jango_night

Hey guys. I'm in need of some advice from the mechanically minded.

Besides a decent lack of power, my 98 Civic (D16Y8 w/ 170,000 miles) engine has started leaking oil really bad. Started at about a quart a month, then quickly went to a quart a week. I diagnosed one leak at the vtech solenoid and replaced that gasket, which fixed that leak. Apparently other leaks got worse because it quickly went to using a quart of oil every two days. Oil looks like it is leaking somewhere on the back of the engine, but I can't pinpoint anywhere.

I decided to check compression due to the lack of power. Compression on cylinders 1 and 3 read 180 psi each. Cylinders 2 and 4 are at 120 psi dry, 15 psi below the minimum and well out of range of the 10% max variance between cylinders. Wet compression bumps the cylinders 2 and 4 up to 150 psi, so I'm guessing those rings are bad. The car was overheated once about two years ago from a hose that went bad, but never ran bad until recently.

I'm only trying to get the car back to being a reliable daily driver, no major perfomance mods or anything in its future. Money is tight. So......do you think the engine is worth rebuilding (granted that I don't have a cracked block or scored crank), or should I swap in another Y8?

I started tearing it apart last night to see if I can find anything majorly wrong. I think the head is probably fine, but still want to check for worn valves, maybe cracked head or block from when it overheated. I've tried finding a decent engine where I'm at in Mobile, AL but am having trouble sourcing one from junkyards or anywhere else locally. Honda wants $3600 for a short block, and the auto parts stores want $2200. That's kind of steep for a Y8.

Just looking for some suggestions from those that know more about mechanics and troubleshooting than me. I'm slowly learning. My first successful project was rebuilding the head on an 1987 MR2. I replaced a clutch by myself on a 93 V6 MX3 that I used to own, so I'm trying to learn but I've never dealt with low compression/oil leaks like this before and need some help from the experts.

grumblemarc

iTrader: (4)

If you decide to replace the engine get one from HMO. Cheap and low mileage.
http://www.hmotorsonline.com/shop/

jango_night

I had looked at them, but they don't have a D16Y8. I looked at buying a B18C from them for a swap, but I don't have that much money at the moment or the time to pay someone else to do wiring and and all the miscellaneous stuff in between dropping it in, connecting things, and driving.

shogee

Well is the oil leaking or burning, leaks can be prevented by replacing the pcv valve. Also if u are taking the engine apart might as well get a complete gasket set and replace all of them. Also u should be able to find a long block on craigslist for around 4-500, or just find one at a local junkyard. U can probably get the bottom end rebuilt for around the same price.

jango_night

From what I can tell, it's not burning oil badly. There's some black soot in the exhaust like it's running a little rich, but it doesn't blow black smoke when accelerating or cruising. The PCV valve was replaced in the last 10,000 miles. Craigslist doesn't have any Y8s in the area.

My mechanic is pricing out a bottom end rebuild for me. The top-end seal set with the headgasket is only $211 from Honda, so that's not too bad. Honda doesn't sell the lower seals. They say they sold out of them and I'll have to find aftermarket somewhere. What's the best aftermarket seals that you have found for Honda engines? On my MR2, it was a pain getting anything but the Toyota seals to work. Aftermarket seals seemed to be a little off for it.

If I can come out for under $1,000 with me doing most of the work and outsourcing what I'm not comfortable with, I'll be happy.

ThatRicerDaniel

For the price and effort I would just replace the long block. I am sure you can find on cheap online or even local. What is your location?

jango_night

I'm in Mobile, AL. Only online place that I've found a Y8 long block is JSpec Auto for $1095 with 60k miles on it, but I've heard lots of horror stories from them with their engines needing a reseal kit and/or a rebuild before its usable. And I've heard the same for eBay motors.

I wish HMO had the Y8 because I've heard nothing but good things about them. But unfortunately they don't.

grumblemarc

iTrader: (4)

http://www.hmotorsonline.com/shop/sc...age&item=30021

ThatRicerDaniel

Call H.A.P. in Rancho Cordova. Trust worthy guys and great prices.

jango_night

I've read for that swap there's still some wiring changes that needs to be done. Although it would be nice to finally drop the automatic that attached to my Y8 since I detest it and I've heard the gear ratios are horrible when it's put up to the D15. The 5 speed tranny for it is only $275. I'd still need to source shift linkage, shifter, clutch pedal which will take more time than I have though with me working full time. I do all my engine work after my daytime job so I have plenty of time there, but all the junkyards around here are you-pull-its and close before I get off work so I can't source parts.


Thanks for the lead, ThatRicerDaniel. I checked them out. They have three but two were in bad front end collisions and one has high mileage and would be looking at a rebuild soon.

Looks like I will be doing a rebuild. At least I know what this engine has been through. I'm just concerned about how reliable the rebuild will be. Is it your experience that a rebuild on an engine to fix low compression on some of the cylinders is reliable, if quality parts are used and work is done by the books? I know the seal kit will fix the oil leak as long as I prep surfaces and the block/head is solid. I just don't feel comfortable with the compression. Some threads I've read say to get the reliability you need to bore the cylinders out and then get new pistons to fit the larger bore. Some say hone it and keep stock rings to fix the compression.

Common sense says that it depends on what wore out as to which is right. If the cyclinder walls are shot, it probably needs to be bored over with new pistons. If the rings are shot, get new rings of the standard size and hone. What have you all seen as to which is the most common? My guess is rings. And if so, a rebuild might be my best option since I can't source a decent Y8 from a reputable shop.

B18dudeg

could be your rear main seal they have been known to go and they can make a car leak a lot of oil

hyperblu

Oil pan gaskets are bad about dripping like crazy

Texas4door

Don't forget that front main seal too!

jango_night

I was thinking rear main seal might be part of the oil leaks too. If the transmission's shaft (or whatever the technical term is, lol) is spinning and slinging leaking oil, it could make it appear in different places, maybe.....

Well, I've started tearing it down. I've got the airbox out, fuel rail with injectors, power steering pump, exhaust manifold, and am starting to take of the intake manifold. Oil is everywhere. lol. I'm cleaning up as I go, hoping to not find anything too bad that can't easily be fixed. I work on the civic after work before it gets dark, and then it's inside to finish putting my 87 MR2 engine back together. I'll be glad when all my cars are running again. I measured clearances on my MR2 mains and rods. Everything was in spec, so I'm clear to put her back together.

jango_night

So almost two months later and I haven't made much progress since my last post. Okay.... much is an understatement. I haven't made any progress on the Civic. My MR2 is back together and is running pretty good, though. I just put my first 50 miles on the rebuild.

So now that I'm back to one broken down car, this project can finally begin for real. I'm leaning towards fixing and selling because it is an automatic. Once this car is gone, all my automatics will be history. I just sold my wife's automatic Accord last month and got a 2007 manual Civic. My MR2 is a manual. The automatic just doesn't fit in. It has to go.

jango_night

I started tearing the civic apart, but as life always is, one thing after another, there's no way I can finish this myself unless I let it sit there until my Christmas vacation week. So I took it to a local mechanic (**cringes**). They said it was a busted rear main seal. So $240 dollars later for labor and $20 for an OEM rear main seal and its fixed for now.

Thanks for throwing around ideas with me guys. I hate I had to take it to someone else. I like tearing things apart and doing it myself, learning as I go, but time was a killer on this one.

motegicivic

The rear main seal, did it seem to show oil on the trans case too, towards the front?

I have a lot of oil under my dizzy area heading towards the front near the header area.