Front main seal replacement FAILURE!!

[Doat]

So yesterday, sunday, I tried replacing my front main seal and when I gently tapped it in place I put everything back together and apparently I put the timing gear on backwards and didn't realize it. So I tried starting the car and for about 2 or 3 seconds I heard the motor turning over then I just hear the starter turning. I checked the codes and it threw a code 12, rpm signal or alarm immobilizer, so I tried arming and disarming the alarm and it still did the same thing. Ended up shredding the front main seal since the timing gear was on backwards and some got into the crank case, I hope flushing the motor with oil will get rid of as much as possible. Last night I towed the car to my mechanic and we checked it out this morning and the compression numbers are fine except for cylinders 3 and 4 they were at 80-90 psi the rest were around 150 psi and there was oil on the spark plugs for cylinders 3, 4, and 6 I think. We stuck in a camera and they saw what appeared to be valve impact on the piston of cylinder 4 if I am not mistaken but we checked out the valves with the camera and didn't see any sign of impact. Today they replaced the front main seal and put the timing gear on properly and sent me a picture of it.

What my main concern is my compression in cylinders 3 and 4, what should I check to correct that and the oil on the spark plugs?

 

[Poodles]

Timing gear is missing the front guide (i.e. you need a new one or your belt is going to wander and chew things up and get chewed up itself)

Also, our motors are non-interferance, so valve impacts won't happen if the timing belt were to snap.

 

[Doat]

ahh that would explain the reason why the belt was moving when we were doing a compression test.

 

[Beals]

your motor may have always had lower compression in those cylinders as well. still could of ran, but not as great. Explains why your having so many problems, sounds/looks in rough shape in general. maybe go through and make sure your car has everything it needs, freshen up what really should be replaced on a 20 year old car and see where your at from their.

 

[Doat]

The car was running beautifully before this. We also did a leak down test as well multiple times with the same results for cylinders 3 and 4, all pointing to valves causing the problem.

 

[Beals]

well if your going to go that route your basically starting over. If you have the money to rebuild your motor you 'mise well do it right with all new internals. Or else go to 2jz like I believe you said you had that option available.

or you can get it running just not optimum for the mean time, I'm sure their is other problems besides low compression.

 

[Doat]

Well we fired up the old girl today and she ran rough of course but it started up and ran under it's own power. I am probably going to pick up my friend's 2jz and just build the motor a bit, metal head gasket, ARP studs, etc. then drop it in.

 

[Doat]

What are some things that could have happened to cause compression loss for those 2 cylinders? Since our motors are non interference and basically valves can't hit the piston unless they fall out, how would me messing up the front main seal install like an idiot and the timing being out of whack cause the compression loss to happen? Also there was oil all over the spark plugs on cylinders 3, 4, and 6 I believe. I am just trying to narrow down the likely possibilities that could have caused this from me messing up the front main seal install. Why would the valves not fully close basically? I am thinking maybe the buckets or shims are getting stuck or something like that or maybe the piston rings happen to let go but how likely is that?

 

[IJ.]

Have you checked the valve clearence?

As the Valves receed into the head the clearence will close up to the point the valve is off the seat..

 

[Doat]

When we looked in with the camera we saw that the valves were sticking out a little bit

 

[Maple191]

When we looked in with the camera we saw that the valves were sticking out a little bit

The front main seal and timing belt wouldnt do that. It was already there, your assuming becasue you screwed something else that it has to be related but they are not.

To answer your question either you have bent valves prior to this or REALY weak valve spings.

 

[Doat]

but if my valves were bent before then why wasn't my motor running rough? Before I attempted to change the seal the motor ran great and strong, smooth and quiet idle, no power loss when I got on it, etc. Showed no sign of stuck open or bent valves or compression loss. That is what confuses me when you guys say the problem was there before. I've started my motor with the timing way off to the point of stalling at idle and never had problems after that, so that is why I also don't think the valves hit the pistons and this was the final straw somehow and bent them.

What would oil on the spark plugs indicate? a few of mine looked like I dipped them in oil.

 

[IJ.]

Did you actually read my post?

Seriously I don't know why I bother here....

 

[Doat]

Sorry 1j I have been reading and posting while at work so sometimes my mind is somewhere else. I will be checking for valve clearance when I get the car home and tear it down.

 

[Doat]

Well I got word from my shop just now and the car is running fine, today we put it all back together and corrected the ignition timing. My mechanic is about to take it out for a test drive and let me know how it goes. I am about 80% relieved at this point.

EDIT: SUCCESS!! car runs great, drives normal, builds boost fine, etc. it's like nothing happened.