hey i have a 3.1 with a 5spd, im pretty sure my mainseal is gone and somthing else too.. i havent gotten under latley but what ever is leaking is dripping onto my exhaust and running therefore making it smoke. this is all i know for sure. the car has 179,xxx on it so im sure theres more. i bought it with not much less on it and it ran like a champ, i even drove it from cali were i ought it back to illinois and no probs. now if i let it sit too long like i did the battery dies so im gonna go over the connections and see if sothings touching somewere. other than that the stick "bounces." at one point i was told that this was just the linkage and it jst needed to be ajusted. is this likley? if so how hard is this? how would i know for sure. i plan on having a buddy from uti come over next weeked to help but i need something to do in the mean time. while doing these things is there anything tht i should do while im in there i want this thing to run good again, not just run. i have 1600 to spend.. wht to do??? if u think ill have much extra i was thinking about an intake, i already have a magnaflow exhaust and catco cat (which i think one of has a hole but i have to look closer) its also geared. i just did new cap rotor plugs and wires b4 i left cali.only liek 3000or so om them.. what else should i do if the money is there. maybe a small shot of n2o? like a 50 or 75 for the ricers? other than tht i have no more questions... for now, thanks for reading my very long list ~dustin
PS if anyone wants to help and is in Norther illinois area specificaly elgin there will beer for free! provided it runs good...lol, thanks guys! im me as shropiejr or email to d_shrop@yahoo.com or reply here.

 

If you plan on a V8 swap, go get another car.
Start there.
Take this V6 car, patch it up & sell it for the cash to buy that V8 car.
Then upgrade.

 

When your UTI buddy comes out, have him check the o-ring around the distributor base before checking the rear main seal. When the o-ring gets old, the rubber cracks, and causes a leak that drips oil down the back of the motor.

If your motor burns oil (worn rings, or leaking valve seals), then if you've got an exhaust leak you might be smelling / seeing oil from that exhaust leak.

To get the car to run "good" again, go over my major tuneup list and do everything that you haven't done yet! Find it at http://www.geocities.com/tomp_3rdgen/majortuneup.htm .

Also, check the current cap/rotor for carbon tracking ("corrosion") on the inside terminals; you can remove carbon tracking with a fine metal file (as opposed to a woodworker's file). Don't file the inside contacts at an angle; try your best to keep the file FLAT on the terminals.

 

cool thanks alot ill e doing all that then.. again thanks

 

Also check your PCV system. If it's plugged up, then oil will be spilled onto the intake/valvecover area and it can drip onto the exhaust from there.

My PCV valves were total crap and the intake and valvecovers were covered in crap.

 

were is the PCV (im still learning) im sure it is crap so ill fix it. should i replace it or lean it, its proly never been done and at 179xxx. maybe some pics if its not too hard?

 

Drivers side valve cover, towards the rear of the car. They are cheap, replace it.

 

Also check the breather side on the passenger side valve cover. If the filter on it is clogged, the system doesn't operate properly.

Sorry, I don't have any pictures of the PCV components.

 

i bought a haynes manual today so i found both of those. im not sure it their bad but im going to replace them anyways.
i cleaned out the throtle body portion of the intake and drained all the oil ( even though it leaks so bad it does ITS OWN oil changes) right now im just cleaning alot f it up it hasnt been done befor i think. a few little things im painting back to make it look newer. the cap and rotor have a lil corrosion on them so im gonna file them down a lil proly tom or the next day. i need to acculy FIND this O-ring that is leaking near the cap ad rotor. i cant find it EXACTLY, after that i need to swap out the tranny mount and hopfully this will fix all my problomes (knock on wood). ive been shaking my head in disgust cause of aloy of little bolts are missing. like the braket the mounts from the top f the intake to one of the belts im not sire which motor this is exactly, the bolt is missing in one end and some little things like that but i guess thats just more to add to my list. im also going to go the rest of TOMb's tune up. id like a new shroter throw shifter, but i dont wanna pay $190.00 or whatever it is, o well, if theres any other things i could check or mods i can do for relativley cheap lemmie know. im thinkin later on maybe a small shot of n2o, like a 50 or 75, is this worth it i dont wanna hurt anything as i would like to sell this car one day. otherwise what else?

 

you'll have to pull the distributor out some to find it.

finish up your suspension and look into budget weight reduction. W/the 5spped, you already have an edge over A4 cars