NorthWet

Resurrected thread... this is 2 1/2 years old.

What seal is it popping? What does your pressure gauge indicate (or do you only have an oil light)? If it is really overpressure, the problem is probably in a stuck pressure relief valve in the oil pump body. Even then, it seems unlikely that enough pressure would be built up to blow-out the oil filter.

Just a thought, but... I am thinking that feeding NOx into an engine with moderate valve-overlap running at near-idle might produce some...er..."exciting" results.

Best advice. Trade reduced speed for increased torque at the wheels.

Basically, any engine can be made to have its torque peak anywhere in its rpm range (limited by VE at the upper RPMs). To lower the torque peak, you need to do the opposite of what most tuners do for more horsepower: Less radical cam timing, smaller intake tracts, smaller valves, less carburetion. And more rotating mass (heavy flywheel) to make better use of the less frequent power pulses. With work, you can make the EJ22 reach full torque at 100RPM... but it will suck by 1000RPM. If I were to do adjustable timing on the SOHC EJ, I would probably mount an extra idler wheel on the tension side of both T-belt runs, and make these idlers adjustable (like the fine adjusters on A/C tensioners). You could then use these to "dial-in" each cam's timing. The actual adjusting would have to be slow to allow for the tensioner to compress, and which one you do first is likely to be important (due to shared belt and tensioner), but my migraine is preventing me from thinking this through. Edit: IF you make the cam changes and use a narrowed intake runner, THEN... (endedit) You might also get some changes (hopefully good ones) by deactivating one intake valve of each pair. All of this will lower max HP and max usable RPM.

You can get some benefit by shifting the cam timing, even more so if it is a DOHC. The current cam timing is optimized for somewhere around 3k-4k. Adjust the cams so that the intake valve closes as close to BDC as practical, and if DOHC adjsut the phasing so that there is minimal valve overlap.

Do you have the suction adapter on just one side or on both? If on both, then I am pretty sure that the answer is "yes". If on one side, the exhaust manifold is unlikely to flex enough for you to get the nuts started, let alone get a good seal.

Well, after a quick peruse around the web, including Federal Mogul, it would appear that chrome-moly alloy steel rings do not exist, at least not for automotive purposes. Iron is the rule, with some industrial applications specifying "steel" rings. (BTW, I have known about CrMo steel for many decades, just not in the context of piston rings where its properties are mismatched for the application. My fault for being vague on my previous post. Cheers!)

If the rotor was out of phase with the distributor shaft, it is possible that it was not making good contact with the cap contacts until the ECU advanced the timing enough (with increased rpm) to bring the rotor into better alignment.

I have no idea what a "chrome-moly" is in this context. (I am a little out of date on these things, so it could just be me ) In my view of the world, typically you will have ductile iron compression rings, with either a chrome-plated facing or a molybdenum filled groove on the facing. It's been over 30 years since I have done a complete rebuild on an engine, so I may be way out of date.

Differential diagnosis between fuel flow and electrical is whether the break-up always occurs above a certain RPM range (even with light throttle) or whether it occurs at lower RPM with heavier throttle (more load, more fuel needed).

The rate of up and down is relative to the rotational rate... you are looking for a 45degree crosshatch, which means same speed up and down as the speed of the abrasive going around the cylinder. If, at tear-down, you can still see hone marks top-to-bottom on the cylinders then their is little-to-no wear or taper. The ring facing-type matters as to which hone grit you use. A molybdenum facing requires only a mild hone, whereas a chromed facing requires a coarser hone in order to "wear in" the chrome facing.

Distributor might be badly worn, and/or the mechanical advance might not be functioning properly.

Are you putting in new rings? If so, what is the facing material on the top ring?

Probably not engine mounts: heavy engine and tranny, and engine is absolutely loafing at 60mph. Does it feel like the shaking is up and down, or fore and aft, or ??? Axles would be high on my list to check, particularly the inner joints. Struts might also be the problem, or contributing by not dampening the oscillations properly.

Sorry in advance for straying a little OT... The 390 CFM Holley that I used on my 2.0L Datsun, although obviously having an excess CFM rating, had nearly flawless driveability. Smooth and low idle, seamless transitions from idle to part throttle to full throttle. Definitely no stumble going to WOT (that stumble/jerk that so many people mistake as a sign of power as the engine recovers from the stumble), just a roar from the vacuum secondaries as they open and the smooth increase in power. Mileage was in the mid 30MPG (US). Carb had small primaries, vacuum secondaries, and was mounted to a dual-plane mianifold (primaries/secondaries had separated runners to the head ports). The only drawbacks were cost (carb was pricey) and durability (the carb shook apart after 2 years).

My candidates are: ignition high-voltage components (cap, rotor, wires plugs), Ignition timing set improperly (value and/or technique), and/or flakey Coolant Temperature Sensor (CTS... it tends to corrode its connector and wires).

Although this might seem like the right place for this question, posting in the NEW GEN forum will get more lookers.

The 6-lug is probably a more practical, less frustrating, and cheaper way to go.

The 3rd eye is iconic, and thus has greater value than just for its additional lighting. Do a SEARCH in parts for sale forum, and see what other setups have asked/sold for.

In general, oil in the carb/filter housing is just a PCV system issue, and not an indication of worn engine. The cylinders and rings on these engines are durable beyond belief (200k engines still show original machining marks) and valve seal wear does not seem to be an issue. Get a new PCV valve (experienced opinion says OEM is best). I would also check the fitting at the valve covers, as these tend to accrete crud and narrow the opening, leading to pumping-up of oil into the hose attached to it. Your engine is a very durable, dependable design. It has quirks, but is reliable as a rock.

Was the timing set with the green diagnostic connectors (near the windshield wiper motor) connected? (They should have been.) Are they connected now? (They should not be.)

Lots of possibilities, almost all of them simple fixes.

Indications of insufficient battery power. Since the flashers are affected, I don't think that it is ignition switch related. My guess would be on a bad battery cable connection, or perhaps an issue at the fusible links. Continuity is not going to tell the whole story. It would be a good idea to check to see what the voltage is at the battery and at the points of usage when something is being used. (As in, what is the voltage at the flasher unit when the flashers are on.) You could test the general condition of the battery and its main cables by using a remote starter (or a piece of wire that can e momentarily connected between battery positive terminal and the starter solenoid spade connector.

IIRC, the injectors are all gang-fired: If 2 cylinders are working, the basic function of the ECU is working. It looks like on my 88 XT manual that the 4 injector grounds get merged into 2 lines for a bit and then back out into 4 lines where they still remain electrically paired. Assuming that your 87 is the later-style system (hot-wire MAF instead of flapper-MAF) your wiring should be similar. You say that you have the set of factory manuals? Checking the wiring diagram for the fuel injector in Section 2 manual might help. My manual has the schematic in section 2-7, page 27, under the heading of "Fuel Injector and Resistor". Your manual is different year, different model, but should be close to that. If I had to guess, I would say that the section of harness where the paired injectors share a single wire (assuming harnesses are similar) would be a place to look for damaged wire or pulled-loose connector/splice.