Restoring my Skoda Estelle's engine: Sharing the joy (and ordeals) :)

[Aram]

Well it cranked...but didn't go well: I got a lot of grayish smoke, oil being burned? If that's the case, perhaps, since I can't have original rings so the ones I put are "made". Oh well, I see I will need to tear it down again and check stuff. I could visually inspect inside the cambers through the spark plug holes, there is oil there. I wonder are the rings, or I went too happy oiling the chambers while building the engine. When I did a little crank without water, just to check it starts, I could see this kind of little smoke out of the thermostat casing and the water pump. I guess it would be paint, oil, etc being fried. I put hoses to the engine and the out hose into a bucket, I didn't got bubbles there. I guess compression is not going into water system, right?

 

Also: sparks 1, 2 and 3 are slightly oily. Spark 4 started to get black burn

 

So what could be? Rings? Bad carb settings (too rich)?

 

Edited 22 September, 2017 by Aram

[KenONeill]

@Aram - Assuming the engine is warmish, or at least that your local air temperature is still in the 20s (Celsius), that makes me think either oil or that the bottom seals on the cylinder liners haven't sealed properly.

[Aram]

11 hours ago, KenONeill said:

@Aram - Assuming the engine is warmish, or at least that your local air temperature is still in the 20s (Celsius), that makes me think either oil or that the bottom seals on the cylinder liners haven't sealed properly.

 

My guess is oil. When I put the cylinders I tested for coolant leaks to the sump and got nada. I think I can blame the rings, since I can't find originals here so they get made by guys in lathe using cast iron from sewage pipes.

[KenONeill]

@Aram - As a generalisation, compression rings are cast iron. Oil control rings are more complicated.

[amwphotos]

Anyone got a set of rings over here? They should be pretty cheap to post out if possible to get the old girl running?

[Breezy_Pete]

^ I for one would be more than happy to buy and ship such a set if that is what turns out to be required. 

 

[petergarforth]

I have a set of rings from a reasonable engine.....is it possible to post them to Cuba? If so then I'm more than happy to sort it

 

[Aram]

Thank you guys, I really appreciate it but it turned out I just sold the Estelle. Not in my plans, but a guy got severely in love with the engine and the work I was doing, so in love he accepted a price figure I told him, ridiculously high like x4 the real value just to get rid of him He actually "burned" my phone calling me to sic' me for the sale. He said he had never seen a rebuilt like this and took the car even with the rear in the floor. Made me an offer I couldn't refu$$e hehehe. So...I'm about to get into yet another adventure soon, a winzip'ed "car" or like I say, a bike-with-a-wig: Fiat 125P heheheh...but this Skoda is gone.

Edited 5 October, 2017 by Aram