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Engine hard to start
Topic Started: May 2 2013, 07:12 PM (510 Views)
Davidwillis
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I have had my geo metro for a few years now, but this winter it started to get hard to start, and has been getting worse. It used to only be hard to start when it was cold, but now it is even hard to start when it is warm. I have not noticed any significant loss in power or gas mileage, but just notice it is harder to start, and dies a lot at idle (especially when cold). When starting, I can hear it firing, and it is almost started, but I have to keep the starter turning it over until the engine actually gets the rpms up high enough.

The first thing I decided to check was the compressing. However I think my gauge reads a little low, but not this low....

50 psi 20 psi 100 psi

After my test, I tried adding oil to the lowest pressure cylinder, and it jumped it up to 120 psi, on the first test, but each test it got lower until it was about 60 psi.

However is what I found odd was that after a couple tests on the cylinder with oil in it, I noticed oil started spraying out of the cylinder that had 50 psi on it.

Am I correct in thinking this may be a head gasket problem? I am thinking it may have blown between the two cylinders (I am not leaking antifreeze). And do you think replacing the head gasket will fix it, or do you think this will take a whole engine rebuild? I really don't have the money to spend much on this now, so I am hoping I could just replace the head gasket, but would like to know if that would fix this, or just be a wast of time and money.

Thanks
David

ps. This is a 94 geo metro with 170k on it. I the guy I bought it from said the head had just been rebuild a few thousand miles before I bought it. But other than that, I am not aware of any other engine work done on it.
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dayle1960
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Fastest Hampster EVER

David, what your metro is suffering from is bad rings. The mechanic who rebuilt your head probably did a good job on that part of the engine, but he neglected to do anything with the rings. You will have to get back into the engine and rehab the piston rings.

Sorry.
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Davidwillis
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I thought you would say that, but hoping you would not. But how would bad rings account for oil going from one cylinder to the other? I only added it to the worst one, but it was spraying out the other one? Maybe I have bad rings, and a bad head gasket?
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dayle1960
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Fastest Hampster EVER

David, you might have oil going from one cylinder to the other, but you really won't know until you crack open the head and look. Either way, whether its the rings or the head gasket, the head will have to come off to take a peek.

Heck, the mechanic might have used a crappy head gasket, didn't do anything to the rings, and maybe, just maybe didn't tighten the head bolt to spec, which might cause oil blowby.

Absolutely no way of knowing what going on until you open it up. Sorry
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Davidwillis
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Thanks... I guess I will just have to tare into it to find out what I am in for.
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Davidwillis
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Just to update you, I took it apart today, and found the valves were burned (it looks like they melted).
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Hogleg
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Midnight Toker

Wow! Must have been running hot or lean. Perhaps he used cheap valves of the head job? Go here for good new ones http://www.teamswift.net/3tech/

Would love to see pics.
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allmountain40
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Burned valves are caused by oil leaking past the valve seals. When oil hits the valves it burns and eventually burns the valves. Most likely dude just yanked head, lapped the valves and didnt replace valve seals, so "new" valve job didn't last long.
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Woodie
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This is often the result of doing a head job on a worn engine. The new, tight top end pulls oil past the old, worn rings and the burning oil burns the valves.
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