93sivtec

Ok my buddies h22 is having trouble passing smog and I can smell gas in the oil, not hella bad but very noticable? Is this most likey bad rings? And if so, is it cheaper to buy a new h22 and swap it or pull the motor and take it to a machine shop to be rebuilt?

btw the motor runs great and pulls very hard,but smog in Cali is a bitch.He said it barely passed 2 years prior with a brand new cat, and he was having similar problems.and ideas are appreciated thanks

06MREvo

iTrader: (2)

Sounds like the car is running really rich, if you smell gas in the oil. Has the car been tuned? What do the spark plugs look like when you pulled them out?

93sivtec

plugs look good/normal, but he said sometimes the #4 plug gets a lil wet, and the car has not been tuned, just running on stock p13.

06MREvo

iTrader: (2)

wet? oil? coolant? gas?

yroachy

Emissions diagnostics is one of the harder parts of automotive mechanics. More information is definitely needed to help you out. What gasses are they testing? What are his numbers like? What limits must he be under.
Here in Ontario, Canada, we test for HC, CO, and NOx. There are several emissions control devices on our ludes (4th and 5th Gen) and each one affects different emission gasses differently.
I would suggest he gets out his wallet and pays somebody to do proper diagnostics with a gas bench, rather than throwing parts at it, or having us try and diagnose it over the internet.

93sivtec

co or hydro carbons Id guess, the numbers say its running too rich. the guy at the smog shop said its most likely rings.and its oil on the #4 plug, but the other 3 are normal. Im not looking for a diagnosis as much as much as wondering the most cost effective way of replacing the rings. Its alot of labor to have someone else do it, and as cheap and readily available as low milage h22s are, we were just wondering which is the cheaper option for replacing,

As far as the numbers, Im not sure, but to get it to smog and pass the emissions test 2 years ago, he had to buy a brand new 200 Ca cat converter, and then run it for like 30 minutes straight to get it super hot, so that it would pass the test. So whatever gases your cat converter regulate would seem like the most likely culprit for failing the test. The tech was puzzeled on how a car with such a clean good running motor could have such a hard time passing the emissions test, even with a brand new cat.Thats all I really know as far as whats going on at the smog shop. Thanks alot for the feedback fellas

93sivtec

and Im far from a certified mechanic, but can swap a transmission w hand tools in a weekend on my lude pretty easy, so thats about the level of my car expertise lol( very limited) ....

with that said, isnt gas in the oil from blow by at the rings? how else does gas get into the oil? that would also explain it running rich right? Im asking ^^ not assuming thanks again

yroachy

The cat will reduce all three gasses I mentioned previously. And you are correct about the blowby resulting in fuel in the oil. However blowby will not cause the car to run rich. Fuel delivery is calculated based on inputs from certain sensors. Ect, iat, tps, map and o2 are the ones that you should be checking out. Other areas to inspect would be the egr and evap systems as those will bump hc and nox emissions.

93sivtec

ok so I just talked to him and hes gonna get a copy of the smog print out.and he says the air fuel ratio is good is close to what it should be.Ill post more once he gets that info.
Thanks, BUT as far as the gas in the oil.....basically means ring issues, correct? either a problem seating or a bad rring on the #4 cylinder, hence why it is wet with oil occasionaly? He said he replaced the rubber spark plug seals last time he took his valve cover, so thats not the reason for the wetness just FYI. Im telling him to start sourcing out a new h22 just in case, because hes broke and will have to save either way.But labor at 100$ a hour adds up fast to do a ring job.

yroachy

Ya new engine, engine crane, a buddy, tools and a case of beer and it'll be done in a day in the driveway. If its your first swap skip the beer!

93sivtec

with that said, does anyone know any very temporary fixes to help pass smog? it seems his issues stem from the blow by in the #4 cylinderHis car runs hella good and like I said, Ive driven it in the past month and pulls just as hard as my "healthy" h22 does. I know replacing the motor is worst case scenario, but he has to get it new tags, its his DD and he loves his lude like many of us do.

93sivtec

ill take that as a no, thanks anyways