Friends 4 cylinder runny sluggish need help

[BuBBa DRiFT]

OK so me and my buddy did a tune up today. The oil was low, the oil was black, and the spark plugs were covered in oil. Before, and after the tune up, the car runs very sluggish. Ive driven the exact same model and motor, and I know for a fact the throttle response in my buddies car is WAYYYY off. You can floor it in second gear and it honestly feels like your in 5th. Everytime you go past 4000rpm, you smell oil and gas mix. Now, leaks from the motor, as well as sluggishness means what? Oil covered spark plugs means bad rings im guessing, but dont that bias your answer. Reps to whoever can give me a straightforward answer.

[Vuongy_Dong]

Is the oil on the opposite side of the spark plug thread side? If so, it can be the grommets.

[Tree]

that motor is trash.... i think its time to swap it

[BuBBa DRiFT]

its below the threads, so im guessing rebuild is inevitable FUCKKKKKKK

[bafbrian]

its below the threads, so im guessing rebuild is inevitable FUCKKKKKKK

Not necessarily, buddy of mine had a similar problem with his gsr. It had oil in the spark plug cylinder and the threads.

Grommets just needed to be resealed on the valve cover. For below the threads, the car was just throwing oil in the intake, check to all the oil lines to see if they are clogged. If they are, just unclog them. That's what was done to his and it worked like a charm. Also, check your IACV, TPS, and MAF sensors. If one is bad, could cause a slightly sluggish response.

Hope this helps.

[iEvo]

check the valve guide seals and the part of the valve cover gasket that seals the spark plugs

[cactusEG]

its still leaking or put some lucas in it

[BuBBa DRiFT]

yeah, my buddy said to put some oil stabilizer in and get some oil fowler to see if that does the trick.

[BuBBa DRiFT]

thanks guys, ill rep everyone when i check this thread later today

[BTLFED]

Put a cat under the valve cover. The fur will soak up any leaks in the valvetrain.

[BuBBa DRiFT]

I was expecting a better joke, especially from you...

[sullen]

just run a compression check, see if the numbers come back bad. if they all come back bad, new rings. grab the voltometer, check the TPS, MAFS, IACS. is a check engine light showing? if it is, and if the car is newer than '96+, run to Advanced/Auto Zone/whoever is closest. get the to run a diagnostic. its free, and not a bad idea. they should lead you in the right direction.

[Echonova]

its still leaking or put some lucas in it

There is no such thing as a mechanic in a bottle.

[BuBBa DRiFT]

alright, well we needed to drain it again to get all the seafoam out, put about 16oz of lucas in it, its running the same, but a tad more agressive, im guessing its got a little bit more juice from the oil foulers, and the lucas oil, but now it wont even stay idling. it keeps wanting to die. any suggestions? It just started doing this, even with the air off, the TPS and stuff is going to get tested when I get back from vacation. Bad idle, im thinking it might be misfiring. It shakes pretty bad every know and then. No throttle response and bad idle...on to the next problem lol, thanks all for answers.

[sullen]

my old KA did that. turns out #1 rod was way bent. and that threw off the balance, which in turn fucked everything up. woot for the KA24POS.

[IDriveToast]

There's and easy fix to get it running moderately okay again. But it still needs a rebuild so it's not worth my time to type it out.

[Total_Blender]

Did you run a compression test? That should be the FIRST thing you do. Don't waste your $$ on chemicals, additives, etc untill you know if the rings are screwed or not.

If the numbers from the initial test are not good, try adding about a tablespoon full of oil into each cylinder and test it again. This will cause the rings to seal temporarily. If your numbers improve drastically your rings are shot and the motor will have to be rebuilt. If they do not change at all you have a leaking gasket or a bad valve and you will have to pull the head and get it reconditioned.

If everything checks out OK on the compression test, you probably just have a carbon build up problem. First make sure you are using the right temp thermostat. Running too cool (or running without a thermostat) will cause carbon buildup. Next look at the ignition and replace all of the service items (cap, rotor, etc). Then test the coil, and the wires for resistance and make sure they are in spec.

Finally (and this is probably where your problem is) set the fuel mixture to the correct spec and put a timing light on the engine and set the ignition timing.

Did you ever say what kind of motor we are working with here? I just skimmed over the posts telling you to use Lucas, etc.

[Total_Blender]

Edit: Once you get it running right, change the oil to get rid of the Lucas and other additives you've put in there.

All those additives really do is thicken or thin out your oil. Some of them have properties that aid in hydraulic functions like helping the lifters pump up but you get the same benefit from adding automatic trans. fluid to your oil.

Be sure to use the manufacturer's recommended weight and use an OEM spec filter (not a Fram). If you want to run synthetic, Mobil-1 is good.

If you are running regular dinosaur oil, stay away from Quaker State (otherwise known as "Q") or Pennzoil as these brands contain paraffin which causes the buildup of sludge inside the motor. Also stay away from anything that has "stop leak" as it will clog the internal passages in your block. I like to go with Coastal, Kendall, Havoline, or Valvoline if I'm feeling spendy.

[sullen]

nawzdawg......are you related to hitler?

[Total_Blender]

Well I am of German ancestry, but my people migrated over waayyy before either of the world wars.

If my postings read like technical manuals its because I try to explain things as clearly as possibile. And I am a bit of a nazi about what goes into my car's oil fill. But tearing apart motors and actually seeing the problems the additives and stuff cause will do that to you. Bearings worn down well into to the brass, broken ringlands with pieces of ring in the combustion chamber, etc :laugh:

[BuBBa DRiFT]

thanks a lot dude, thats all i needed to know..


time to sell lmao.

[Stormhammer]

I like to go with Coastal, Kendall, Havoline, or Valvoline if I'm feeling spendy.

thats like the cheapest oil you can buy

[Total_Blender]

Just because its cheap doesn't mean its not good. Hell, my Dad runs FRED's brand oil without any problems