[TxGreaseMonkey]

My daughter-in-law was from Ottawa--now she lives in L.A. Zero for compression? If you tested each cylinder properly, it sounds like there must be valve and/or piston damage.

[helicopterPilot]

Oh cool, bet she loves it down there.

Does the piston do all 4 (intake, compression. Ignition and exhaust) all in one camshaft turn? Or 2?

Because if it were 2, then what if it was just a simple case of taking off the timing belt and turning the crank shaft another 360 while keeping the camshaft where it is there ?

I have no idea what Im talking about, haha.

Anyway, you helped me more than enough, thanks for everything but Im going to keep going at this, Im pretty persistent :P

[TxGreaseMonkey]

Two turns. Your "solution" will not change things, however.

Did you remove all of the spark plugs; screw in a compression gauge, in turn, to each spark plug hole; and have someone crank the starter motor to check the compression? If you did, then you will get to know your engine even better, as you restore the valves, head, and pistons.

[helicopterPilot]

Well... I couldn't take it, I ripped out everything again, it was driving me nuts.

What I found... The tdc marks weren't aligned anymore.. what gives?

And earlier in our conversation, I was talking about a woodruff key in the crankshaft. Wich I lost, haha. I didn't even know it existed. And I've been putting it all back together without it the hole time. Could that be why the TDC lines don't match?

[TxGreaseMonkey]

Only if the crankshaft timing belt pulley (sprocket) didn't have the woodruff key installed. However, it wouldn't affect timing if the crankshaft pulley was missing its key--the A/C, power steering, and alternator just wouldn't work.

[helicopterPilot]

Hey!how's it going?

Just giving you an update on my project:P

So after the compression test, I started look at valve adjustment. I found that my intake valves where way out, like.. almost a half inch out! When its suppose to be .2 mm or whatever. I think my intake valves got wacked.. possible ? Maybe no air was ever getting to the cylinder. My exhaust were fine, just a little off.

Now I have the cylinder head off.. or just about :)

[TxGreaseMonkey]

I'm proud of you. Soon you will know one heck of a lot about Civics. Stay greasy and learn!

I've been out this evening servicing a school teachers 2004 Ford Expedition automatic transmission. Just finished.

Keep us posted--many of us want to see you get that car back on the road soon.

[helicopterPilot]

!! ITS ALIVE!!

Hey! I just had to let you know. Started her up for the first time this morning. She purrs like a kitten :D

So I brought her for a test drive and no funny sounds or anything. The only thing is I got to the end of my road and It's a good thing Im used to looking at gauges because I noticed the temp gauge raising past half way and I'm sure she would have kept going if I hadn't shut off the car. So I let her cool off, drove her back here.

Now.. Is there such a thing as bleeding engine coolant? Or maybe some crud fell in the coolant and creating blockage? Or bad thermostat?

Anyway.. just wanted to say thanks and Ill be sure to pass it on. Whether helping someone fix his car on the road or at least give him a lift.


THANKS

-Mathieu

[TxGreaseMonkey]

Very, very nice job! Did you have to rebuild the head and install new valves, pistons, and connecting rods? Tell us exactly.

To refill Hondas, it's important to open the bleeder bolt (located next to where the top hose attaches to the engine), add coolant until it comes out of the bleeder bolt, tighten the bleeder bolt, turn the heater control to high, turn the fan off, run the engine until the thermostatically controlled radiator fan comes on, add additional coolant until the radiator is full, and rinse out and refill the coolant reservoir. On all cars, it's important to purge air from the cooling system, since it can cause overheating or no heat in the system. Be sure to refill with a 50/50 mixture of DexCool and distilled water. Its formulation meets the silicate-free requirement of Honda. Minerals found in tap water tend to combine with coolant additives. When this happens, they form a chemical complex called “phosphate scale,” which coats the heat-transfer surfaces of radiators, heater cores, and heads, resulting in decreased heat-transfer efficiency. When this occurs, your vehicle will overheat and run much hotter than it was designed to. This scale can also lead to the destruction of water pump bearings. When this happens, the radiator or heater core must be removed and roded or replaced. Otherwise, buy pre-diluted ready-to-use coolant, which is a 50/50 mixture of antifreeze and demineralized water (more expensive, but convenient).

[helicopterPilot]

HA! Done and done. I have to say Im very fortunate . Strangers helping me out online, my dad is a mechanic and was a snap-on dealer. I had all the tools :D

I pulled the cylinder head and replaced all the valves. Seated all the new ones with grinding compound, all new seals and everything was re-torqued. I snapped one of the camshaft bolts because I didn't know how to use a torque wrench, haha, ooops. I got lucky and used a reverse drill bit to get it out, took 2 seconds. And I was too impatient to wait for an order so I just put a home hardware bolt :S, grade 8 instead of grade 10.

I am strapped for cash so I didn't replace any piston rods or seals... I know I know. It is what it is. I was also pressed for time. I have 2 full time jobs and no time to sleep because I would work on the car. But we inspected the cylinders and not one scratch on them, the rings were fine. The piston themselves just had a little nick where the valves hit but nothing to be concerned about.

I drove the car for about 3 hours last night in zig zags around my home town, just in case. You can get away with towing your own car in the country but never would you pull it off in the city. Ill drive another 3 hours today and then do a oil change. I was told it would be a good Idea since prestone may have mixed with the oil. I bought 5 w 30 synthetic... I remember you saying I should get a specific oil for e test purposes. I need to get the car e tested because it hasn't passed in the pass 2 years and if it doesn't pass by march, the car get pulled off the road. What would you recommend I do to get the car ready for e test?

Thanks

[TxGreaseMonkey]

Again, H-Pilot, very nice job--I'm impressed. I'd want you on my team. Was the overheating caused by air in the system?

For emissions testing:

. Ensure the Check Engine Light is not on and that all codes are cleared.

. Install a new catalytic converter.

. Ensure the gas cap seals properly.

. Adjust idle speed to 700 rpm, when the engine is at normal operating temperature.

. Check timing with a strobe light.

. Change the engine oil and filter (Mobil One 5W-30 and Mobil 1 filter). In the future, change synthetic oil and filter every 10,000 km or 6 months, whichever comes first.

[helicopterPilot]

I just kept topping off the coolant while the engine ran. I also tried pumping the bottom hose in an attempt to push out any air bubbles.

Lol, I drove this morning and got the check engine light and a small amount of smoke out of the rad cap, I guess I didn't bleed it well enough but there's no bleeder valve (weird). The temp gauge always stayed in a comfortable position so... not sure what I'm suppose to look for. And also haven't seen the rad fan kick on yet

Anyway, Ill plug in the scanner tonight and see what commes up. But for now, I have a date :D

Ill let you know

[TxGreaseMonkey]

I've never seen a Honda without an air bleeder bolt. Check you Shop Manual. What code was thrown? Smoke out the radiator cap may indicate air and steam. Squeeze the top radiator hose, while the engine is at normal operating temperature and running.

Turn the air conditioner on and see if both the radiator fan and the condenser fan run. Without the A/C on, it's probably too cool in Canada for the radiator fan to come on.

[helicopterPilot]

Ok, it's complete. Engine temp is good. The rad cap had oil on it or something, whatever it was, it burned off.

The code that came back was the same I've had from the getgo. P0420, the cateletic converter is finished. Wich would explain why the car hasn't been passing e test .

Anyway, I have a new project , my dads plow truck won't start , haha aaarrg

[TxGreaseMonkey]

I'm sure it will pass inspection, after the catalytic converter is replaced. Nice job!