Okay my distributor bolts are loose so I can put it back in time because I got a different head for my car. So when I turn the car over to start it the distributor like tries to come out an gets all tight an I can't move it. I looked at the head but my shaft is not bent? Its not the distributor... so what's going on here thanks.

Are you absolutely positive you have the camshaft properly timed when it went back together? Sounds like a valve is contacting a piston.

Wow didn't think about that I'm sure I did put it the way I had it before. How do I put that back in time? I know the bottom gear has a mark an the head you have the mark saying up has to be up an the number piston has to be up.

I'm assuming from your name this is a Honda engine... likely a 4 cylinder. Am I correct?

Yep it's a 90 honda 1.6

The cam timing gear (s) will have the timing mark UP, and the crank gear will have its make UP as well. I'm assuming nothing got rotated when it was apart and #1 is still at Top dead center (the crank gear wouldn't have its mark UP if it wasn't). Easy to confirm with a chopstick or a long screwdriver inserted into the #1 spark plug hole however. And I am also assuming you are looking at the correct marks.


Also... with the distributer off, it does spin freely (the distributer)? Doesn't it, I'm asking in case the rotor hasn't come loose and is hitting the cap inside. Its secured with a set screw on many of the 1.6 engines, but they can come loose or may be missing.

Certain 1.6 engines have a distributer that can be put in 180 degrees out... others don't (there are a number including a twin cam 1.6 D series engine, not including other series engines such as the B not to mention ODB0, ODB1 and ODB2). Just make sure its in the correct orientation just to be sure.

If you put it in with it not having the ridge engaging the slot in the cam it may bind up as you describe as well.

Ya I did all that how to put it in time, I took a hanger an made sure it was dead center an the cam gear saying up, up. I took off the distributor everything was fine. That's what the cam is doing now is binding up as it seem. That has to be the only thing I messed up on not having the (ridge engaging the slot) so how do I go about doing that..

I am not sure what you was saying... it turns fine with the distributer out? Timimg belt is on I assume and you do not rotate the engine backwards that WILL make it jump time. Remember all Honda engines before the K series rotate backwards compared to every other engine but the Corvair.

If you mean how to get the ridge aligned on the cam... just take the distributer cap off and before you bolt it down hold it in place and rotate the distributer with the rotor until it drops in place, If you look at #1 on the cap... and the engine is on #1 you don't need to move it much. Then put the bolts that hold the distributer in place.

An when I do that that's going to stop it from binding up?

I haven't tried it when the distributor out so I'm going todo that later an see if it works right an if the bolts are there an tight. I haven't had any prob with it till I got a different head for my car an used the same parts inside the head. But ill see if that's the distribtor an get back at you. Thanks for your help.

K well I took the distribtor off an I just turned the part that hooks in the cam shaft about 15 times with my fingers to see if that was loose or bent, once I did that it set in there perfact an when I turn to start it, it didn't try to push it out or nothing so that worked. But now it don't seem like its getting spark.. I took off all the spark plugs to see if it gets any an just 3 spark but one don't..

If three get a spark and one doesn't then there are only two possibilities. You have a bad spark plug wire, or bad spark plug because you WILL have it at the distributor cap.

Make sure the plug wires are seated in the cap first. You were playing with that and so one may have started to come out. If so its an easy fix.

I do hope you replaced the timing belt and water pump. They have a finite life and if either fail... you will have pistons hitting valves very hard.

K I replaced the timing belt an the spark plug I'm getting spark an gas but now no fire still. So is my timing still out.. an when I do try to start it its really slow even when I have it hooked up to another car jumping it? Everything is fine on my car till I got the different head on it now its being all like this.

Easiest way to get it close enough to start it. Put the engine to TDC on #1. With the distributercap off make a mark where the rotor is pointed. Put the cap back on and rotate the distributor so the #1 plug wife lines up with that mark. THAT will get you close enough to start it and use a timing light once it is.

Make sure your battery is full charged. A weak battery can create a lot of other problems that will have you looking for problems that aren't really there.

Including making it hard to start.

Make sure ALL the sensors are plugged in to the correct spots. There are a few you can plug in the wrong place if you didn't mark them well. Check all the other wiring well too.

See if you can hear the fuel pump come on when you turn the key on. Its actually in the fuel tank.

Okay well I found out that I didn't have the spark plug wires in the right spot wow lol I had it going 1 2 4 3 so fixed that but still no go. Get fire an spark but it just sits there an spins. I looked at the timing an made sure its all good an its all in the right spot. When we had the head off my dude broke a head bolt so am I losing compression?

The only way to know that is to use a compression gauge on each cylinder.

I am assuming you extracted the broken head bolt and replaced it. You do need every head bolt on it to be there.

These bolts stretch... usually you can use them twice but not always... the only way to be sure is to measure each one. Something you are unlikely to have the tools to do.

I think when its not starting is because of the starter. It turns but really slow till the battery dies. Even when I'm jumping it to it still turns over slow so there for I'm not getting good turn from my starter toget good compression so I'm going toget none tomorrow an let you know how it goes.

I've been sick as a dog and away froim the computer all week.

Did you ever get your battery load tested at the auto parts store... Batteries die far more often than starters do.

I can't tell you how many times I've seen people chasing one problem or another when a simple load test would have shown the battery was weak.

Everything is fine got it all tested. It just dies when I try to start it so I have to keep the jumper cables hooked up anyway off that. Im getting no compression in my cylinders? Well the 3ed one is getting 50 that's it. What would make nun of my cylinders have no compression?

Well. First and most likely cause I can think of was sitting the used head face down during handling and bent some valves, second most likely was cranking the engine if it was as little as 2 or more teeth out of time which would have meant valve piston contact occurred and bent valves...

Also if the old gasket surface of the block and cylinders wasn't cleaned properly a new head gasket wouldn't have sealed.

And my personal experience is those OEM head gaskets do stick to the block VERY tightly and are a major PITA to clean off. The one I did was so bad It took me two hours to get it clean.

This all assumes that there was no lower end damage of any sort before you replaced the head. A Leakdown test will let you know which it is. But its not worth spending money on doing (unless you have a friend who can do it for free) as you already know you have a major problem and it has to come out.

Quite honestly... if the car is in any sort of condition... look into a good used JDM engine of the right type. It's a fairly low cost route to get a good low mileage engine.

You never ssaid exactly which kind of engine this was and out of which model. You have to be careful because there major wiring differences between certain engines... THe DX civic (and the STD I believe) being a dual point injection... while the HP and Si being Multipoint fuel injected. If your car is an HF or Si it's a LOT easier for the swap.

And I do think the wiring to swap any of the MPFI engines into a DPFI chassis would be more than you can deal with. Its not a job for a neophyte. You have to be a good solderer, and be comfortable with wiring.