Need some help once again
well it seems like i'm needing help at least once a year or so, but I
trust you guys well, because you've always been right in the past. anyways, ran a compression test a few months back. all were at about 180 except for #3, which was 130. A few weeks ago, I took the engine out, replaced that pistons rings ( even tho I shoulda done all of them, but couldn't afford it) along with the oil pan gasket, head gasket, valve cover gasket, all my belts, and a few motor mounts. put it all back together and it runs like a champ...around town. when i went out of town the other day, i got about 2 hours down the road and had to put a quart of oil in the car. also there was a hazy oil smudge all over my bumper and the back of the trunk. ran another compression test today and they all checked about between 180 and 165. is this the exhaust valve? seals? basically i guess i need to figure out what the problem is and decide whether i need to replace the culprit, get a reman. head, get a jdm engine, or just sell the car for what its worth. all those parts that were replaced were OEM courtesy of hondaautomotiveparts.com! thanks, Ricky 93 civic lx 1.5 208k miles |
Re: Need some help once again
rickylowary@gmail.com wrote:
> well it seems like i'm needing help at least once a year or so, but I > trust you guys well, because you've always been right in the past. > anyways, ran a compression test a few months back. all were at about > 180 except for #3, which was 130. A few weeks ago, I took the engine > out, replaced that pistons rings ( even tho I shoulda done all of > them, but couldn't afford it) along with the oil pan gasket, head > gasket, valve cover gasket, all my belts, and a few motor mounts. put > it all back together and it runs like a champ...around town. when i > went out of town the other day, i got about 2 hours down the road and > had to put a quart of oil in the car. also there was a hazy oil > smudge all over my bumper and the back of the trunk. ran another > compression test today and they all checked about between 180 and > 165. is this the exhaust valve? seals? > > basically i guess i need to figure out what the problem is and decide > whether i need to replace the culprit, get a reman. head, get a jdm > engine, or just sell the car for what its worth. all those parts that > were replaced were OEM courtesy of hondaautomotiveparts.com! > > thanks, > Ricky > 93 civic lx 1.5 > 208k miles just the rings on #3??? that's highly irregular. what is the compression on that cylinder now? and did you deglaze the cylinder before re-fitting the piston? if so, how did you clean up afterward? also, how did you clean the head/block before reassembly? excess oil consumption is typical if rings don't seat or wear excessively. if you didn't deglaze, the new rings won't seat, or if they do, only /VERY/ slowly. and it'll suck oil. otoh, if you used abrasives in cleanup and/or deglazing, you could have wear problems already. after deglazing, you MUST clean up very thoroughly because abrasive remains embedded in the metal surface. you need to scrub the walls thoroughly with a wooden bristled brush and lots of soapy water to do a good job of clean-up. if you used abrasives on the head/block, same problem, only it's now stuck in the cylinder/piston gap. bottom line, rebuilds, unless undertaken by an anally obsessive freak that charges a fortune, or you are an anally obsessive freak, are usually doomed to premature death. much better use of time to buy a cheapo jdm motor and enjoy a nearly new lease of life. [beware some jdm - there's a bunch of d15b1's out there. low power due to a low-lift econo-cam.] |
Re: Need some help once again
Yea just on #3. On a college budget, so I really couldn't swallow the
extra 70 for the rest of them at the time. The compression on that cylinder was around 165. The others ranged between 175 and 180. I did the work with my girlfriend's dad, who is very particular with the work. We did deglaze the the cylinder, measured all the rings up with a feeler gauge, cleaned the piston with a broken old ring, etc. as far as the head, just used light pressure with a scrape and then cleaned it up with some sandpaper and wiped it off with a rag. taped off all the coolant and oil ducts with painters tape to make sure nothing fell in. being that i only burn oil on the highway, 3k+ rpms, it just makes me think that the exhaust valve gets stuck open or something. i have been looking around for another d15b7 engine, but it seems like that might be a bit of a challenge.. the only reason i am concerned is because i travel a lot and oil is definitely not cheap right now haha |
Re: Need some help once again
rickylowary@gmail.com wrote:
> Yea just on #3. On a college budget, so I really couldn't swallow the > extra 70 for the rest of them at the time. The compression on that > cylinder was around 165. The others ranged between 175 and 180. > > I did the work with my girlfriend's dad, who is very particular with > the work. We did deglaze the the cylinder, measured all the rings up > with a feeler gauge, cleaned the piston with a broken old ring, etc. > as far as the head, just used light pressure with a scrape and then > cleaned it up with some sandpaper and wiped it off with a rag. next time, use a scraper and solvent only. i've seen this stuff under the microscope - it's almost impossible to /not/ get abrasive into the critical parts of the engine if you use abrasives. > taped > off all the coolant and oil ducts with painters tape to make sure > nothing fell in. paradoxically, the coolant channels are probably the least critical. > > being that i only burn oil on the highway, 3k+ rpms, it just makes me > think that the exhaust valve gets stuck open or something. doesn't burn oil. > i have > been looking around for another d15b7 engine, but it seems like that > might be a bit of a challenge.. d15b2's do the same job and are readily available. > > the only reason i am concerned is because i travel a lot and oil is > definitely not cheap right now haha fixing it properly is the right thing to do. technically, you can repair that motor, but in reality, it's not worth it when you can buy jdm so easily and so cheap. depending on state, you could even get [and legally smog] a single cam zc motor for <$500. those things ROCK. if you're in california, unfortunately, they're not street legal. |
Re: Need some help once again
> > depending on state, you could even get [and legally smog] a single cam > zc motor for <$500. those things ROCK. if you're in california, > unfortunately, they're not street legal. well..im pretty sure down here in the sunshine state they have never asked for emissions test. whats the full engine code on that? thanks for all your input Ricky |
Re: Need some help once again
rickylowary@gmail.com wrote:
>> depending on state, you could even get [and legally smog] a single cam >> zc motor for <$500. �those things ROCK. �if you're in california, >> unfortunately, they're not street legal. > > well..im pretty sure down here in the sunshine state they have never > asked for emissions test. whats the full engine code on that? > > thanks for all your input > > Ricky there are other sources, but this is the one i have in mind. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/88-91...3A1|240%3A1318 basically the same as the d16a6, but with a more aggressive cam. its code is "zc", and that's it. i can vouch for the cam because i have one in my crx - lotsa lotsa fun!!! |
Re: Need some help once again
oh wow nice find.
i'm unfamiliar with how the whole liter thing works...any special things that would need to be done for this to be swapped in or is it just a straight bolt on exchange...besides the belts, hoses, sensors, etc..? |
Re: Need some help once again
rickylowary@gmail.com wrote:
> oh wow nice find. > > i'm unfamiliar with how the whole liter thing works...any special > things that would need to be done for this to be swapped in or is it > just a straight bolt on exchange...besides the belts, hoses, sensors, > etc..? afaik, it's bolt in - why i mentioned it. seen many such transplants in junkyards. belts and all accessories are standard d16. oil cooler is like the prelude, but you shouldn't need to mess with that. get an exhaust from your generation of ex for best results. otherwise, works great stock. junkyards are your friend. use quality oil 'cos this motor revs high and hard and pulls best up at the top end. |
Re: Need some help once again
> > afaik, it's bolt in - why i mentioned it. seen many such transplants in > junkyards. belts and all accessories are standard d16. oil cooler is > like the prelude, but you shouldn't need to mess with that. get an > exhaust from your generation of ex for best results. otherwise, works > great stock. junkyards are your friend. use quality oil 'cos this > motor revs high and hard and pulls best up at the top end. speaking of the devil, i was just there today. very cool, thanks for the find. your're a rockstar |
Re: Need some help once again
wait..a few more things. do these bolt up to an auto tranny ( not
sure if all the zc's are 5 spd) and do they have a space for the air conditioner? possibly idiotic questions, but you never know |
Re: Need some help once again
rickylowary@gmail.com wrote:
> wait..a few more things. do these bolt up to an auto tranny ( not > sure if all the zc's are 5 spd) and do they have a space for the air > conditioner? possibly idiotic questions, but you never know > yes, i've seen them bolted up to auto transmissions. [all the zc's are 5-speed - they have their own beefed-up transmission if you can find one. you might need hybrid driveshafts because i believe the inner joints are larger like integra.] i believe a/c still fits - it's a d16 block, but i've not seen that. |
Re: Need some help once again
jim beam <me@privacy.net> wrote in
news:97WdnRinOvsPBrnXnZ2dnUVZ_radnZ2d@speakeasy.ne t: > rickylowary@gmail.com wrote: >> Yea just on #3. On a college budget, so I really couldn't swallow the >> extra 70 for the rest of them at the time. The compression on that >> cylinder was around 165. The others ranged between 175 and 180. >> >> I did the work with my girlfriend's dad, who is very particular with >> the work. We did deglaze the the cylinder, measured all the rings up >> with a feeler gauge, cleaned the piston with a broken old ring, etc. >> as far as the head, just used light pressure with a scrape and then >> cleaned it up with some sandpaper and wiped it off with a rag. > > next time, use a scraper and solvent only. i've seen this stuff under > the microscope - it's almost impossible to /not/ get abrasive into the > critical parts of the engine if you use abrasives. Oh this is BAD BAD BAD. My mechanic (who has rebuilt countless engines and replaced countless head gaskets) SPECIFICALLY says ***NEVER*** under ANY circumstances to use ANY sort of abrasive to remove head gasket remains. It is, as you say, impossible to keep the "sand" particles out of the cylinders, and the result will be very rapid wear and very high oil consumption very quickly. -- Tegger The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ |
Re: Need some help once again
i've come up with a slightly expensive, but temporary solution. being
that the compression wasn't bad and i only burn oil at high rpm's on the highway..i can only think that the exhaust valve may be getting stuck open or the seal may be leaking. called around today and i can get a head from a local junkyard for $75 and i could send it off to a place that the honda dealership recommended for a complete rebuild for $250. I kept digging to find another d15b7 engine, but couldn't find one without going to a vtech and having to change my exhaust & intake manifolds.. thoughts on this? |
Re: Need some help once again
rickylowary@gmail.com wrote in news:fabce8e1-3702-40e8-b548-7902a5a2e851
@c9g2000yqm.googlegroups.com: > i've come up with a slightly expensive, but temporary solution. being > that the compression wasn't bad and i only burn oil at high rpm's on > the highway..i can only think that the exhaust valve may be getting > stuck open That would have nothing to do with oil consumption. If a valve was stuck open (or burnt) you'd get pretty much zero compression in that cylinder. > or the seal may be leaking. called around today and i can > get a head from a local junkyard for $75 and i could send it off to a > place that the honda dealership recommended for a complete rebuild for > $250. > Not likely to do much for your oil consumption. I think your problem is in the block, not the head. Are you quite certain you installed the new rings the correct way around? Installing them upside down will do very bad things for oil consumption (they are NOT flat). Did you rotate the rings so the gaps are properly away from each other, and did you check the ring end gaps to make sure they were correct? Are you certain the bore was not worn oval? Are you certain the pistons' ring groove clearances are not excessive? > I kept digging to find another d15b7 engine, but couldn't find one > without going to a vtech and having to change my exhaust & intake > manifolds.. > > thoughts on this? A VTEC engine will still function well with the VTEC disconnected. You'll just lose the "high rev" cam lobes, that's all. -- Tegger The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ |
Re: Need some help once again
yea, all the rings were put on with the letter facing up and turned so
it was not on the compression side of the piston or whatever the manual called it. we checked every ring by pushing inside the chamber with the piston and using a feeler gauge. all were well within the new limits. it's just completely throwing me off that it only occurs on the highway. i think a may do a leak down test either tomorrow or friday to see if i can pin point it further. I would definitely be willing to throw in a vtech if i didn't have to get the manifolds from the donor car. i just can't spend all that money for those right now. hopefully this leak down will give me a better idea of whats going on. -Ricky |
Re: Need some help once again
rickylowary@gmail.com wrote in news:5b76d2ff-d886-4157-a916-
50b2ee8cccbf@g1g2000yqh.googlegroups.com: > yea, all the rings were put on with the letter facing up and turned so > it was not on the compression side of the piston or whatever the > manual called it. we checked every ring by pushing inside the chamber > with the piston and using a feeler gauge. all were well within the > new limits. it's just completely throwing me off that it only occurs > on the highway. i think a may do a leak down test either tomorrow or > friday to see if i can pin point it further. > > > I would definitely be willing to throw in a vtech if i didn't have to > get the manifolds from the donor car. i just can't spend all that > money for those right now. > > hopefully this leak down will give me a better idea of whats going on. I suspect the problem is bore/ring/piston wear caused by the abrasive particles from the sandpaper you used to clean the block surface. In other words, the engine is now permanently damaged. For your sake, I hope I'm wrong. You're burning oil only on the highway now, but you'll be puffing everywhere before long. -- Tegger The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ |
Re: Need some help once again
rickylowary@gmail.com wrote in news:5b76d2ff-d886-4157-a916-
50b2ee8cccbf@g1g2000yqh.googlegroups.com: > yea, all the rings were put on with the letter facing up and turned so > it was not on the compression side of the piston or whatever the > manual called it. Did you put all the ring gaps so they were in line with each other? -- Tegger The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ |
Re: Need some help once again
no the manual had the gaps at arranged at different points around the
piston i don't believe any particles could have made it into the cylinder because they were taped off until i was finished. when the oil pan was off, my crankshaft looked amazing and all looked well under there. i could really find out how fast i am getting rid of oil on the highway if i had remembered to throw the new oil pressure switch on there while i had the engine out. now i just have to stop every two hours and do a check. i hope you're wrong as well about the problem being in the block. i guess we will find out in the next few days! |
Re: Need some help once again
Tegger wrote: > rickylowary@gmail.com wrote in news:5b76d2ff-d886-4157-a916- > 50b2ee8cccbf@g1g2000yqh.googlegroups.com: > > >>yea, all the rings were put on with the letter facing up and turned so >>it was not on the compression side of the piston or whatever the >>manual called it. we checked every ring by pushing inside the chamber >>with the piston and using a feeler gauge. all were well within the >>new limits. it's just completely throwing me off that it only occurs >>on the highway. i think a may do a leak down test either tomorrow or >>friday to see if i can pin point it further. >> >> >>I would definitely be willing to throw in a vtech if i didn't have to >>get the manifolds from the donor car. i just can't spend all that >>money for those right now. >> >>hopefully this leak down will give me a better idea of whats going on. > > > > > > I suspect the problem is bore/ring/piston wear caused by the abrasive > particles from the sandpaper you used to clean the block surface. In other > words, the engine is now permanently damaged. For your sake, I hope I'm > wrong. > > You're burning oil only on the highway now, but you'll be puffing > everywhere before long. > I could also be a ventilation issue/emmissions etc. JT |
Re: Need some help once again
rickylowary@gmail.com wrote:
> i've come up with a slightly expensive, but temporary solution. being > that the compression wasn't bad and i only burn oil at high rpm's on > the highway..i can only think that the exhaust valve may be getting > stuck open or the seal may be leaking. called around today and i can > get a head from a local junkyard for $75 and i could send it off to a > place that the honda dealership recommended for a complete rebuild for > $250. > > I kept digging to find another d15b7 engine, but couldn't find one > without going to a vtech and having to change my exhaust & intake > manifolds.. > > thoughts on this? complete waste of money. valves aren't sticking or they'd either be sticking open - measurable as zero compression - or making a clattering noise you could hear in rio. and valves themselves don't burn oil. even with no seals, oil consumption is minor. don't need to change manifolds afaik. it's better if you do for performance, but i don't believe it's a prerequisite for bolt-on. |
Re: Need some help once again
rickylowary@gmail.com wrote:
> yea, all the rings were put on with the letter facing up and turned so > it was not on the compression side of the piston or whatever the > manual called it. we checked every ring by pushing inside the chamber > with the piston and using a feeler gauge. all were well within the > new limits. it's just completely throwing me off that it only occurs > on the highway. i think a may do a leak down test either tomorrow or > friday to see if i can pin point it further. > > > I would definitely be willing to throw in a vtech if i didn't have to > get the manifolds from the donor car. i just can't spend all that > money for those right now. > > hopefully this leak down will give me a better idea of whats going on. > > -Ricky > have you done the simple stuff like check the pcv valve? |
Re: Need some help once again
rickylowary@gmail.com wrote:
> no the manual had the gaps at arranged at different points around the > piston > > i don't believe any particles could have made it into the cylinder > because they were taped off until i was finished. you're laboring under a badly wrong impression on that. guaranteed. > when the oil pan > was off, my crankshaft looked amazing and all looked well under there. shouldn't be surprising unless you're running without air filter, have a blown head gasket or use truly crappy oil and never change it. > > i could really find out how fast i am getting rid of oil on the > highway if i had remembered to throw the new oil pressure switch on > there while i had the engine out. now i just have to stop every two > hours and do a check. > > i hope you're wrong as well about the problem being in the block. i > guess we will find out in the next few days! > dude, honestly, don't dick about with repair. while technically possible, and i can see you geeking out on this, it's simply not cost effective. this is not a rare engine for which no replacements are available. and it's extremely rare for any repair to match the quality of an originally assembled engine. simply replace for a few hundred bucks, buy low mileage jdm, and be done. imo, buying a used engine from a domestic junkyard is a waste of time because it'll be high mileage and not appreciably cheaper. go zc. i'll slap the nasal mucus out of your existing motor, and the vtec come to that. cheapo bolt-in. |
Re: Need some help once again
good call, haven't thought to check the pcv valve yet. will check
that in the a.m. kudos to the first one that can help me find a zc engine that can bolt up to an auto tranny ( or at least help me figure out how to set it in an auto tranny) i'm looking at a lot of jdm sites that are out of d15b7's and d16z6's (zc?) |
Re: Need some help once again
rickylowary@gmail.com wrote:
> good call, haven't thought to check the pcv valve yet. will check > that in the a.m. > > kudos to the first one that can help me find a zc engine that can bolt > up to an auto tranny ( or at least help me figure out how to set it in > an auto tranny) check the bolt pattern, but i've seen it done. as long as the torque plate goes on, the transmission goes on. compare d16a6 with your d15b7 output bolt counts. do you have the honda workshop manual for your vehicle? i have the 88-91 so we can compare notes. > > i'm looking at a lot of jdm sites that are out of d15b7's and d16z6's > (zc?) > so call anyway. if worst comes the worst, get one from a domestic junkyard. there are plenty out there. |
Re: Need some help once again
ever heard of these guys?
http://www.tigerautoparts.com/autopa...y=33&query=257 i would love to get a jdm if i can. most ones in the lot around here are around 125k. it would be like starting over with a clean slate! |
Re: Need some help once again
rickylowary@gmail.com wrote:
> ever heard of these guys? > > http://www.tigerautoparts.com/autopa...y=33&query=257 > > > i would love to get a jdm if i can. most ones in the lot around here > are around 125k. it would be like starting over with a clean slate! > don't have direct experience of suppliers - my honda engines are original. [but i've seen a lot of them in junkyards, especially zc's here in ca. because they can't be smogged in this state, people smog the car, swap the motors, run them for two years until the smog expires, then junk them. they seem to work great, and are generally in much better condition than the domestics because of low mileage.] but there have been a number of people on this group doing the jdm engine thing so google for their contributions. |
Re: Need some help once again
scratch that. they managed to be in the better business bureau books
in canada a being sorry. checked the pcv valve today, checked out ok. think i found an engine about 4 hours away from me. waiting to hear back on mileage and if there were any previous problems with it. not sure why its taken apart tho. take a look...http://tampa.craigslist.org/hil/pts/1202639282.html |
Re: Need some help once again
rickylowary@gmail.com wrote:
> scratch that. they managed to be in the better business bureau books > in canada a being sorry. checked the pcv valve today, checked out ok. > > > think i found an engine about 4 hours away from me. waiting to hear > back on mileage and if there were any previous problems with it. not > sure why its taken apart tho. > > take a look...http://tampa.craigslist.org/hil/pts/1202639282.html i wouldn't touch that. the whole point of going jdm is that you get an engine that hasn't been f'ed about. one that's been disassembled, you don't have a clue. for instance, you're supposed to reassemble head bolts in the same location from which they came... again, i wouldn't touch it. |
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