empi99

I have a 1998 civic ex coupe with a fresh b18b1 rebuilt by me. I've been slowly rebuilding the entire car from a shell for the past year. Every time I have started the car to move it it has ran perfectly. Recently I noticed that my valve cover gasket was leaking oil, so I changed it. Put everything back together and started it and ran it and everything was fine. Let it idle for about 5 minutes while I got my trailer ready. When I came back to my car to put it on the trailer, it was running on 3 cylinders. Two days later, I had it in the shop to fix the shifter stabilizer bolt that broke and added an extra ground wire. Started it up and it ran just fine for about a minute and then it started running on 3 again. Did a compression test on my warmed up motor and discovered that it's about 25 psi lower on cylinder 1. Cylinder 1 is also the one not firing right. I know I did the rings and head gasket correctly. It has arp head studs. The only questionable thing in the engine is the head. I took it in to the only shop in town that does work on honda engines and had them surface and test the head. When I got it back they said the valves were fine and the seals didn't need replacing. I can't think of anything else that could be causing it to lose compression. Any suggestions?

NotARaCist

iTrader: (1)

<p>https://honda-tech.com/honda-civic-d.../#post50363409</p><p>Follow the DIY in that post, and figure out where the air is escaping.</p>

empi99

Tested according to the diy and found the air leak between cylinders. Replaced head gasket. Car idled normal for 20 seconds and then started running on 3 cylinders again.

NotARaCist

iTrader: (1)

<p>Did you just slap a new head gasket on there, or did you actually test to figure out where the air is leaking? &nbsp;There are multiple options other than just the head gasket.</p>

empi99

well according the the machine shop, they machined everything correctly and made sure the valves, seats, and seals were all good. what else could it be? am i unlucky enough to have had two shitty head gaskets in a row? or did i get charged for a bunch of horse manure machining?

NotARaCist

iTrader: (1)

<p>Or your rings are failed. &nbsp;Or you washed your cylinders. &nbsp;Or you cracked a sleeve. &nbsp;Repeat the compression test. &nbsp;After you've done the dry test, repeat the test with about 2 teaspoons of oil in each cylinder, see if that changes the numbers. &nbsp;Post your dry and wet compression test numbers here. &nbsp;Once you've done that, do the pressure test again, and make sure you're 100% certain where the air is escaping. &nbsp;Are you using a quality head gasket? &nbsp;Are you sure you're installing it correctly? &nbsp;Are you torquing the head in proper sequence? &nbsp;Did you replace your head bolts? &nbsp;Did the machine shop only surface the head, or did they check the block as well?</p>

empi99

i have brand new pistons and rings and rods and bearings and crank. im using a felpro gasket because thats all i can get right now. i have arp studs and yes i torqued the sequence correctly. they checked the block and said it was good, resurfaced the head. honestly... this is the only machine shop in town that does work on honda stuff and everything they've done for me personally has come back bad. everyone else swears by them though. Im thinking i might need a new block at this point.

NotARaCist

iTrader: (1)

<p>Did you have the block honed? &nbsp;If not, then brand new rings don't really mean dick.</p>

empi99

I honed it myself with a three stone honing tool.