Modding the Geo Metro

[elhigh]

Originally Posted by JohnAh

but what really changed the game was to introduce "Burn & glide" driving in continous cycles of acceleration with almost full throttle, followed by coasting. When I started doing this the fuel consumtion decreased way more than by anything else, and I could not even see any difference from changing wheels or tire pressure.

The final very rewarding step was to introduce engine shut-down while coasting. This is just as extreme as it is rewarding! Fuel consumption made a huge dive again. An average burn & glide cycle has 15 20 seconds acceleration followed by 30-40 seconds of coasting with the engine shut off. Driving this crazy way is a lot of work, but you definitely get something back! :-)

I have installed two push-buttons on the gear stick and two relays. One button kills the engine by switches off the ignition. One of the relays "stick" in this position until the other button is pushed, together with the activation of the starter. I have a good engine that most times start in just one piston stroke so the load on the battery is not too heavy.

You, sir, are cheating.

Many people don't know that 96's original engine was a two-stroke. Those that do, not all know a two-stroke can experience oil starvation when you let off the gas while in gear. Mixed in the gas, high revs, low fuel-oil rate: much bad.

So what? So SAAB fits a freewheeling clutch. Let off the gas and the transmission goes along at its own speed, while the engine drops to idle so it won't self destruct. It's also a good idea not to hold constant revs on a two-stroke to avoid overheating.


So what, squared? When SAAB installed the Taunus V4, they retained the rest of the drivetrain, including the freewheel clutch.

So what, la troisieme? So when the burn is done, JohnAh merely need let up. Glide is done, push on the loud pedal.

In short, the 96 is literally designed for engine on P&G.

Adding a switch to kill the ignition has a tripping hazard however. When the engine dies, the freewheel means the transmission won't spin the engine for you when you turn the ignition back on.

(Edit)
Sweetie says, "You know that's how you would drive that car, so don't you tell him he's cheating."

She's right, of course. My bad.

[arcosine]

The wife overheated the car twice and now its not starting. I suspect the pickup coil again but have not looked.

[MetroMPG]

Oh, wife! Overheated it how??

[arcosine]

Well I got it started after a lot of cranking, head gasket's blown.

It got low on coolant. She burnt up a jeep the same way when a hose burst. Made a hole in a piston and cracked the head. So hot the oil on the outside of the engine was smoking.

Any advice on the head, replace with rebuilt, mill it for higher compression, just sand flat with new gasket or junk the car?

Your Votes taken:

[me and my metro]

Surface both the top of the block and the head. Carefully inspect the cam journals as there are no bearings. Make sure the cam spins free and that the entire head did not warp.

[19bonestock88]

I vote for the above, plus milling to ensure flatness and bump the compression, maybe find an XFI cam if the head is otherwise good

[arcosine]

For 145k miles the engine looks surprisingly clean inside. Some of the head bolts were not very tight on the front row. I think that if I had torqued them before the problem it would have been fine.



It only took like an hour to take the head off and most of the was hoses and connections.

[arcosine]

The buyer is picking up the rust free Geo Metro tonight, $450. I am purchasing a 5-speed TDI Beetle for $550 with a bad turbo. It blows smoke like a steam locomotive with acceleration to match. Will rebuild turbo with a $55 kit. That will be a new post.

[RedDevil]

There goes a penny saver...

[freebeard]

It has a nice patina, but how many pennies per square foot?

I like the sine-wave door cutline.