TeamSwift

well, its finally alive (again)
dropped in a used motor I had laying around, used trans from a recent donor.
intake had different sensors, had to swap a few out to get them to match (motor is a 1990, body is a 1992) had a vacuum advance dizzy, but would not start with it installed....put the newer dizzy in , car fired right up.....the 90 motor has no egr valve/wiring/sensors......so the check engine light is flickering....
no leaks from the motor or trans (all new seals)
replaced a torn cv boot
trans kick-down cable is frayed, not letting it kick down properly....it gets stuck, making it so I really have to mash the throttle to get it to work....there is no adjustment left need to go thru my parts to find my extra cables.
then I went to start the car at the end of the day, and no go it sputters, tries to start, when you floor it, it only spins over, no sputter.....gas tank shows empty (it shouldn't be) I will put some fuel in it, check over a few other things.....
get this blue lump of coal ready for another round of winter beater abuse

_________________
89 1.0 turbo firefly
2"exhaust,no cats/resonator
3 tech 6*gear
3 tech turbo grind cam
3 tech cylinder head/w/port,polish,blend,oversized s/s valves
gti brake swap
89 white gti twincam....need I say more?
92 metro aka ''blue lump of coal''
92 white metro lsi vert
91 blue chevy sprint (gas sipper)

Try checking if the fuel gauge / fuel pump (3 wires) electrical connector(s) has not come loose, located under the back seat cushion.

pump is running, you can hear it cycle when the key is turned on.....the dash is another story.....installed white faces on the gauges,what a pain in the ass, nothing lined up properly. but that was way before this problem....

_________________
89 1.0 turbo firefly
2"exhaust,no cats/resonator
3 tech 6*gear
3 tech turbo grind cam
3 tech cylinder head/w/port,polish,blend,oversized s/s valves
gti brake swap
89 white gti twincam....need I say more?
92 metro aka ''blue lump of coal''
92 white metro lsi vert
91 blue chevy sprint (gas sipper)

dammit it was out of gas
put 10 liters in it, cycled pump 3 times, fired right up
always check the easy things first

_________________
89 1.0 turbo firefly
2"exhaust,no cats/resonator
3 tech 6*gear
3 tech turbo grind cam
3 tech cylinder head/w/port,polish,blend,oversized s/s valves
gti brake swap
89 white gti twincam....need I say more?
92 metro aka ''blue lump of coal''
92 white metro lsi vert
91 blue chevy sprint (gas sipper)

so I put a weeks driving on the car.....
check engine light flashing (code 13, o2) cant seem to adjust the tps properly
filled the rad with vinegar, ran that for the week.
put a can of seafoam in the oil, ran that for the week.
noticed a small oil leak. motor runs good, trans shifts great.
so on the last week-end I changed oil&filter, flushed out the rad, filled with anti-freeze. -43*c
removed exhaust manifold, both gaskets leaking....installed port matched manifold, new gaskets, stainless steel nuts&bolts.(this manifold has a new o2 sensor in it as well)

still showing code 13, and yesterday at work there was smoke coming out from under the hood, and after it was parked there was a puddle of antifreeze AND oil dammit
I pulled the motor from another car over a year ago, and now I remember that the pump was leaking
I installed new cam and crank seals, so unless one of them became damaged when installed, I am not sure where the oil is coming from....it is sprayed all over the steering rack behind the alt. not from the trans, its completely dry, no leaks at all.
so it is parked, again.
back to driving the gti

_________________
89 1.0 turbo firefly
2"exhaust,no cats/resonator
3 tech 6*gear
3 tech turbo grind cam
3 tech cylinder head/w/port,polish,blend,oversized s/s valves
gti brake swap
89 white gti twincam....need I say more?
92 metro aka ''blue lump of coal''
92 white metro lsi vert
91 blue chevy sprint (gas sipper)

changed the water pump over the long-weekend. tried to remove the crank bolt, but it would not budge, even with the air impact was not to worried, just thought I would change the crank seal while I was there....I put a new one in when I installed the motor, thought it might be leaking, but it was dry, as well as the cam seal......now where is the damn oil coming from? oil pan gasket looks like the culprit
still cant adjust the tps properly......flickering check engine light.....o2 code.....but that sensor is new

noticed some suspension damage on the rear.....damn gravel roads pounded a hole thru the suspension arms....looks like a bullet hole
other side is almost pounded thru

in rough shape

go thru my pile of parts, find a good pair, do some welding on them to try to prevent this from happening again

_________________
89 1.0 turbo firefly
2"exhaust,no cats/resonator
3 tech 6*gear
3 tech turbo grind cam
3 tech cylinder head/w/port,polish,blend,oversized s/s valves
gti brake swap
89 white gti twincam....need I say more?
92 metro aka ''blue lump of coal''
92 white metro lsi vert
91 blue chevy sprint (gas sipper)

oh my! a patina of rust as is on the bottom of your car would drive me to distraction!

_________________
1991 Blue Geo Metro Convertible highly modified 1.0L Turbo3 5 spd. - 1991 Red Geo Metro Convertible customized with a Twincam 5 spd.

My Turbo3 Project
My Cardomain Page -Ol' Blue
My YouTube Channel
My Photo Gallery
SAAB Sonett II

T3ragtop wrote:

A little rust? Nothing to worry about. A little WD-40 (and/or < insert Eastwood product name here > ) and she'll be as good as new!

the gravel road keeps the mud from sticking ANYWHERE on the bottom of the car.....kinda like sandblasting, only a lot more aggressive.....
that's why I want one of my cars as a daily driver, gravel is murder on anything under the car....even the rockers are ''gravel-blasted'' clean.......had to replace exhaust pipe at curve around the fuel tank, that was hammered almost flat.... rear bumper skin has holes/ cracks from the gravel.....gas filler tube all chewed up as well....
mudflaps help a little bit, but even those are showing signs of wear
once a year I spray the underside with ''gravel-guard''- but I may need something more durable than that, or spray it more often......

_________________
89 1.0 turbo firefly
2"exhaust,no cats/resonator
3 tech 6*gear
3 tech turbo grind cam
3 tech cylinder head/w/port,polish,blend,oversized s/s valves
gti brake swap
89 white gti twincam....need I say more?
92 metro aka ''blue lump of coal''
92 white metro lsi vert
91 blue chevy sprint (gas sipper)

so I noticed last week when I did the water pump that the front brakes were almost in need of replacement.
I also noticed I had very poor/no power brakes.
so I ordered new rotors and pads. this metro has the t-3 front knuckle swap....so I ordered parts for a '89 t3....I have a new booster/master cylinder in my stockpile.
well, the rotors were the right ones, but the pads I got are for a n/a car.... no one had pads in stock for a t3 or vert, so I dug thru my parts and found a like new used set of pads. (I can use the other ones on the other cars I have)
my son helped with the removal/install of the booster. when I removed the master cylinder, I noticed that the o-ring was to big for the groove, and wasn't sealing properly. not my doing!
installed new booster/cylinder, then bleed all the brakes....tried using the hand pump bleeder tool, could not get any fluid to the rr slave....back to the trusted 2 person brake bleed system....that worked. flushed out all of the old fluid.
did some welding on the exhaust system (damn gravel roads!) rotated tires.
road test.
brakes are not as good as I hoped ....no idea what brand those used front pads are. they were crusty when I installed them. brake booster is working properly now. might try to find new pads for the front, if these ones don't seat properly....
now on to the rear....I have a good used pair of lower control arms, will do some welding/ reinforcement on them, find new bushings (that's the hard part, welding is easy for me)

always something......

_________________
89 1.0 turbo firefly
2"exhaust,no cats/resonator
3 tech 6*gear
3 tech turbo grind cam
3 tech cylinder head/w/port,polish,blend,oversized s/s valves
gti brake swap
89 white gti twincam....need I say more?
92 metro aka ''blue lump of coal''
92 white metro lsi vert
91 blue chevy sprint (gas sipper)

well, those used brake pads I installed would not bed in properly, so I ordered new pads for a t3-SURPRISE SUPRISE they don't list front pads for a t3 anymore.....so I ordered pads for a '92 vert.
installed them this morning, drove around the block and noticed a HUGE difference.....now the front tires lock up when you get on them hard....those other pads would not, they acted like abs brakes.....stomp on them hard enough and the rears would lock up, but not the fronts kinda scary! but I was in a pinch, they got me by until the PROPER new ones arrived.

ordered whiteline bushings for the rear, so I can get those damaged control arms replaced.

now onto welding reinforcement/rock guards onto the good used pair I have

always something to do/modify

_________________
89 1.0 turbo firefly
2"exhaust,no cats/resonator
3 tech 6*gear
3 tech turbo grind cam
3 tech cylinder head/w/port,polish,blend,oversized s/s valves
gti brake swap
89 white gti twincam....need I say more?
92 metro aka ''blue lump of coal''
92 white metro lsi vert
91 blue chevy sprint (gas sipper)

i hit a 4 point buck Friday morning on my way to work......smashed headlight, bezel, corner marker, top bumper skin, drivers fender.

spilled all my coffee on the floor....DAMMIT

now to dig thru my parts and fix it up.....AGAIN.....

_________________
89 1.0 turbo firefly
2"exhaust,no cats/resonator
3 tech 6*gear
3 tech turbo grind cam
3 tech cylinder head/w/port,polish,blend,oversized s/s valves
gti brake swap
89 white gti twincam....need I say more?
92 metro aka ''blue lump of coal''
92 white metro lsi vert
91 blue chevy sprint (gas sipper)

found a good pair of composite headlights to install in the car. polished the lens-crystal clear-took the adjusters apart, made sure that they work properly. full amber corners. lights are brighter, but the low beam spread is terrible- high beams ok- more adjustment needed.

my check engine light is out, but tps is still goofy-need to get around to changing the intake.....maybe....
working on another engine build, some high comp pistons and s/steel valves from 3-tech on the way.

debating if I should shave the head (last one I had done was 40 thou shaved off) but I need to watch my deck height, with those new 11 to 1 pistons and a different cam selection I don't want parts smashing into eachother. maybe same lift but longer duration? shorter lift, longer duration? not to sure.
will bug mike once I get the pistons in the block, and check clearances.

_________________
89 1.0 turbo firefly
2"exhaust,no cats/resonator
3 tech 6*gear
3 tech turbo grind cam
3 tech cylinder head/w/port,polish,blend,oversized s/s valves
gti brake swap
89 white gti twincam....need I say more?
92 metro aka ''blue lump of coal''
92 white metro lsi vert
91 blue chevy sprint (gas sipper)

been stupid busy at work-lots going on with moving locations- had a list of things to do to the metro, things I had been putting off for awhile now.

repaired oil pan leak. this motor has been apart, someone else used a cork gasket on oil pan
painted oil pan while off, installed new idiot light sensor (it was leaking as well) installed a tee on block port, hooked up the manual oil pressure gauge (it was already in the car, but no tee on block)

thread-chased the exhaust manifold bolt holes, and bolts.
sprayed two coats of gravel-guard onto gas tank, trunk area, rear suspension area.....gravel roads DESTROY the underside of this car- my rear control arms are shot, drivers side will most likely fail soon- the modified ones are almost done (finish grinding and paint)
replaced burnt-out corner bulbs in taillights.

on to the interior-

pulled speedo cable, in order to pull dash out, to change dash light bulbs. was using a flashlight to see temp gauge at night

finally mounted my gauges- they had been flopping around under the cup-holder in the center lower console
volt and oil pressure in there currently, extra hole for temp gauge. now to mod a t-stat housing for a sensor.


removed large mouse nest from under console, by auto shifter. needed a new bulb in there, as well
THEN----

installed more lights in the front bumper

40 watt 4 inch led lights, spot beam spread. add another relay and switch for them as well.
now to add extra bracing to the already flimsy bumper

_________________
89 1.0 turbo firefly
2"exhaust,no cats/resonator
3 tech 6*gear
3 tech turbo grind cam
3 tech cylinder head/w/port,polish,blend,oversized s/s valves
gti brake swap
89 white gti twincam....need I say more?
92 metro aka ''blue lump of coal''
92 white metro lsi vert
91 blue chevy sprint (gas sipper)

I like the work I'm hunting those light now.
Can you tell me were you got the MR16 light.? ( the round L.E.D.)
How much.?...thanks......jvs
.
.

I like the work I'm hunting those light now.
Can you tell me were you got the MR16 light.? ( the round L.E.D.)
How much.?...thanks......jvs

''BLAZER INTERNATIONAL ''brand led, part #CWL510
I think I paid $70 or $90 each.....cant remember (Canadian prices )
3,500 raw lumen, 2,500 effective lumen (damn bright )

_________________
89 1.0 turbo firefly
2"exhaust,no cats/resonator
3 tech 6*gear
3 tech turbo grind cam
3 tech cylinder head/w/port,polish,blend,oversized s/s valves
gti brake swap
89 white gti twincam....need I say more?
92 metro aka ''blue lump of coal''
92 white metro lsi vert
91 blue chevy sprint (gas sipper)

serviced transmission, finished wiring lights.
repaired stubborn drivers door lock.
installed 2 farad cap to stereo system- most likely don't need it, but it was free to me (new in package) debating about installing another amp, a 4 channel pioneer, to run my hi-level speakers. but that means more wiring the two amps combined would almost give me 2,000 watts of power (my sub amp is 1400 watts alone)

_________________
89 1.0 turbo firefly
2"exhaust,no cats/resonator
3 tech 6*gear
3 tech turbo grind cam
3 tech cylinder head/w/port,polish,blend,oversized s/s valves
gti brake swap
89 white gti twincam....need I say more?
92 metro aka ''blue lump of coal''
92 white metro lsi vert
91 blue chevy sprint (gas sipper)

its been awhile.
well over 332, 000 km
donor engine is still running, low compression, uses oil. trans fine.
went in for a leaky cam/ crank seal. upon pulling the crank pulley I noticed a worn groove into it. razor sharp edge. pulled the belt cover and found a shredded belt! half of the width was gone from the belt!
cam seal was dry, so I pulled the crank gear and replaced the crank seal....the spring had failed on the inside of the seal.
now onto the crank pulley- I modified a spare timing belt washer to fit between the crank gear and crank pulley, so it has steel to rub against and not aluminum.
put it all back together, (set the timing at 6* advance mark on cam pulley) car seems to run a little better.
drove it for a week, no more oil leaks.
too many things on the go to get much else done.

_________________
89 1.0 turbo firefly
2"exhaust,no cats/resonator
3 tech 6*gear
3 tech turbo grind cam
3 tech cylinder head/w/port,polish,blend,oversized s/s valves
gti brake swap
89 white gti twincam....need I say more?
92 metro aka ''blue lump of coal''
92 white metro lsi vert
91 blue chevy sprint (gas sipper)

well, its finally getting close to replacing the engine. compression is very poor-130,100,125.

dropped a block and other bits off at the machine shop yesterday. using the high comp pistons from 3-tech in this build.

will tackle the suspension this week-end. replacing ball-joints, inner and outer tie rods, rear toe bars.
the custom rear toe bars didn't last long, maybe 60-80 thousand km.

_________________
89 1.0 turbo firefly
2"exhaust,no cats/resonator
3 tech 6*gear
3 tech turbo grind cam
3 tech cylinder head/w/port,polish,blend,oversized s/s valves
gti brake swap
89 white gti twincam....need I say more?
92 metro aka ''blue lump of coal''
92 white metro lsi vert
91 blue chevy sprint (gas sipper)

So some progress has been made on the engine rebuild.
Pistons are installed, oil pump and other bits. All clearances were within specs.
Painted the block and oil pan last night, also spent some time port-matching the cylinder head.
P-29 pistons, 11 to 1 squeeze ratio!

_________________
89 1.0 turbo firefly
2"exhaust,no cats/resonator
3 tech 6*gear
3 tech turbo grind cam
3 tech cylinder head/w/port,polish,blend,oversized s/s valves
gti brake swap
89 white gti twincam....need I say more?
92 metro aka ''blue lump of coal''
92 white metro lsi vert
91 blue chevy sprint (gas sipper)

that was my long week-end. now to get a timing kit, water pump. those bits are on there for mock-up only, just to make sure it all turned easy, made sure there were no odd noises.

_________________
89 1.0 turbo firefly
2"exhaust,no cats/resonator
3 tech 6*gear
3 tech turbo grind cam
3 tech cylinder head/w/port,polish,blend,oversized s/s valves
gti brake swap
89 white gti twincam....need I say more?
92 metro aka ''blue lump of coal''
92 white metro lsi vert
91 blue chevy sprint (gas sipper)

Looks good. Curious to see a compression reading with those pistons

_________________
Contact 3tech: [email protected]

got the tired 1.0 out, now to swap a few parts, clean the engine bay, and drop the rebuilt in.

_________________
89 1.0 turbo firefly
2"exhaust,no cats/resonator
3 tech 6*gear
3 tech turbo grind cam
3 tech cylinder head/w/port,polish,blend,oversized s/s valves
gti brake swap
89 white gti twincam....need I say more?
92 metro aka ''blue lump of coal''
92 white metro lsi vert
91 blue chevy sprint (gas sipper)

well, its alive AGAIN
decided to re-do the front suspension, while the motor was out. all new inner & outer tie rods, bellows, control arms (ball-joints)
after running the engine for about 10 minutes, I did a compression test-
150, 150, 210
I hope the lower cylinders come up with some drive time......
had it running sunday.
also replaced the rear toe bars (again)- the heim joints were getting loose, causing odd tire wear (cupping) and a loud clunking from the rear- maybe got 80,000 km out of them.
drove to town Monday, oil pressure 50 cold, 20 hot.
got a 4 wheel alignment, replaced the rear tires, had a flat repaired on the front.
stupid winter snow storm. ditched it once, then got stuck a stones throw from my house.
wife pulled me home with the trooper, parked it beside the shop for now.
I hope I didn't hurt it.
weather is supposed to be in the +20 c by Thursday. will check on her then. I was plowing lots of snow with the front-end and underbody brace.

_________________
89 1.0 turbo firefly
2"exhaust,no cats/resonator
3 tech 6*gear
3 tech turbo grind cam
3 tech cylinder head/w/port,polish,blend,oversized s/s valves
gti brake swap
89 white gti twincam....need I say more?
92 metro aka ''blue lump of coal''
92 white metro lsi vert
91 blue chevy sprint (gas sipper)

also having issues with the auto transmission shift lock solenoid,or the wiring to it. the command start must be wired into that circuit, when the key fob is used to start the car, if you step on the brakes the engine is SUPPOSED to shut off-but it doesn't.
I was starting to have issues with that interlock BEFORE i swapped the motor- i would have to press the brake pedal a few times to get the solenoid to click and unlock the shifter.
but my brake lights work properly

_________________
89 1.0 turbo firefly
2"exhaust,no cats/resonator
3 tech 6*gear
3 tech turbo grind cam
3 tech cylinder head/w/port,polish,blend,oversized s/s valves
gti brake swap
89 white gti twincam....need I say more?
92 metro aka ''blue lump of coal''
92 white metro lsi vert
91 blue chevy sprint (gas sipper)