fu**ed up my engine need help!!

[MacProtege5]

i have a 2002 protege5 and i was using a 75 shot of nitrous with the zex kit and it felt like the engine was misfiring really really badly, so i stopped the engine and coasted off the road. i was using NGK spark plugs one range colder then the stock plugs, i was also using a high flow msd fuel pump. i also have NO ignition upgrades besides the plugs. i got the car towed home and took the spark plugs out, and the plug closest to the driver side was blown apart, the white plastic or ceramic piece was blown apart into several pieces, then i proceeded to look into the spark plug hole and saw piece of metal in there. i then took off the exhaust manifold and also saw pieces of metal on top of the catalytic converter. the pieces of metal are flat, and about 1/4" in size. could anyone tell me what happened? could it be detonation? any help would be appreciated

 

[derrick1623]

im no whiz, but id say you've royally screwed something up, for there to be pieces of metal throughout your engine compartment, and on the cat...just my opinion.

 

[hihoslva]

Well, seeing as how you have metal down in there, and there is also metal on the catalytic converter, I'd bet my money that you shattered an exhaust valve. That would definitely cause the stuttering engine performance, and would explain why there is metal in the cylinder and in the exhaust system ("filtered" out by the cat. I can't see any other way for 1/4" pieces of metal to get to the cat. And one of the pieces probably whacked your plug, shattering that, too. Be prepared for your cylinder and piston to be scarred, too. I'd say you're looking at a new head to fix it.

I'm no expert either, but if we had a pool, I'd put my $100 on the exhaust valve breaking.

A 75 shot of juice is a bit much, no? I've only heard about people running a 50 or maybe a 60 shot TOPS. Seems that a 75 shot is really asking too much of your engine.

If you are gonna try to get this fixed under warranty, you'd better get rid of EVERYTHING that reveals you had the juice.

If you are gonna wind up paying for it, maybe see if there are stronger valves you can install. Then maybe the 75 shot will be safe (until you dial it up to 125 )

Good luck, man.

 

[MacProtege5]

damn engine

about the exhaust valves, they seem fine from what i can tell. all the pieces are not 1/4", there are only a couple of 1/4" ones, the rest are pretty small. when i look down into the cylinders, the three closest to the passenger side look fine, when i look into the one closest to the drivers side i can see some pieces of metal, and it looks kind of rough. the other cylinders seem smooth. could the pieces possibly be from a piston? or piston ring? if i have to replace the stuff out of my own pocket, i might as well build the engine while i am at it

 

[hihoslva]

Like I said - I'm no expert. But something has definitely shattered inside there, and if the cylinder wall is scratched up badly, you will, in all probability, need a new head.

If will have to rebulid the engine, you might as well go for the J-spec parts: Pistons, cams, valve springs, all the good stuff. Then you might be safe (or at least safER) with the nitrous.

 

[MacProtege5]

damn car

yeah, i am no expert either, but thanks for your help. if i do have to rebuild i will go with forged internals, and go turbo instead

 

[MP3-Owner]

Have you taken off the head yet to look at the pistons themselves?
This is what mine looked like after a severe miss shift. I think the timing belt jumped a tooth when my engine red-lined due to the miss shift and caused the spark to fire early meaning before the piston hit the top of its stroke. This would make the crank force the piston into the explosion and cause the damage. This is my theory but the dealer claimed abuse and refused to warrenty the work. If I were you I would remove all evidence from the car and flush my engine completly so there is no trace of the Nitrous. I bet they still would say some stupid s*** like "Abuse". I hate greedy car reps.
Here is the pisture of my pistons...

 

[hihoslva]

Goddamn zero-clearance engines.

I had a timing belt fail on me on a different car one time - same deal with the pistons whacking the valves. $2300 for a new motor on a $1000 car? I think not.

Worst part - I only owned that car for 5 days. Freakin bummer.

 

[Sir Nuke]

Goddamn zero-clearance engines.

I had a timing belt fail on me on a different car one time - same deal with the pistons whacking the valves. $2300 for a new motor on a $1000 car? I think not.

Worst part - I only owned that car for 5 days. Freakin bummer.

well just in case you were wondering...OUR engines are NOT interference engines....

in other words...if your timing belt snaps for some reason....and your vavle train stops moving....your pistons are NOT going to be smacking valves and destroying your engine from that.

however....in MP3 Owners case...it seems that detonation may have been the culprit....that and the fact that missing a shift at redline...well you never know exactly how high the rev's REALLY went.....bad ju ju!

 

[hihoslva]

Not doubting your statement about our engines not being intereference engines, but....

Why does the pic of the damaged motor above show notches in the tops of the pistons? Aren't those notches for valve clearance when the piston is a top dead center (valves closed)? So with a valve open, wouldn't the piston whack the valve?

I have never opened up my 2.0, or really even seen the internals except for a few pics like that one, but I was under the impression that the pistons COULD knock the valves.

But hey - if I'm wrong, I'm wrong. I'm no mechanic.

 

[big_ben]

Have you checked your oil yet. Check it on the dipstick, if it is milky grey color,....your screwed,...you either blew a hole in your piston, cracked the head, or if you are lucky you only blew the head gasket. So you are the new guy in the "N2O blew my motor" club. This keeps happening yet people still don't listen. Sorry, I don't feel sorry for you.

"Stupid is as stupid does" - Forrest Gump

 

[Sir Nuke]

Not doubting your statement about our engines not being intereference engines, but....

Why does the pic of the damaged motor above show notches in the tops of the pistons? Aren't those notches for valve clearance when the piston is a top dead center (valves closed)? So with a valve open, wouldn't the piston whack the valve?

I have never opened up my 2.0, or really even seen the internals except for a few pics like that one, but I was under the impression that the pistons COULD knock the valves.

But hey - if I'm wrong, I'm wrong. I'm no mechanic.

there are notches there for just to OPPOSITE reason you mentioned...such that if the valve gets stuck OPEN, as in the belt pops, THEN there is room for the piston to go to TDC and NOT smack the valves. the valve will have a place to FIT.

you see...if the piston valve notches were there for the valves when the valves were SHUT...and the piston at TDC...for this to be true...your head would have to be as flat as a pancake and the valves actually protruding into the cylinder...seeing as how effectively our pistons are flat top pistons....

SEE? but our heads are NOT shaped that way...

 

[hihoslva]

Sounds good to me, Nuke - I was just speculating. Like I said, I'm no mechanic, and have never seen the internals of our engines.

It's sounding more and more like detonation has gotten this guy's motor.

 

[Sir Nuke]

Sounds good to me, Nuke - I was just speculating. Like I said, I'm no mechanic, and have never seen the internals of our engines.

It's sounding more and more like detonation has gotten this guy's motor.

that or one of the things BEN mentioned....just for those of you that don't know....ben mentioned for him to check his dipstick and see if his oil is milky gray in color....this is a POSITIVE sign that yo have water emulsified in your oil...which means that you definately got a serious problem....be it a shot block, a head gasket if you are lucky...or the head cracked....there are not that many ways to get water in your oil....and none of them are pretty.

no matter what it was that let go.....I have heard from MANY that do use N2O that a 50 SHOT is the biggest you want to go with our motors....stock that is.....so....seems to me, someone didn't do their homework first...and now they got a cooked motor. :{(

as the saying goes..."if your gonna play, your gonna pay"

 

[MP3-Owner]

Well I wasn't even spraying at the time mine went. I really think mine was caused from the timing belt sliping. But no mater what the dealer will still call abuse because I did use the N2O a couple of times and they have that as a fail safe against me, so I don't see any need to take this to court and get screwed for court fees and attourney fees.
I was using a 50 shot when I did spray but Nuke is right when he says..."if your gonna play, your gonna pay" So don't feel sorry for me, I will be ok. I am still thinking about forging my internals and going FI!!

 

[MacProtege5]

damn car

hey big ben, just so you know i never asked you to feel sorry for me in the first place, all i was asking was if someone knew what was going on with my engine