ryansalazan

iTrader: (6)

so driving yesterday and all of a sudden my engine missfires like crazy! so quickly got home and checked it all out and turns out that my spark plug in cylinder 1 was fed up! it some how was bent where the l shaped prong is, seemed like it got tapped and smashed onto the iridium prong. i dont know how that happened and looked down into the cylinder to see if maybe somehow the piston had hit it or if there was any damage.. none. so i thought ok i went to buy new plugs (same size as stock to let you know) and put them in. drove to work today and then on the way driving back i wanted to go wot. (note: lately at wot the car seems to be pulling crazy hard! or at least harder than usual.) anyways did the wot, and then bam! lots of missfires like before! so i pulled into a parking lot and opened the hood to check the plugs... now in cylinder 4 there was a bent plug! WTF?!? ive never seen anything like this! Can anyone help me on this? has this ever happened to anyone before?! right now got my friend to drive me home car is still in the lot im going to eat something real quick then go check it out again! i reset the computer after multiple tries of getting it going and replacing the second bent plug. it actually idled smoothly but then when i got in and lifted the e-brake.... it just died... and while it was on it made a sound that sounded like either loose air or something scraping... can anyone tell me what they think? im hoping its not but i think it may be like a broken piston ring

Thanks

BigRyanJackson

iTrader: (1)

what kind of plugs are they? are they the e3 plugs?

ryansalazan

iTrader: (6)

iridium9, 1 step colder

ngk sorry lol

myfakeevo

if you blew a ring you would know it, you would have oil in your exhaust, intake manifold and s/c

why your plugs are breaking i have no idea,

BigRyanJackson

iTrader: (1)

they might not have been gaped right. they way you described it it sounds like the top of the piston hit the plugs. i have 4 friends that got the e3 plugs when they came out..they have v8 cars, a vega, nova, el camino, and a monte carlo...but all eight of the plugs on each car got messed up cuz the top of the pistons hit them. might want to look into the gap of them.

Chevycobaltss3

iTrader: (2)

IF u keep misfireing I won't say it more then once check compression because latley people are blowin there motors lately.. I dunno y tho

ryansalazan

iTrader: (6)

ya thats what im bout to head out and do, the compression check, and i have them gaped to .35... is it supposed to be smaller? and secondly, i put all new plugs in and they havent been bent but the engine wont stay on.

ryansalazan

iTrader: (6)

ok so did a compression test and this is how it turned out... cylinder 1 had a compression rating of 125, cylinder 2 had 165, 3 had 165, and 4 had 160. seems like 1 is a little low... but none the less they all still have compression. does anyone know maybe why 1 is low? and what is there to fix that? thanks

Chevycobaltss3

iTrader: (2)

wut did plug look like, what does the threds for the plug look like does the car smoke, does your fuel injector work well, good fuel pressure, and so forth,

joshc.

Did you do a wet compression test or just dry? I doidnt do the math but that seems a little low to me across all cyclinders. If I had to guess you might have a cracked ringland which is very common in the ecotecs.

Mike85220

I am not an expert on this, but I believe the plug was messed up because of the misfire.
Something else started the misfire and the plug took a few hits.

Chevy did the fuel system recall lately, and for me, once it was done I have noticed some things.

Some slight vibrations and odd noise from WOT.

It did not sound like pinging though.

Just a little 'rougher'.

It comes and goes when it wants.

Recently it started doing this on the freeway.

My wife's Sunfire 2.2 Ecotec has none of these problems.

I bet it is the drive by wire and different ECU/ programming.

I do not know if there was a reflash with the update, but if not, they need to.

---I just recently got a letter from GM stating the power steering is being recalled. When it fails, you will get a warning on the dash and you will have only manual steering which is incredibly hard to steer especially at low speeds. I have a 2007 LS model coupe.

I wanted to comment on people having their engines blow.

For whatever reason, it seems that the ride by wire Ecos do not like mods.
The engine is 10:1 compression and allows the owner to use 87 octane.
The problem is, that is pushing it, but the modern gadgetry allows for it.

Trifecta told me the computer detects the octane level and goes between two programs, one for low octane and one for high.

I have no mods, and it probably would have pre-detonations if I had an intake or 2.4 manifold on. Especially without tuning...

For me, I am going to run 89 until I ask Chevy what the deal is.
Those sounds are worrying me, and if my engine gets toasted, I will be screwed.

I will have to check the warranty out, but I believe it is only 5 years.
The warranty is good for a couple more years. But with my luck, it will blow after the warranty is up.

ryansalazan

iTrader: (6)

the plugs are all dirty and they are brand new but i would assume because its missfiring its now flooding right? and i did a dry compression test. i believe from what ive seen that perfect compression on the l61 engine is like 190? but i also have 50k miles on my car and its got alot mods! and im supercharged at 15 psi. ive never had a problem with these plugs but now they are bending and what not. so today i went out and bought 2-step colder plugs instead of one. maybe to see if there is any difference. maybe i gaped them too big also? i was at .35 but i guess i can try .32? i would take my car in but since warranty is a issue to me now lol. im not sure what it is tho... the 125 compression does scare me a little though.

Jn2

iTrader: (1)

i run the 1 step colder plugs @.035 gap...never had a problem in the 1+yr i have been bosted, i run a 2.8" pulley, strange that it started doing it, what is your a/f @? did you lean out or richen up? any change in boost?

ryansalazan

iTrader: (6)

as a matter of fact jn2 i did richen up id think. and actually dropped about 2 psi. was at 17 now at 15, but the car pulls soo much stronger! thats what i dont understand!

Jn2

iTrader: (1)

Hmmm...strange...the richness could b explained by the higher ambient temps and u being winter tuned...strange man...also that cylinder has lower compression than the rest...

U do run only 93 octane right?

ryansalazan

iTrader: (6)

yes tune is specifically for the 93 octane only. and im a little worried about the cylinder 1 with the 125 compression as well. i just bought some 2 step colder plugs and im gonna gap them at .34 maybe and hopefully it wond happen again.

Chevycobaltss3

iTrader: (2)

Put some oil in the cylinders and do a compression test a d that'll tell u if u have ring issues

ryansalazan

iTrader: (6)

ok then thats what ill try. but itll have to wait till tom because im actually out of town today but when i get back ill try it out for sure... but then even if they all turn out well, it doesnt explain the bent spark plug fact im clueless..

06blackg85ss

iTrader: (1)

it seems pretty low across all cylinders there, i know the lsj's and their 9.5:1 compression run in the 190-215 psi range
did you hold the throttle wide open when cranking the car? if not that would give you a low reading too.
as for the plugs. do you have a stock one to check length against? possibly a hair too long? but if there is no contact, only reason plugs would do that would be some harcore detonation, find a way to watch knock in your car, bet it's ridiculous

ryansalazan

iTrader: (6)

well after looking far into it taking some stuff off the engine i have found out that a piston ring blew in cylinders 1 and 4 scratching the walls and somehow bumping the spark plugs and brnding them. the piston rings are ontop of the piston 0.0

Jn2

iTrader: (1)

WTF how did u manage that...sucks man, maybe time to build the engine, go with some 10:1 overbore pistons hopefully ur head is still good, u pull it off yet?

ryansalazan

iTrader: (6)

lol hopefully right?! yeah this weekend im off of work so im gonna have a little adventure see all whats wrong and then buy some stuff. depends how everything is. but i wont lie it looks pretty damn messed up! im guessing this could be one of the reasons why it did soo poorly thos three runs at the bash. and was missing a ton! i thought at first it may have just been the tune cause of the new intake needing to be tuned but i guess it wasnt... oh well live and learn right? haha this sucks!

lol and its funny jn2 your first expression on your last post is exactly what this thread is called haha

joshc.

Yea I had a feeling it was the ringlands GM actually redesigned the ringlands back in 04, I've destroyed ringland on a bolt on engine with cams. Its just the way they are.

Jn2

iTrader: (1)

What year is ur car. Lmk if u end up needing a head, I have one still here that will work for 05-06 cobalt. Has everyhing but cams and cam gears... Post pics after u take it apart...sucks it happend, I have had a problem yet *knocks on wooded restroom wall*

joshc.

Its a guessing game with the L61 some people have 300 on the stock bottom end although not for long. Many have made it past 250 on the stock bottom end, some have sat 270hp for awhile at that point it becomes a time bomb and not a question of if but when.