xchikon

I have a b20b swap in my del sol. Ever since I put it in ive had idle issues. The idle will start high around 1800rpm and eventually level out to 600-800 after warm up but still fluctuates while driving.
The car also has a tapping noise coming from the head on the drivers side.
A valve lash adjustment has already been done properly.
On top of that the car won't stay at operating temp. It'll get up there after I let it warm up but drops as I drive or if I turn on the heat.

I'm not to sure where else to look. No vacuum leaks either.

Thanks for any help!!

White_EG1

For the idle issue, clean the IACV. For the the tapping noise make sure your timing is dead on.

xchikon

I've cleaned the iacv, changed my throttle body as well. Are you sure timing would make a tapping noise?

White_EG1

Yeah, especially if you skip a tooth, which would be accompanied by loss of performance. Did this happen after the valve adjustment?

xchikon

Well I bought the engine and it came with a blown head gasket. So I changed that and I wasn't aware that the rocker arms in this b20 head can fall out unlike the b18c. So long story short they all fell out and I adjusted the most spec.

So it is possible I skipped a tooth. Would this be accompanied by the shitty idle? Or would one tooth on the timing not cause that?

Btw random CEL pops up when it's really cold. I've never been able to check it because it's on random days in the morning on the way to work and by lunch they're gone.

Thanks for the help

White_EG1

Not sure what your talking about... Rockers arms just fall out? Uh did you tighten them to SPEC? You said most, which is not a clear answer. I hope you tightened every single last rocker arm nut to spec!

If this happened while you were driving, or letting the engine idle. That tapping noise is the least of your problems.

Do a compression test! Then give us the numbers, and we'll go from there.

xchikon

Sorry, my phone auto corrected. I tightened them all to spec. Double and triple checked. The rocket arms are not mounted on the b20 heads, they can just lift up and pull out. On the b18c they can't fall out. Maybe it's just non vtec heads that are like that I'm not sure.
I put the head on its side while changing the head gasket and they fell out. No rocker arms fell out while driving if that's what you mean. I'm not even sure how that would happen.

I'll have to get a compression tester soon and report back. Would timing also cause the heat issue?

White_EG1

Yeah if "most" of them were only tightened. I have a non vtec engine, and there's clearly bolts on the rocker arms. I don't see how they just "fall off". Show us the cylinder head diagram of the rocker arms.... Well unless your trolling. Until then post the compression numbers.

The heat issue is a totally different problem, trouble shoot and diagnose this one first IMO.

09chaplak

1,2,3, and 4 are rocker arms. I think you mean the lost motion assemblies.