ok so my car has quite a few miles on it (147,000 miles) the previous owner did not take very good care of it so i've been trying to bring this beast back to life-... well i think it needs a heart transplant!

these are some of the problems i've been having-...

<u>tapping noise</u>- thought it was because of non-oem oil filter but i now have oem filter and it still taps.

<u>excessively warm engine bay</u>- this is my 3rd tib, they've never been so hot under the hood.

<u>burning oil-</u> usually put 3.5 quarts of 20w-50/lucas treatment (lucas plus 2.5quarts of 20w-50) only got 2 quarts back after 3,000 miles! no evidence of leaks. no smoke or oil on spark plugs.

<u>low compression</u>- ran compression test today, 160 psi after 6-8 "turns"

<u>low performance-</u> seriously it is just plain to slow for the mods i've put into it.

<u>cel-</u> camshaft position sensor voltage to high-... replaced w/ a like new sensor, still same code

all mods are listed in my signature.

so my question is, do i replace the possible original timing belt+ whatever else? OR do i buy a new engine for $400+/- (16,000 miles)?

if you know what i need to fix with the above problems-... please let me know to help me w/ weighing my options. thanks!

You could most likely clear the tapping problem by buying a set of HLAs from hyundai (hydraulic Lash adjusters). Try cleaning your MAF and changing your TPS from Dae Sung to Kiefko. Make sure your fuel injectors are clean.

Check your spark plugs to make sure they're tight. If your tester was not properly tightened, it will read low.

If you really want to rebuild, it takes time. Most people just swap with a 2.0L elantra or tiburon engine from a junk yard. Supposedly they're cheap.

Between your Lucas oil treatment and your oil, you are only putting a total of 3.5 qts in? Our cars hold 4.5 qts including the oil filter... Dunno why you are a quart and a half short when you drain it though.

yeah i got rid of the dae sung a while back ago.

the tester was definatly tight (actuallly broke an o-ring on one of the testers but found an alternate w/ a good sealing surface).

i do have a spare head (w/ hla's) but i'm gonna wait it out to see if this is worth it.

i'll give the maf a good cleaning (good thinking)

i've used injector cleaner via gas tank-... kinda affraid to pull out injectors, i've heard it's 50/50 between cleaning and clogging.

oh btw the funnel i used to measure the old oil has a screen in it, i had a bit of "metal mulch" in it after the oil was drained!

as for amount of oil, i went by the dot closest to the top indicating that it was full.

After you ran it, right? Just checking

A basic rebuild will cost you about the same as a new motor. I think theres OEM rebuild kits on ebay now. Its really up to you what you want to do. Swapping a new engine you could probably do yourself but Im assuming you dont have the ability to rebuild an engine? Having it bored and assembled for you would make it more expensive.

if a rebuild is gonna cost just as much as a engine-... i'll take the engine!

i might be able to rebuild the engine but i don't have the time or all of the tools to do so right now. so i'd rather have a spare engine that i can tinker with over time and possibly put it back in (built for boost!).

Let me know if ya need anything on an engine. Mine had around 110,000 miles, but it's in rock solid shape, never had a problem with it. Wrecked her today.

You can try to run some ATF in the motor for a while. It acts like a detergent and *might* clean your HLA's...

I'll check my prices with a fellow club member and see how much he can get me a motor for....

^^ I've heard of soaking the HLAs in ATF or even power steering fluid, but never running ATF in the engine.

You can soak your HLA's in ATF and that should fix the problem. It seems you have to do some regular maintenance and your engine should be fine.