Thread: Why we had so many issues with our 'used' sr20 engine

So this is what happens when you don't know exactly how a previous owner serviced the engine. This engine has been nothing but problems for us and now that we are taking it apart, we see why...

This helps explain the oil leak we could never fix for starters:


Top is a regular sr20 head gasket, below is what came off our 200sx race car engine:



and the end result was never properly sealing and too much RTV in an attempt to reseal everything (btw: too much RTV splodged into where the oil flows causes issues with the oil pump too where we only saw 40psi at WOT with heavy 20w50 oild instead of the 60psi we saw in the past with 5w30 on our other sr20 powered g20)







...now with a proper headgasket in place on a different bottom end in better shape without all the splodge problems:

It always amazes me when you find stuff like this that seem like someone went out of their way to fix something the wrong way.

...and I'm disappointed this was a 'fellow racer' Nissan person who did this like this

The more you delve into this car the more I feel offended by this as this fellow racer is well known by myself..........

Highly disappointed as this car held several records in my region. I terribly disheartened in all honesty. Sorry to see Chris!

where would that head gaskets come from? or is that just a really old one that maybe had the oil pump resealed a bunch of times and that section of gasket was just tore up?

oh that's not all that was wrong...

Let's just say it's been a long battle getting this car properly sorted and we've missed a number of events because of it


..stuff like the wrong bolts used in various places (even the wrong thread pitch jammed in and cross threaded!)



The previous owner told us he changed the oil pump. What happened is that he changed the oil pump incorrectly (quick and dirty way) by NOT properly removing the head to replace it and the head gasket. Apparently he decided to cut away that portion of the head gasket and use RTV when replacing the front cover/oil pump combo. (and used some incorrect bolts in the process of changing the engine along with front cover/oil pump)

Better late than never. What a crying shame that was a "fix" for the poor engine that could. Here is to better success in the future!

Thanks!

well, many helicoil fixes later, we got a replacement engine installed (now everything still has to be re-connected, radiator reinstalled, exhaust attached, wires connected, air box, axles installed, fluids put back in --- lots to do still but this was an intense 3 day weekend to get this far with all the 'issues' to address along the way

LOL at the wrenches on the valve cover. The "dropped mic" of the SR20 mechanic.