Come share my pain, Engine touble

Toyfj45 · 11-09-2009, 04:35 PM

First off i should say hi to all on the forum have only just found it.

Not meaning to sound rude but i didn't know the Astina's had such a following, it's quite a pleasent suprise.
Ok now for the tech.....
For the past few weeks the astina (93' BG i think) has had an eratic idle where it will all of a sudden start rising from 1200rpm to 1700 or higher rpm's. This problem has mainly happened when in park and on idle but every now and then it will happen while in drive (not pritty). On top of this the car has started to lose power. At first i thought it could have been the oxygen sensor playing up which was causing the eratic idle and the auto just getting tired but now i'm not too sure. I did an oil and fluid change on the weekend and when i put the car up on the ramps and had a look under the car i found oil EVERYWHERE. So before i drained anything i checked the engine but it was between full and top up, then i checked the auto which if anything was over full. I then checked the radiator UH OH, it took 4lts to top back up. I'm now suspecting i have a blown head gasket or worse a cracked head.
I hope to get back into it this weekend but my question is this;
Seeing as the engine has already done 270,000 is it worth tearing down and chasing down parts to revive the engine or should i start looking for a second hand engine from a wreckers?
And if i do start looking for a second hand engine what price do they go for?
Any advice to help me get it back on the road would be greatly apreciated
Cheers Matt

Ghoru · 11-09-2009, 08:58 PM

first off some needed info. is the engine a dohc or sohc?
if its a sohc and you have the money (bout 1500 ish) get a Dohc, especially if you plan on getting a few more horses out of it. if you plan on keeping the Sohc and its cheper for parts do a rebuild. or if you really have the green get a BPT. tho i would get a few opinions first as someone is bound to disagree with me

chrisw · 11-09-2009, 09:12 PM

Ghoru has the right idea IMO.
I had a very similar problem, however I didn't have the surging issues that you seem to have. give it a good service, make sure you have clean filters everywhere and everything is topped up correctly. next, get some parts cleaner and make sure your throttle body is clean and operating correctly. next, get some electrical contact cleaning spray, do your AFM *even though its mechanical, i found great results, probably just some grit or garbage making mine stick a bit*

after a throttle body clean and the AFM being cleaned out, my erratic idle and cold start issues (the revs would hunt all over the place, then stall) were fixed. its a 15 dollar test, may be a cheap solution to keep it puttering on for another few thousand km.

And in respect to the BPT, IMHO a replacement DOHC BP n/a with the auto sounds fine to me, unless your after some more serious power.

lambs · 11-09-2009, 10:27 PM

From Matt's profile, the car is his wife's.......so I think BPT suggestions (and probably DOHC conversions) might not be what he is (they are

) after......but I could be wrong.

Ghoru · 11-09-2009, 10:32 PM

hey matt lookiy here
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Mazda-Ford-BP...#ht_500wt_1182

Toyfj45 · 14-09-2009, 10:17 AM

Hay all thanks for the replys.
Yeah the car is my wifes, i perfer big obnoxious and slow 4x4's.

Though i have a soft spot for the Astina.
Also i think i would have lost my licence more than once if the mazda was my dd.
Ghoru i'll check tonignt but from memory i'm thinking that it is a SOHC engine.
Lambs on the money, at this stage i'm not wanting to get more power or do a turbo conversion though i'm sure the wife would like it!
I know i wasn't really clear on weather or not i was chasing power but if everyone's sugestion is to replace the motor with a DOHC or BPT does this mean there are SOHC engines laying around in poeples sheds gathering dust?
If thats the case and someone has a SOHC sitting around, while i'm investigating the engine troubles i'm having post up how much you'd be chasing for a SOHC. And if my engine trouble is terminal i just might take it off your hands

Cheers Matt

lambs · 14-09-2009, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toyfj45

Ghoru i'll check tonignt but from memory i'm thinking that it is a SOHC engine.

If it's an auto then it will be SOHC.

I've got 2x SOHC BG motors complete with auto trans. Both around 200K km's. One is still in the car and is an excellent runner, the other I'm not sure about. Not sure on prices.....I'll need to see what wreckers want myself.

I'm in Melbourne. PM me if you want talk further.

Toyfj45 · 14-09-2009, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lambs

If it's an auto then it will be SOHC.

I've got 2x SOHC BG motors complete with auto trans. Both around 200K km's. One is still in the car and is an excellent runner, the other I'm not sure about. Not sure on prices.....I'll need to see what wreckers want myself.

I'm in Melbourne. PM me if you want talk further.

PM sent Lambs.
Tonight i'll clean up the engine and take off the rocker cover and see what i find.
Cheers Matt

Ghoru · 14-09-2009, 04:55 PM

did you guys even look at it? its a BPT DOHC....

nvm you were talking about your wifes car not the engine i posted

Toyfj45 · 15-09-2009, 06:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ghoru

did you guys even look at it? its a BPT DOHC....

nvm you were talking about your wifes car not the engine i posted

Yeah i looked at it, still has 5 days left...
The only problem with that engine is having to set up the rest of the car to suit.
At the moment i'm just wanting to tidy the car up. A BPT DOHC would be nice but when you drive a car that can only achive 70kmh on a flat road or 90kmh down hill with a tail wind hoping into the astina is like getting into a didicated sports car.

Old Grey · 25-09-2009, 09:46 AM

Fill the rad and see how fast the water goes, if it comes out the pipe in steam it's had it. If it leaks slowly a mechanic can test the water if the head gasket has failed. I don't think it worth throwing a $2000 reco at a $2000 car.

I think the Lasar has the same motor. BP EFI
At the large wreckers I go to there are heaps of them they should be fairly cheap $300-$500. The Mazdas generally have more K's the Lasars less for the same age. It's probably due to the Mazdas being more expensive so people hang on to them longer.

Ghoru · 25-09-2009, 10:28 AM

how to you work that out? oh lasers have less cos they are a ford lol

11-09-2009, 04:35 PM	#1
Toyfj45 Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Bendigo Car: 84 HJ60 Landcruiser, 73 FJ45 Landcruiser, 91 Sierra, 93 Astina (wife) Posts: 4	Come share my pain, Engine touble First off i should say hi to all on the forum have only just found it. Not meaning to sound rude but i didn't know the Astina's had such a following, it's quite a pleasent suprise. Ok now for the tech..... For the past few weeks the astina (93' BG i think) has had an eratic idle where it will all of a sudden start rising from 1200rpm to 1700 or higher rpm's. This problem has mainly happened when in park and on idle but every now and then it will happen while in drive (not pritty). On top of this the car has started to lose power. At first i thought it could have been the oxygen sensor playing up which was causing the eratic idle and the auto just getting tired but now i'm not too sure. I did an oil and fluid change on the weekend and when i put the car up on the ramps and had a look under the car i found oil EVERYWHERE. So before i drained anything i checked the engine but it was between full and top up, then i checked the auto which if anything was over full. I then checked the radiator UH OH, it took 4lts to top back up. I'm now suspecting i have a blown head gasket or worse a cracked head. I hope to get back into it this weekend but my question is this; Seeing as the engine has already done 270,000 is it worth tearing down and chasing down parts to revive the engine or should i start looking for a second hand engine from a wreckers? And if i do start looking for a second hand engine what price do they go for? Any advice to help me get it back on the road would be greatly apreciated Cheers Matt

11-09-2009, 08:58 PM	#2
Ghoru Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Rockhampton Car: '92 BG Astina Sp Posts: 999 View Photos By: Ghoru	first off some needed info. is the engine a dohc or sohc? if its a sohc and you have the money (bout 1500 ish) get a Dohc, especially if you plan on getting a few more horses out of it. if you plan on keeping the Sohc and its cheper for parts do a rebuild. or if you really have the green get a BPT. tho i would get a few opinions first as someone is bound to disagree with me __________________ BG Astina - work in progress.... Scooters are like fat chicks, fun to ride until your mates find out... NOS is like a hot chick with AIDS, you know you wanna hit that,your just afraid of the consequences... http://www.eveonline.com/

11-09-2009, 10:32 PM	#5
Ghoru Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Rockhampton Car: '92 BG Astina Sp Posts: 999 View Photos By: Ghoru	hey matt lookiy here http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Mazda-Ford-BP...#ht_500wt_1182 __________________ BG Astina - work in progress.... Scooters are like fat chicks, fun to ride until your mates find out... NOS is like a hot chick with AIDS, you know you wanna hit that,your just afraid of the consequences... http://www.eveonline.com/

14-09-2009, 10:17 AM	#6
Toyfj45 Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Bendigo Car: 84 HJ60 Landcruiser, 73 FJ45 Landcruiser, 91 Sierra, 93 Astina (wife) Posts: 4	Hay all thanks for the replys. Yeah the car is my wifes, i perfer big obnoxious and slow 4x4's. Though i have a soft spot for the Astina. Also i think i would have lost my licence more than once if the mazda was my dd. Ghoru i'll check tonignt but from memory i'm thinking that it is a SOHC engine. Lambs on the money, at this stage i'm not wanting to get more power or do a turbo conversion though i'm sure the wife would like it! I know i wasn't really clear on weather or not i was chasing power but if everyone's sugestion is to replace the motor with a DOHC or BPT does this mean there are SOHC engines laying around in poeples sheds gathering dust? If thats the case and someone has a SOHC sitting around, while i'm investigating the engine troubles i'm having post up how much you'd be chasing for a SOHC. And if my engine trouble is terminal i just might take it off your hands Cheers Matt Last edited by Toyfj45; 14-09-2009 at 10:21 AM.

14-09-2009, 04:55 PM	#9
Ghoru Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Rockhampton Car: '92 BG Astina Sp Posts: 999 View Photos By: Ghoru	did you guys even look at it? its a BPT DOHC.... nvm you were talking about your wifes car not the engine i posted __________________ BG Astina - work in progress.... Scooters are like fat chicks, fun to ride until your mates find out... NOS is like a hot chick with AIDS, you know you wanna hit that,your just afraid of the consequences... http://www.eveonline.com/ Last edited by Ghoru; 14-09-2009 at 04:56 PM. Reason: stupid

11-09-2009, 09:12 PM	#3
chrisw 2-Wheeled Weirdo Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: sydney. Car: '09 GT650r Posts: 569 View Photos By: chrisw	Ghoru has the right idea IMO. I had a very similar problem, however I didn't have the surging issues that you seem to have. give it a good service, make sure you have clean filters everywhere and everything is topped up correctly. next, get some parts cleaner and make sure your throttle body is clean and operating correctly. next, get some electrical contact cleaning spray, do your AFM even though its mechanical, i found great results, probably just some grit or garbage making mine stick a bit after a throttle body clean and the AFM being cleaned out, my erratic idle and cold start issues (the revs would hunt all over the place, then stall) were fixed. its a 15 dollar test, may be a cheap solution to keep it puttering on for another few thousand km. And in respect to the BPT, IMHO a replacement DOHC BP n/a with the auto sounds fine to me, unless your after some more serious power.

11-09-2009, 10:27 PM	#4
lambs Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Melbourne Car: R32 GTR, 260Z, BMW K100 Posts: 107	From Matt's profile, the car is his wife's.......so I think BPT suggestions (and probably DOHC conversions) might not be what he is (they are ) after......but I could be wrong.

25-09-2009, 09:46 AM	#11
Old Grey Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Sydney Car: Astina BG 1991 - Rx7 S4 Posts: 105	Fill the rad and see how fast the water goes, if it comes out the pipe in steam it's had it. If it leaks slowly a mechanic can test the water if the head gasket has failed. I don't think it worth throwing a $2000 reco at a $2000 car. I think the Lasar has the same motor. BP EFI At the large wreckers I go to there are heaps of them they should be fairly cheap $300-$500. The Mazdas generally have more K's the Lasars less for the same age. It's probably due to the Mazdas being more expensive so people hang on to them longer. Last edited by Old Grey; 27-09-2009 at 10:52 AM.

25-09-2009, 10:28 AM	#12
Ghoru Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Rockhampton Car: '92 BG Astina Sp Posts: 999 View Photos By: Ghoru	how to you work that out? oh lasers have less cos they are a ford lol __________________ BG Astina - work in progress.... Scooters are like fat chicks, fun to ride until your mates find out... NOS is like a hot chick with AIDS, you know you wanna hit that,your just afraid of the consequences... http://www.eveonline.com/

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