my "new" metro

[lurker]

I bought a '93 xfi for $400 and it's in pretty good shape, except it's only running on 2 cylinders. my inductive timing light shows spark on all 3 plug wires, so i checked compression. #1, 185, #2, 180, #3, 45 i put some oil in the #3 plug hole and got it up to 90 lbs

so it's likely the rings (all 2 of them) on #3 are either very worn or sticking, and then there may still be a problem with the valves. i'm going to start on the rings, on the assumption that they are carboned up and sticking, and will put a little seafoam in the cylinder and let it soak, then put some in the oil and see if it will free up.

if that doesn't work, i'll be pulling the head and oil pan to get the piston out. a new set of rings looks to cost about $75 in these parts. this may also require replacing the gaskets and maybe the head bolts, so i'm holding off until i've tried the cheap seafoam fix.

if i have to go in, i'll try to remember to get lots of pictures.

never having looked inside the engine on one of these (last engine internals for me was a chevy small block), i'm both curious and dreading it. anything i should be careful about?

[lurker]

after putting a couple of tablespoons of seafoam in the #3 plug hole every day or so for the past week, today i put my compression tester on cylinder 3 and hooray! 155 lbs! so i hooked the plug back up and took it out for a drive. i got it up to 65 mph , which is a good sign, since it wont do much over 45 on 2 cylinders.



i'm going to change the oil and put in the rest of the seafoam to blow out whatever carbon is left, do some tuneup stuff, and clear the codes to see what else is wrong with it. so far i've got $410 in it, and i'm happy.

it still needs front turn signal assemblies and some other knick-nacks. seat covers, door escutcheons, and as usual the window regulators need work. i know where there are several metros in local junkyards so i don't expect to have a problem there.

[lurker]

yesterday i took my "new" metro out for its first real drive, 4.5 miles to work, 4.5 back. i noticed a couple of problems.

1 the clutch doesn't engage until the pedal is all the way out, and still seems to be slipping a bit. the linkage is adjusted all the way out, and i suspect i have no option but to put in a new clutch. i can get one from the parts store where i work for about $100 (employee discounts are good) so that will happen in the next week or so, most likely.

2 the check engine light kept flashing, blink, blink-blink, 12, which is the computer announcing that all is well. but why was it blinking at all? sure enough, when i checked there was a fuse in the diagnostic plug, which was causing it to be in diagnostic mode all the time. i pulled that, drove it around the block, no codes and the idle is better, and it seems to have a bit more power.

there are the normal cosmetic issues, faded blotchy paint, burn holes in the seats (fortunately i bought a set of new seat covers on sale for $2.50 each six months ago, "type S". it's good to be a packrat), windows roll up reluctantly at best, passenger door locks itself when i operate the inside handle, driver door wont lock at all. i'm going to have to pull the door skins and see if i can fix the latches and window linkages. i think the stereo that was sitting loose in the back of the '90 will go in the '93, it will seem strange to have tunes in a metro.

a couple of years ago i stumbled on one of those back-up cameras on clearance for $25. since the xfi came without a passenger-side mirror, i'm thinking of substituting the camera.

with any luck i wont find any serious issues, and will have this one all fixed up for under 600

[lurker]

ive decided to go ahead and order the clutch, it should be in this afternoon.

when R&Ring the clutch, is it easier to pull the engine, or the tranny?

ive also noted the surging or fluctuating idle problem, but only when the car is moving
searching the forum, i see it could be:
bad grounds
vacuum leak
egr valve
map sensor
iac valve or solenoid