Alright. I'll look into the age/history of that water pump. If it's relatively new, I'll just shim the pulley and figure out why the alternator is out of line...If it's old, I'll just buy a new one from IPD or FCP G. and know that I have a good recommended part installed. This is the definintion of a can of worms.

 

So I got around to pulling the flame trap this evening and guess what! It was nearly completely blocked. I'm guessing that there were maybe 7 or 8 holes open at most. I used a paper clip to force the blockages out - they were so encrusted that what came out from each hole was essentially a pellet, not goop or crud. I have a sneaking suspicion that the flame trap has never been changed - it was so brittle that I managed to break off a lot of the flange that keeps it seated in the hose splitter as I was removing it from the assembly.

Yikes - time for a replacement. The other strange thing is...the small diameter hose that runs from the flame trap to the engine side of the intake seems to have been replaced with a foam rubber-type hose with a much too large interior diameter. WTF!?!?! It's not worth replacing a worn hose with a hose that doesn't fit! That's why there's oil and crud everywhere down around the FT. It wasn't going through the hose. Thanks everyone for urging me to do this maintenance so soon. I feel like I dodged a bullet!

Judging by the attached pictures, could someone tell me if this is enough of a blockage to force oil out of the top of the valve cover?

 

From your photos, the alignment sure looks crooked to me. You might want to put some washers on the back of the waterpump pulley so as to push it out about 1/8". Then test it to make sure everything runs clear.

 

I may dive into that this weekend if I can find the time. I'm really most worried about whatever it is that sounds like pinging, but may not be...god I love this car!

 

So I got overly eager and checked the OBD 1 system today. I was hoping to figure out a lead on that racket I've been hearing lately. So, I followed the directions, and freaked myself out. Here's what went down:

I opened the hood, inserted the lead into hole #2, and then turned the car on.

First time I pushed the button - nothing.

Second time, very fast clicking sound accompanied by the LED flashing in time - sounded like it could have been a short maybe? So I unplugged it fast.

Got worried, confused...

Turned the car off, unplugged the OBD lead and turned car on again. Plugged it in and pushed the button and heard a much slower, louder Tick Tick Tick from down towards the block. WTF? I don't think the light was going off this time but not sure.

Unplugged it. Let it sit for a minute.

Plugged it in again and finally it behaved like I would expect it to. I pushed the button, received a 1 - 2 - 1. Pushed it again and got the same code - I presume this is the only one. From my research, that's a MAF signal fault.

Should I reset it and drive the car a bit to see if it comes back or should I have a look at the MAF or what? I know how darn expensive that part is and I really don't want to have to buy another one(I can't even really afford a replacement on my budget anyhow).

I guess I'm just looking for someone who has experience in this area to give me some thoughts. Was that clicking sound something I should worry about? What about the Ticking noise? Am I just worrying too much?

Fix one thing and find two problems.

 

http://www.brickboard.com/FAQ/700-90...neOBDCodes.htm

You can pull fuse 6, which will reset the ECU. Then see if the code comes back after instaling the fuse and a test drive.

That flame trap is aftermarket since the ones from the factory were metal.

 

Thanks. I'll do the ECU reset test tonight or this weekend. Here's to hoping my MAF sensor works.

It's nice to know the trap was replaced at some point. Definitely a great number of years ago though. It was soooo brittle and clogged that I'm sure no one has looked at it in some time.

You guys are the best.