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Yup, they are Compomotive Mo5's, going to take them off and give them a proper clean up, it's just fairly low down the list of things to do at this stage, but i'll get around to them someday! :laugh:
Project Cinq!
- Thread starter mrcinquecento
- Start date
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Project Cinq!
been able to get this fixed yet mark?
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nope, it's better than it was but still not quite right at idle. Generally it runs sweet as anything, loads of power when driving but just has a small pop/dip of revs at idle when hot and seems to be running rich as a result of whatever is causing that so wont pass emissions. Swapped a few things over to test like the lambda, tb, new plugs, leads are new and whilst things have improved hugely, it's still not quite right.
waiting on diagnostic the leads arriving atm so i can see what the sensor readings are to rule anything else in or out, but i'm thinking there may perhaps be a small leak either in vacuum from the brake servo hose (mine is partially collapsed and "repaired" with cable ties to stop it collapsing, so it's possible it has also has a pinhole split given the servo doesn't really feel that strong) or perhaps a tiny exhaust leak upstream of the Lambda, so from either the manifold to head to downpipe to manifold joint, just enough to throw off the lambda readings. Though i can see or hear nothing, so if that was the case it must be tiny.
Frustrating because the rest of the car is ready to go!
waiting on diagnostic the leads arriving atm so i can see what the sensor readings are to rule anything else in or out, but i'm thinking there may perhaps be a small leak either in vacuum from the brake servo hose (mine is partially collapsed and "repaired" with cable ties to stop it collapsing, so it's possible it has also has a pinhole split given the servo doesn't really feel that strong) or perhaps a tiny exhaust leak upstream of the Lambda, so from either the manifold to head to downpipe to manifold joint, just enough to throw off the lambda readings. Though i can see or hear nothing, so if that was the case it must be tiny.
Frustrating because the rest of the car is ready to go!
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i "Think" it's fixed! 
Idle issue, rather counter intuitively was from the brakes!, specifically a vacuum leak from the pipe that runs from the inlet to the servo.
Vacuum leak= confused map sensor= overfueling= poor hot idle= bad emissions.
And as a bonus, my brakes are absolutely ridiculously sharp again.. that's how good they are, they can not be working right and still feel loads better than 99% of standard brakes. Then you get them working 100% again and press the pedal as normal and frighten yourself so much at how close you come to going through the windscreen, you barely notice the whiplash :laugh:
Idle issue, rather counter intuitively was from the brakes!, specifically a vacuum leak from the pipe that runs from the inlet to the servo.
Vacuum leak= confused map sensor= overfueling= poor hot idle= bad emissions.
And as a bonus, my brakes are absolutely ridiculously sharp again.. that's how good they are, they can not be working right and still feel loads better than 99% of standard brakes. Then you get them working 100% again and press the pedal as normal and frighten yourself so much at how close you come to going through the windscreen, you barely notice the whiplash :laugh:
Woo hoo. So....retest?
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not "quite" yet, i'm going to be running diagnostics later this week first, just to see what the sensors are all reading and make sure everything is indeed as it should be and tidying up a few bits just beforehand, but it's fundamentally ready for the retest. certainly no major things to do... hell i've actually got so little to do on it i even broke out the t-cut to revive some of the faded bits of paintwork!
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Right...long story short, the alternator has seemingly failed. Battery light on all the time up to 4k rpm. It's always been a bit iffy in that sometimes it needed a slight rev to turn the battery light off but it then stayed off. This was back when it was on the 8v too.
It's got a few issues and as close as it is to being finished and a cracking car, i've not time, patience or money left, fed up of new issues keeping appearing, seriously considering breaking it to make the money back
It's got a few issues and as close as it is to being finished and a cracking car, i've not time, patience or money left, fed up of new issues keeping appearing, seriously considering breaking it to make the money back
gengis
Member
Have you replaced the "red light" with a l.e.d. version, as the l.e.d. version will not excite the alternator on start up.
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Nah it's just a standard bulb that gets dimmer now the higher it revs. I'll go over all the connections etc again and clean them up but i reckon it's toast internally given it's been a little iffy but soldering on regardless for years beforehand. The car has other annoying issues popping up that are going to be annoying fixes too in future. Just not sure i can be bothered anymore and given how much i've spent on it, i genuinely can't afford any more for the forseeable future!
If i decide not to break, i'll probably take a lot of it apart again and try and re-do the parts i'm not so happy with or that i think are going to cause future issues (one being a spark plug hole that has seemingly been previously overtightened in the heads life and the plug doesn't really torque up nicely any more... it's tight enough and fires cleanly on that cylinder but it's a worry that taking out and re-fitting plugs in future might wear further an already poor thread to the point it'll need fixed) I'd actually like another cylinder head for it to make perfect, but finding a mk1 16v head without the rest of the engine is pretty nigh on impossible!
If i decide not to break, i'll probably take a lot of it apart again and try and re-do the parts i'm not so happy with or that i think are going to cause future issues (one being a spark plug hole that has seemingly been previously overtightened in the heads life and the plug doesn't really torque up nicely any more... it's tight enough and fires cleanly on that cylinder but it's a worry that taking out and re-fitting plugs in future might wear further an already poor thread to the point it'll need fixed) I'd actually like another cylinder head for it to make perfect, but finding a mk1 16v head without the rest of the engine is pretty nigh on impossible!
You've got this far Mark, don't give up just yet.
Take a few days away from the Cinq & see how you feel & then make a decision on what you're going to do with the Cinq.
Take a few days away from the Cinq & see how you feel & then make a decision on what you're going to do with the Cinq.
DIBS ON THE WHEELS!!!!!!!
dont give up mate , youve got it built up now it will be a easy fix
dont give up mate , youve got it built up now it will be a easy fix
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I haven't even been up to see it the past week, been looking around online and found i can get a lot of the parts OE pretty cheap from Poland. Unto.pl sell a brand new magneti marreli alternator for £50, Leads for £13, etc but not sure about postage costs, though i know they do ship to uk. Might....might have also sourced another cylinder head, just waiting for word back. If i'm gonna do this, i'll just sort it all properly in one go and re-do the top end to rule out any valve issues. Will also help with access for the alternator. If not i'll just take the head off and take it to the machine shop and get them to have a look at the dodgy-ish plug thread on cyl 3 and the valve guides. My gut feeling is something isn't quite right on cylinder one with that and that's the cause of the overfuel on one cylinder. That plug is definitely lightly sooting up in a way the other 3 aren't. Will give it a quick test with new leads and see what it does though just to rule that in or out, the leads are utter, utter ****. Were bought brand new from ECP and the rubber is so thin on the coil pack caps that they split as soon as they were fitted!, ended up cutting the caps off an old set of leads and covering them with those. Hoping that has a lot to do with stuff but we'll see eventually.
Glad see & hear you're not giving up.
I can understand your decision to change the Cylinder & see about getting parts from Poland.
Keep at it Mark, you'll get there eventually.
I can understand your decision to change the Cylinder & see about getting parts from Poland.
Keep at it Mark, you'll get there eventually.
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Had overall a hellish monday but got half an hour to try a few things on the cinq... something weird is going on, it MAY be down to the alternator but when i started it, it just immediately misfired from cold. It's running on 4 cylinders, just not running quite right on 4 cylinders.
Did a bit of playing around, moved the spark plugs around and it's gotten even worse somewhere down the line. That'll either be the leads (awful, awful tat, getting replaced) or voltage issues i think, plugs are all new, gapped etc however one is faulty...turns out what was feared to be a head issue is the plug. In moving the plugs about, the one that wouldn't tighten (3) went into cylinder one and it didn't tighten nicely there either, but clylinder one's plug nipped up perfectly in 3, so clearly threads in the head are fine. Weird one. Thankfully they are all brand new so i can get away with just replacing the one and all the leads and hopefully that will solve it.
Also going to change the crank sensor i think, handy to have a spare one anyways to get me home if another ever fails.
Did a bit of playing around, moved the spark plugs around and it's gotten even worse somewhere down the line. That'll either be the leads (awful, awful tat, getting replaced) or voltage issues i think, plugs are all new, gapped etc however one is faulty...turns out what was feared to be a head issue is the plug. In moving the plugs about, the one that wouldn't tighten (3) went into cylinder one and it didn't tighten nicely there either, but clylinder one's plug nipped up perfectly in 3, so clearly threads in the head are fine. Weird one. Thankfully they are all brand new so i can get away with just replacing the one and all the leads and hopefully that will solve it.
Also going to change the crank sensor i think, handy to have a spare one anyways to get me home if another ever fails.
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Hasn't been forgotten about, just sitting tucked away atm looking sorry for itself again with random gubbins hanging out the engine bay. Finances have meant i've not got anything for it yet.
Considering a partial strip down this weekend so i can get it to a point where when work resumes on it, i'm fitting parts rather than taking stuff apart again.
Things that need sorted and what i'm aiming to replace.
1. Alternator (Old one is gubbed, possibly voltage issues at fault for my hot overfuel? unlikely but not impossible and needs replaced anyway)
2. New leads (one (now) gubbed, a few splits showing at coils, again possible reason for misfire despite being brand new)
3. Crank sensor, (was second hand, have been known to show misfires when hot, want a spare one anyway.)
4. Map sensor, (seems to work but again, want to replace just for peace of mind if possible)
5. 1x Spark plug (other 3 are new bar 5-6 miles, one has thread problem).
6. Exhaust system dismantle and re-assemble (to cure any possible leaks that may be altering emissions, not that there seems to be any, but...)
7. Hard coolant pipe removed and inspected. (developed monumental leak last time out after 40 minutes running, possible join to 4 way hose problem, from memory a small dent so possible replacement needed)
8. rad hose connections (they just won't seal 100%, sigh)
9. Front suspension strip down and rebuild. (Both sides have not settled equally, can't see why so want to take apart to look)
Aside from that, the thing is perfect..... none of the work is major at all, which makes how close i got all the more frustrating, but it will get there one day!
Considering a partial strip down this weekend so i can get it to a point where when work resumes on it, i'm fitting parts rather than taking stuff apart again.
Things that need sorted and what i'm aiming to replace.
1. Alternator (Old one is gubbed, possibly voltage issues at fault for my hot overfuel? unlikely but not impossible and needs replaced anyway)
2. New leads (one (now) gubbed, a few splits showing at coils, again possible reason for misfire despite being brand new)
3. Crank sensor, (was second hand, have been known to show misfires when hot, want a spare one anyway.)
4. Map sensor, (seems to work but again, want to replace just for peace of mind if possible)
5. 1x Spark plug (other 3 are new bar 5-6 miles, one has thread problem).
6. Exhaust system dismantle and re-assemble (to cure any possible leaks that may be altering emissions, not that there seems to be any, but...)
7. Hard coolant pipe removed and inspected. (developed monumental leak last time out after 40 minutes running, possible join to 4 way hose problem, from memory a small dent so possible replacement needed)
8. rad hose connections (they just won't seal 100%, sigh)
9. Front suspension strip down and rebuild. (Both sides have not settled equally, can't see why so want to take apart to look)
Aside from that, the thing is perfect..... none of the work is major at all, which makes how close i got all the more frustrating, but it will get there one day!
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Things have started arriving at my house
sadly, some of the folk that are sending them have sent me the wrong model of things (a 3 pin crank sensor rather than the 2 pin one i ordered) "sigh".
I also by thinking outside of the box a little, i "think" i may have traced the problem with the emissions/hot idle, but that's all i'll add for now until the weekend! (you'll hopefully see why soon).
sadly, some of the folk that are sending them have sent me the wrong model of things (a 3 pin crank sensor rather than the 2 pin one i ordered) "sigh".
I also by thinking outside of the box a little, i "think" i may have traced the problem with the emissions/hot idle, but that's all i'll add for now until the weekend! (you'll hopefully see why soon).
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Haven't had much chance to play with much and still short of a few things, but the weird news is the alternator appears to have fixed itself....ermm....
It's randomly decided that after a month of not running, from the first turn of the key that the battery is now able to be charged. weird.
Still going to change it because it's clearly not 100%/a bit borderline but it's at least given me scope to run it more regularly while i try and sort it's main problem.
It's randomly decided that after a month of not running, from the first turn of the key that the battery is now able to be charged. weird.
Still going to change it because it's clearly not 100%/a bit borderline but it's at least given me scope to run it more regularly while i try and sort it's main problem.
Never heard of an Alternator fixing itself.... that's a new one on me.
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Annoyingly not really had a chance to do much, but i "think" i'm perhaps onto something with it's hot idle/emissions issue.
Aside from a possible small problem with one injector, i think the timing may be a (half) a tooth out. When timing it up last time, with the cam locked an pistons set level, the belt was a bugger to get on, always had to rotate pistons back a degree or 2 in order to get the belt on, then when tensioned up, the pistons were damn near level, but not quite (we're talking 1mm difference max).
This appears to be down to the cam sprocket being "set up wrongly". As it turns out, you can rotate this independently of the cam with it locked via the timing too, by loosening the bolt, something i had no idea on until yesterday, on 8v this is impossible as the cam has a locating nipple (hehe he said nipple) and can only go on one way and stay there forever, on mine, it seems whoever done the timing on the engine that had my cambox last (which came from a mk1 16v cabrio) done just this, only tightened it up again a degree or 2 out. So it has probably thrown my timing out by a fraction, not enough to really be evident until the revs drop at idle when it gets hot.
Theoretically, i should just be able to lock the cam, loosen the sprocket, reset the pistons totally level then re-tighten sprocket, unlock cam, job done .
It has recently had a new crank sensor fitted but i've not started it since then because the injection system is still in bits but i have some days off this week so will hopefully have a play about
Aside from a possible small problem with one injector, i think the timing may be a (half) a tooth out. When timing it up last time, with the cam locked an pistons set level, the belt was a bugger to get on, always had to rotate pistons back a degree or 2 in order to get the belt on, then when tensioned up, the pistons were damn near level, but not quite (we're talking 1mm difference max).
This appears to be down to the cam sprocket being "set up wrongly". As it turns out, you can rotate this independently of the cam with it locked via the timing too, by loosening the bolt, something i had no idea on until yesterday, on 8v this is impossible as the cam has a locating nipple (hehe he said nipple) and can only go on one way and stay there forever, on mine, it seems whoever done the timing on the engine that had my cambox last (which came from a mk1 16v cabrio) done just this, only tightened it up again a degree or 2 out. So it has probably thrown my timing out by a fraction, not enough to really be evident until the revs drop at idle when it gets hot.
Theoretically, i should just be able to lock the cam, loosen the sprocket, reset the pistons totally level then re-tighten sprocket, unlock cam, job done
.It has recently had a new crank sensor fitted but i've not started it since then because the injection system is still in bits but i have some days off this week so will hopefully have a play about
