SuprDave45

Hello everyone, I hope someone out there can help!

I am in need of a trustworthy/knowledgeable engine shop in my area. I've done some google searching, there's all these great reviews etc...but I would feel much more confident if someone here has first hand experience dealing with a shop who has done work on their S2000's engine..as in rebuilding etc.

I guess I should lay the whole story out so that this makes more sense, I recently had a Kraftwerks kit installed and tuned on my 06 with 62k miles. The shop that did the work is very well known, has done this job numerous times, and I can't find a single bad word said about them anywhere, so I am in no rush to point fingers and blame anyone since it could just be bad luck plain and simple. Anyway, since I had the clutch done as well, I babied the car all the way home (1200 miles), doing maybe a handful of very soft pulls along the way. Once home, I took the car twice to work (5 minutes from my house) just to show some friends at work how it came out. Did nothing at all as far as pulls.

Finally, that Friday night I decided to take the car out for a cruise and have some fun with it. I did exactly four pulls...one (3rd-5th) getting on the local expressway that has a long isolated stretch...one 4th gear pull with a strange old sleeper volvo (yeah)...and two 3rd-5th gear pulls racing a staged GTI and a stock 2019 RS3. On the fourth and final run, the car spit out a lot of smoke, lost power..slowly dropped RPM's and stalled. Tried to restart twice, slow crank...but not even close to starting. Checked under the hood...oil all over the place, specifically on the driver's side up around the firewall. I stopped attempting to do anything at that point out of fear something was already horribly wrong and I would only make it worse. 4 pulls...and a tow home...

After a sleepless night...contacted the shop by email with quick pictures under the hood of oil everywhere...who (to their credit) were quick to reply on a Saturday (when they are closed). Their answer was that something went wrong with the engine, and offered their assistance if I could get the car to them. The next morning, with a little more patience and less sick to my stomach feelings..my brother and I looked over the car again and quickly found two different sections of the valve cover gasket sticking out the driver's side of the motor. This was a brand new valve cover gasket, because at the time of the work the shop also painted the valve cover for me. Contacted the shop with pictures again etc (Sunday), they quickly answered on a Monday and said this could be a positive thing and suggested reinstalling the gasket, refilling oil, clean up the engine and restart. Said that with blow by and no catch can, this could happen. They were however puzzled that the engine shut off, because the valve cover gasket would leak oil but not actually cause the engine to shut off.

The following Saturday, I installed a brand new gasket, PCV valve, refilled oil (only took 1 quart) and cleaned up areas around the engine of excess oil. Tried to restart...

it cranks..but no start. Seems like it wants to start but stumbles right as it should start.

I now need a local engine shop to take a look and see if we can't find what went wrong before I take my next step. I am out on Long Island (Suffolk County), does anyone have a suggestion for an engine shop (not a motor swap shop) that could open the head up and diagnose whats what?

Thanks to everyone who takes the time out to read this!

AZS2KDancer

Contact Billman250 on here. He’s an S2K expert mechanic in your area.

Car Analogy

First off, relax. I think your engine is not seriously hurt. You only lost a single quart. Unlikely any real damage was done.

It does sound like it was a simple case of excessive crankcase pressure blowing out the gasket. The smoke was likely not out the exhaust, but from spilled oil on the hot exhaust header burning, and forward air pressure forcing it down and out the back of car. So it only looked like smoke from back of car. I think it was really smoke from under hood.

Now the only mystery is why it stalled, and why it stumbles and won't start. That could be a lot of things. Best bet is to troubleshoot like any other no start situation. The indecently worded saying, blow, bang, suck.

Does it have fuel, spark, and compression, and in the right places at the right time. Thats it. Simple diagnosis of any engine, anywhere.

One last thing, did oil get on the belt? Either belt, serpentine or blower belt? Not the cause of no start, but something to take care of sooner than later. Your kw blower uses a cogged belt, so oil won't cause it to slip, but will degrade rubber and cause early demise. Be sure to clean off any oil on the belts as well as hoses.

I will concur that since you're already on LI, you would foolish not to take it to Billman. Not just for this fix but also to once over that there isn't some other issue. You are a few miles away from the worlds best dedicated S2000 mechanic.

SuprDave45

First, thanks a ton for answering guys..

I had the same idea with the smoke as well. Especially since it went away when I got off the gas, and the presence of all the oil under the hood.

My big worry is why it will not restart. I also suspected timing because of the stumbling, which made me suspect a bent valve(s), but I am no expert.

There is no visible oil on either belt, although there was a small puddle under the intake cone and oil that I could feel on the under side of the cone at the time it happened. I pulled the cone and checked the intake tube, it had a very small amount at the very beginning of the tube and no other spots, stains or signs of oil heading up the tube. This could have just been a product of the oil being shot everywhere and the air intake pulling some of it to the cone..I am guessing.

I will reach out to Billman on this, thank you again!

SuprDave45

Just looking to bump this a little. I was hoping someone has gone to have actual engine work done at a shop in the general area and was happy with the experience.

Billman was nice enough to get back to me, but he's booked out through January and I'd really like to get a handle on what I am looking at for repairs.

Thanks for any input!

Billman250

What town are you located in?

SuprDave45

I am in Western Suffolk, Deer Park area.

Car Analogy

Like I said, troubleshoot like any other no start issue.

Is it fuel? Is it spark? Is it timing? Is it compression?

One quick easy way to rule out fuel is with a can of Starting Fluid spray. Spray a decent amount, see if it fires up. If it starts for a moment, then dies, Bob's your uncle, its a fuel issue. If it doesn't start, and you sprayed a decent amount,its not a fuel supply issue (or at least not only a fuel supply issue. Its always possible there is more than one issue, that both cause the same no start symptom.)

Compression is easy to test, just rent a compression tester gauge from like Autozone. Not looking for complete accuracy here, just looking for anything really messed up, like one or more cylinder well below 150 or so (so crazy low it would make car not start).

Test for spark by removing an ignition coil, and use a spark test light. (Coil plugged back in to electrical connector, but still physically removed from motor) Crank engine, see if spark present.

You can quickly zero in on where the issue is, then dig deeper.

freq

.....and..... Billman already has him fixed.

J/K, I don't really know but it sounded good.

CHOWBOX

Any updates on your problem?