Progress Thread Komo's 1990 GT - Parts Gathering Purgatory

[gkomo]

I did pass SMOG in my last H/C/I Fox with a TFS Stage 1 cam. Had a nice lope to it, but the supercharger changes things this time around.

My plan of action from here is as follows:

1. keep driving the car as is with the additives and R&P oil.
2. Once the oil burns down a quart add in the Engine Restore additive and see if that helps at all. I also have another bottle of the Redline SI-1 to go in the next fuel fill up
3. If i see no improvement with the above, maybe stop driving the car and start saving for an engine tear down.
4. Ideally, the responsible me would keep this as simple as possible, only do what is necessary and hopefully its just what @AeroCoupe said. I guess i'm limited on what i can actually do anyways due to tuning a higher horsepower motor anyways. So either way its probably got to stay 302 with TFS heads, stock cam, stock intake for the foreseeable future.

If this car could be a 'reliable' 300(+) hp car, i should be happy with that. I've said it many times but my 331 H/C/I (TFS stage 1 top end kit) old fox was a blast to drive and i'm assuming that car probably only put down like under 300 to the wheels.

 

[DadLife0724]

What if it doesn't burn of the quart of oil? Call it good and ?

 

[gkomo]

What if it doesn't burn of the quart of oil? Call it good and ?

If it stops burning oil and fouling my #7 plug then i'm good to go.

So far it seems its still burning some oil, and that plug gets fouled after like 50 miles of driving. BUT, I am fairly fresh on using the R&P, only have about 300 miles on this oil change.

Edit: Plug was oily today when pulled to get photos of the valve. At least its fresh looking oil and not burnt gooey sludge like it was before.

 

[gkomo]

Ok, got some photos of the backside of a valve on cylinder #7. Don't have the means to upload them at the moment, but I can't really decipher what i'm looking at. They don't look all smooth and clean, but also don't look oily. Once i get them uploaded i'll see what you guys think.

 

[gkomo]

I don’t know which valve this is though.

 

[gkomo]

And if anyone is curious how the house project is going:

 

[idareu]

And if anyone is curious how the house project t is going:

Nothing a little bit of duct tape and some drywall mud won't fix....

 

[Noobz347]

Nothing a little bit of duct tape and some drywall mud won't fix....

None required. This is the new Cali-Bohemian.

All the kids are doing it.

 

[nickyb]

None required. This is the new Cali-Bohemian.

All the kids are doing it.

Dam new kids on the block,they'll try anything.
Duct tape over there mouths wiil.stop them.

 

[DadLife0724]

Think that's your exhaust valve btw.

 

[gkomo]

Think that's your exhaust valve btw.

Damn, need the intake valve

 

[DadLife0724]

Depending on the camera and other factors that picture could be flipped or something. I am look at it as me standing next to engine looking into the spark plug hole.

 

[General karthief]

Looks like it spent time on the titanic. Prolly just photo-synthesis or something.

 

[gkomo]

Depending on the camera and other factors that picture could be flipped or something. I am look at it as me standing next to engine looking into the spark plug hole.

You're probably right. I was standing next to the drivers side fender with the borescope going in, Just with the swivel function of the borescope i don't know which direction it was pointing inside the cylinder since i was previously moving it all around trying to get good/different camera angles.

Can't drive the car the rest of the week anyways. Wife signed us up for house/dog sitting for one of our old neighbors. I feel like i was already living out of a suitcase and now i'm living out of an even smaller suitcase. She always wants to get out of my parents house, but its me who has to do all the packing/loading/unloading. I'm like damn girl just chill for a second!

 

[nicholase]

The small circle machined into the piston top between the valve relief points to the front of the engine. At least they do on mine. That might help orientate it.

 

[gkomo]

The small circle machined into the piston top between the valve relief points to the front of the engine. At least they do on mine. That might help orientate it.

Based on a Google photo, it looks like that little circle faces towards the front of the motor on each piston.

 

[gkomo]

Not gonna lie, I put in some Engine Restore yesterday since the oil had burned down enough where it wouldn't over fill it. Car seems to run a lot better and was pulling pretty damn good on the way to work this morning. Just yesterday on my commute home from work the car had some bucking/misfiring in low RPM second gear even with a new plug in cylinder #7.

So basically i drove it to work yesterday as normal. During work I replaced the spark plug and added the Engine Restore and then drove it home gingerly to let things mix around. This morning i get in and drive it to work and it really did feel a lot better. Maybe placebo, maybe the Engine Restore is temporarily helping seal my rings and adding compression.

 

[General karthief]

Placebo
But Derek uses 'tuneup-in-a-can' all the time with results
But he IS a UTube star

 

[DadLife0724]

Placebo
But Derek uses 'tuneup-in-a-can' all the time with results
But he IS a UTube star

The old i-talion tune up.

 

[gkomo]

Ok, car seems to be running decently still. Have driven it to work and back a few times now. Not getting any misfiring, let her rip on the freeway to the higher rpms in 4th gear and she did fine.

However, i'm still getting what it feels like is some vibrations. These vibrations occur in neutral, just revving the eninge and are most notable around like 1500 - 2500 rpms and i can feel the shifter shake more than i remember my last Fox doing. when driving. Harmonic balancer is new and installed by me. It did not help the vibrations.

Last night i went down the rabbit hole on flywheels, researching and watching YouTube videos of other Fox owners chasing vibrations. The PO said HE put in a McLoud clutch which also means i don't know if he messed with the flywheel or didn't have it resurfaced, etc. HE also seemed to do a lot of other shoddy work. Would a billet steel flywheel be a good option if i do decide to replace it? LMR sells their SVO billet flywheel, they also have Ford Performance and RAM ones.