Auto-RX in 94 Celica

[Hezz]

So, I still don't have the Auto-RX, it should be here in the next day or two. Two weeks ago my wife was driving the car and the number 2 sparkplug popped out, I figured someone had pulled it and not tightened it back in properly. I put it back in and all seemed fine, this weekend I put about 600 miles on the car and the last 150 of it the car ran terrible.

When I got home, I popped the hood open and the number 2 wire was loose, I looked down the tube and there was chunks of the end of the wire boot and the tube was lined with soot and what looks like metal flakes.

If it's not unbearably hot out this afternoon I'll pull the plugs, do the compression test, and pray that the threads for the number 2 plug aren't ruined. I'll keep you all posted.

 

[jonny-b]

Hi.

If the treads are ruined, you could use something called HeliCoil.
Just Google, and you will find it.

 

[greenaccord02]

That's pretty cool. I hadn't seen that before.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: jonny-b
Hi.

If the treads are ruined, you could use something called HeliCoil.
Just Google, and you will find it.


Heilcoil has saved me a few times over the years, it works well.

 

[Hezz]

Well, new plugs and wires are on. The old plugs for 1,3,and 4 looked like well worn originals, the 2 plug (the one that blew out once and popped the wire off with blow-by again) was a different range entirely, the center electrode and insulator was recessed a lot farther and it had a huge gap. Threads on it were coked up as well, presumably from blow-by.

It purrs like a kitten now, and all the plugs seemed to tighten in normally, I'll keep an eye on it I guess and see what happens.

My Bluepoint compression tester did reach, results as follows.

1: 160
2: 154
3: 160
4: 171

 

[greenaccord02]

Seems like some pretty good numbers there.

 

[Rick20]

Will likely to see compression numbers even out some after your cleaning and rinse, all closer to cylinder #4.

 

[Hezz]

The compression is normal for an engine of this age I am reading. I was shining a flashlight down into #2 while the plug was out and the piston was covered in thick black carbon. Maybe I'll trickle some water in at idle or try the seafoam through the vacuum port one of these afternoons.

I wonder if I could just drip a little MMO down through the sparkplug holes and let it sit for while, would it be strong enough for that?

 

[greenaccord02]

Put a half ounce of seafoam in every cylender and let that sit for half in hour with the plugs in, then crank the engine.

MMO might work, too. I'm just saying what I've tried.

 

[Rick20]

The sea foam may be effective in dissolving some carbon deposits on the piston crowns. But gravity is going to have it seep down through the rings at the lowest gravity point. I don't see any ring function improvement occuring until you get into the cleaning and rinse. I would also be sure that most of the quantity of seafoam has passed through into the sump before firing the motor up. IMO it might be safest to turn the motor over with the spark plugs pulled to avoid any chance of hydrolocking.

 

[Hezz]

Thanks for the tips, I'll wait on Seafoam in the cylinders until I am done with my clean and rinse. I got the arx today, now I just need an excuse to go somewhere.

 

[ionbeam22]

Actually, I'd run one tank with Chevron Techron, before starting up the ARX.

 

[Hezz]

I have already run a bottle of Techron through it. Good advice though. It ran better afterwards, but I also changed out the completely plugged PCV valve at the same time, which may have been part of it as well.

 

[Rick20]

Hezz,

My hat is off to you. Sounds like you have a very disciplined approach to making your fun car your own. Doing one procedure at a time is the key to evaluating your efforts and dollars spent.

Correcting the PCV issue is a great example. Running the Techron and monitoring results as well. Keep us up to date on the ARX treatment.

 

[Hezz]

100 miles on it after dumping the arx in. The arx looked very dark and opaque to me but it didn't color the oil that I could tell. The dipstick is showing a smidge overfull now but it's running fine with no unusual noise or anything.

(I'm doing science and I'm still alive)

 

[sprintman]

Long hot runs are the go (hot oil). I'm 3,200kms into a 10,000 km (6,200 mile) clean.

 

[Hezz]

Not a lot of miles on it yet, but I thought y'all may be interested to see the sparkplug that blew all the way out once and part way a second time. It has the same exact markings as the others, so it either slipped past QC, or collapsed while running, or who knows??? I put it next to one of the other three, and you can see that the center electrode is recessed much farther, and the barrel above the threads looks stretched and distorted. Weirdness.

 

[greenaccord02]

That's clearly a mislabled plug. The insulator is a different size as is the nut. And I'm just eyeballing it, but if you have a pair of calipers just check the diameter on the threaded portion. They're different.

 

[Ken2]

Quote:
The arx looked very dark and opaque

Yep, when warm Auto-Rx looks like prune juice. When cold it is like a prune slushee. Warm cold A-Rx in a pan of hot tap water before pouring it.

 

[severach]

The plug isn't different and the insulator isn't a different size. The high voltage porcelain assembly moved. The distance moved is seen in the retraction of the tip and the gray ring on the porcelain. Discard the one with the 0.200" gap.