1991 EJ20G problem

[Speedwagon]

This EJ20G is the one I brought back with me from Japan in 2003. It has been sitting around since then, and I just put it in my Legacy last week. No turbo or anything, I simply bolted the stock 2.5NA manifold to it.

 

Problem is, it's not firing on all 4. When I pulled the plugs, cyl 1 was wet. So I put a leakdown tester on it, and I can hear air escaping out the exhaust. If I remove the cam, the cylinder holds pressure.

 

So there seems to be an issue with the HLAs then? Or is there something else I am missing? The engine was torn down, and put back together by me. But I never removed the valves (had about 100k km on it when I pulled it from my working Legacy in Japan).

[Fairtax4me]

Yeah the HLAs can hold the valves open. Is this one of the dohc engines? I don't know much about those, especially the ones they never brought to the US, butis there any way an intake lifter and exhaust lifter (if theres a difference) could be switched on installation?

[Speedwagon]

Yes, DOHC.

 

I think I may have found the problem. One of the oil passage plugs was loose before, and I think I somehow tightened it too much. I backed it out tonight, and I was getting good leakdown results after that. I'll button it up tomorrow, and see if I'm correct.

 

I also pulled a few HLAs, and didn't see any difference between them. So I think they are universal to this engine.

[Speedwagon]

Well, problem solved. Turns out the oil passage plug, when turned in too much, will cause the HLAs to not compress enough, and keep the valves open.