[Silviaspeed]

I was also told to check on the coilpacks boots as well. The boots insulate the spark from the head. If the boots is compromised the charge can arc to the head and cause the cylinder to misfire. You can tell if the boot is shot by looking at the inside of it. It would have a white powder coating where the coil is arcing(sp).

[SpeedRacer1]

Well the redline is 7500 so you can go that high safely if need be with your stock componants.

[Cattalbus]

Okay so the stock redline is 7500? I was under the impression it was 6800. is his moved up because of his ECU?

[Dori Dori]

The mines ecu is supposed to raise redline. I don't know where stock is though (or mines for that matter).

[SpeedRacer1]

The redline on a stock redtop with a stock ECU is 7500. Just look at one of the JDM gauge clusters on ebay.

[Silviaspeed]

My gauge cluster says 7200rpm. Its off an S14 clip.

[matt240det]

also check your intake mani, spray some carb cleaner or brake clean near the gasket and all the vacumm lines, if it stalls there is your problem

[martin]

Also pull the rocker cover off and make sure that a rocker arm hasn't come off. Was it really 7500, or 8000, or ;-)

-Martin.

[vangj]

When the turbo starts to boost, it doesn't sputter as much, usually only sputters when its below 2,500 to 3,000. I put in a new spark plug but still does same thing.

Do you guys know if smoke is suppose to come out of the breather that I have on my valve cover? Smoke comes out when I press on the gas only, not when its just on idle.

[FTRS14.5]

Nooooooo, smoke isn't suppose to be coming out of the breather. You'd better check for any leaks INSIDE the motor.

[slidingby]

Smoke is bad!! especially for your health....

[S13240]

Check your spark plug gap even though I know you mentioned you changed your old ones out already, but you did not mention anything about properly gapping them. I believe factory gap spec is .028.

[vangj]

I have the Bosch platinum four plugs. Do I gap them the same way as the regular ones? Does anyone think that it might be my fuel injectors? I'm thinking that might be the problem. Any suggestions?

[martin]

I'd suggest doing some basics...

Do a compression test before doing anything else. Blowing spoke from the engine breather indicates that you are getting "blow by" which means compression is getting into the motor outside of the combustion chamber. This could be a hole in the piston, or broken rings, or possibly a head gasket, or maybe none of these.

A compression test will give you the necessary information to rule out some of the possibilities and tell you where to look next. Post the numbers for all 4 cylinders here.

-Martin.

[ImportIntelligence]

Your Rings are shot, next your dipstick will be shooting out of the motor. I've seen it happen.

[240_Keyy]

yep the silly DSM guys around here are always shooting their dipsticks out and blowing oil all over the place.

[vangj]

I have found the problem. One of my rocker arms broke. I found this out once my car wouldn't start anymore. Because of this, I decided to just look under the valve cover, and there it was, a broken rocker arm.I just bought an used one to put in, plus I bought some Tomei rocker arm stoppers to support it. I haven't put it in yet, but hopefully sometime this week I'll get the chance to.By the way, does anyone know the torque specs for the camshafts and camgears?

[GraySilvia]

the cam shaft caps should be ~12ft.lbs, be very careful with them, if you strip one, you get to buy a new head! The cam sprocket torque spec i don't remember.

[Phax]

The stock factory tach that can in my 180SX clip has a 7500 redline. Where does the fuel cut / rev limiter / mph cut come in with a stock SR20DET, redtop ECU?