|
|
98 sunfire 2.2L head removed need advice before continuing...
|
|
|
| |
|
|
JonG
Novice
Sep 21, 2012, 8:50 AM
Post #1 of 18
(2909 views)
|
|
98 sunfire 2.2L head removed need advice before continuing...
|
Sign In
|
|
****Updated Photos in responses below****
Hi all,
About 4 years ago my 98 Pontiac Sunfire (2.2L) blew a spark plug right out of the head after 170K miles of trouble-free running (other than some oil leakage). The mechanic tried a heli-coil but this also blew out after only 50 miles.
I finally removed the head last weekend thinking I'd just need to replace it, but what I found underneath puzzles me. You can see in the image above that the cylinder missing it's spark plug (third from left) is the only one that is not charred, and the one directly to the left has some corrosion around the valve. The cylinder with the corroded valve also has some (but not a lot of) rust while the others have none.
Does anyone have any idea of what might be going on here? Should I be going ahead with the head replacement at this point or should I dig deeper/replace the engine?
Any advice would be appreciated.
(This post was edited by JonG on Sep 22, 2012, 10:55 AM)
|
|
| |
|
|
Discretesignals
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Sep 21, 2012, 9:59 AM
Post #2 of 18
(2881 views)
|
|
Re: 98 sunfire 2.2L head removed need advice before continuing...
|
Sign In
|
|
Do you have a larger picture? or a close up of the combustion chambers?
Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.
(This post was edited by Discretesignals on Sep 21, 2012, 10:00 AM)
|
|
| |
|
|
JonG
Novice
Sep 21, 2012, 1:06 PM
Post #3 of 18
(2855 views)
|
|
Re: 98 sunfire 2.2L head removed need advice before continuing...
|
Sign In
|
|
Thanks for your reply, I'll post more pics this evening.
|
|
| |
|
|
JonG
Novice
Sep 22, 2012, 9:14 AM
Post #4 of 18
(2829 views)
|
|
Re: 98 sunfire 2.2L head removed need advice before continuing...
|
Sign In
|
|
Combustion chamber pic still to come.
|
|
| |
|
|
Discretesignals
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Sep 22, 2012, 9:25 AM
Post #5 of 18
(2827 views)
|
|
Re: 98 sunfire 2.2L head removed need advice before continuing...
|
Sign In
|
|
The combustion chamber without the spark plug has been steamed cleaned. That is usually the result of coolant getting into the combustion chamber. The other combustion chambers look normal. Maybe a little bit of excessive carbon build up, but that is normal for a high mileage engine.
Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.
|
|
| |
|
|
JonG
Novice
Sep 22, 2012, 11:07 AM
Post #6 of 18
(2818 views)
|
|
Re: 98 sunfire 2.2L head removed need advice before continuing...
|
Sign In
|
|
Could coolant in the chamber also explain why the plug blew out of the head in the first place? There was a lot of leaking oil before the car died, and I always assumed the head gasket was to blame. A head gasket leak can allow coolant to enter the chambers, correct?
Here's some photos of the combustion chambers. First up is the whole thing rotated so that the cylinders are in the same relative position as the valves from the earlier pic:
Here's the chamber with the missing plug. Note there's no rust between the piston and the chamber wall.
...and here's the one next to it with rust all the way around the piston edge and some on the wall as well.
|
|
| |
|
|
Discretesignals
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Sep 22, 2012, 3:54 PM
Post #7 of 18
(2807 views)
|
|
Re: 98 sunfire 2.2L head removed need advice before continuing...
|
Sign In
|
|
A failed head gasket can allow coolant into a combustion chamber. Not sure why a plug decided to pop out unless it wasn't installed properly or the threads were damaged somehow. The ring of rust at the top of the bore is were the rings don't contact. Not unusual to have rust form there.
Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.
(This post was edited by Discretesignals on Sep 22, 2012, 3:56 PM)
|
|
| |
|
|
JonG
Novice
Sep 22, 2012, 4:14 PM
Post #8 of 18
(2801 views)
|
|
Re: 98 sunfire 2.2L head removed need advice before continuing...
|
Sign In
|
|
Do you think based on the amount of rust you see that I should be honing out the cylinders before trying to replace the head? I'd really rather not, but I don't want to slap it back together and hope for the best either.
|
|
| |
|
|
Discretesignals
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Sep 22, 2012, 4:59 PM
Post #9 of 18
(2796 views)
|
|
Re: 98 sunfire 2.2L head removed need advice before continuing...
|
Sign In
|
|
It isn't necessary to hone the cylinders. The only reason you would need to hone the cylinders is to create a surface for the piston rings to seat. Replacing the cylinder head with a reman or having the cylinder head sent to a machine shop and rebuild/checked for cracks would probably solve that issue. Be sure to use new cylinder head bolts and to blow out the cylinder head bolt holes.
Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.
|
|
| |
|
|
JonG
Novice
Sep 22, 2012, 5:04 PM
Post #10 of 18
(2792 views)
|
|
Re: 98 sunfire 2.2L head removed need advice before continuing...
|
Sign In
|
|
Great, I'll try that. Thanks for all your help!
|
|
| |
|
|
Discretesignals
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Sep 22, 2012, 5:15 PM
Post #11 of 18
(2790 views)
|
|
Re: 98 sunfire 2.2L head removed need advice before continuing...
|
Sign In
|
|
One other piece of advice. Make sure all the pistons reach the same height in their bores with the each piston top dead center(TDC). There have been cases where an engine can hydrolock a piston and bend a rod. If a rod is bent, a piston won't reach as high as it should in the bore when it is TDC. Sometimes an indicator of a bent rod is how the rings don't contact the edge of the bore as the rest which leaves a wider non contact surface than the other bores.
Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.
(This post was edited by Discretesignals on Sep 22, 2012, 5:17 PM)
|
|
| |
|
|
Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Sep 23, 2012, 7:25 AM
Post #12 of 18
(2771 views)
|
|
Re: 98 sunfire 2.2L head removed need advice before continuing...
|
Sign In
|
|
Running out of time but just noted with post #6 bottom pic that it seems piston is down and cylinder wall has 'galling' or something wrong. Nice pics and could be just dirt from getting there but it should wipe clean or would never be right if my lousy eyes see what I think that could allow oil up from under thru rings and or coolant to adjacent water jacket. Maybe just me?
T
|
|
| |
|
|
Discretesignals
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Sep 23, 2012, 7:32 AM
Post #13 of 18
(2767 views)
|
|
Re: 98 sunfire 2.2L head removed need advice before continuing...
|
Sign In
|
|
I saw that too Tom, but it looks like more like dirt. At first I thought maybe there was a crack in the cylinder wall, but hard to tell from that picture angle. Hopefully it wipes off.
Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.
|
|
| |
|
|
Discretesignals
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Sep 24, 2012, 4:48 AM
Post #15 of 18
(2740 views)
|
|
Re: 98 sunfire 2.2L head removed need advice before continuing...
|
Sign In
|
|
That's crazy. The crank won't turn in either direction? There probably is more to this story than we think. Before the engine shot out its plug how was it running? What did it sound like?
Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.
|
|
| |
|
|
Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Sep 24, 2012, 5:25 AM
Post #16 of 18
(2738 views)
|
|
Re: 98 sunfire 2.2L head removed need advice before continuing...
|
Sign In
|
|
"no turn by crank bolt" Oh, Oh 
T
|
|
| |
|
Auto Repair Home
SEARCH
WHO'S 
LOG 
mdma pills for sale : WhatsApp +33758633852
Drive Shaft Repair
2006 Toyoto Camry XLE Driver Side Electric Window Trouble
Grounding Cable, 2017 Jeep Renegade Trailhawk
equipment
