richk14

iTrader: (1)

It's been a month or two since my last check in. Last I posted, my 5G H22A4 was misfiring due to a leaking head gasket. Since then, the problem has been addressed with a Cometic HG and since I was in there, got the head tanked, decked, and ground, I also picked up some ARP head studs, a KS tensioner, gates timing kit and all the applicable seals within.

The past couple months have been a tedious (and expensive) journey. My hands hate me, given I spent like 3 weeks scrubbing accessories, transmissions, blocks, and heads, but goddamn do they look great! I have a rule about not putting dirty parts back on cars, and hopefully since I scrubbed all the 'lesser' components, it'll make the greater assembly look pretty after it's all said and done.

Over the weekend I serviced all the fluids, changed the oil filter and threw some new NGK's in it. It started almost immediately. Yay. My excitement was quickly extinguished by a knock/tapping noise coming from near #1/2 cylinders. It sounded like it was coming from the head, but I can't pin point it any further than that. It didn't fade away with RPM, it consistently followed it with no change in volume or severity. As the engine warmed up the noise slowly faded away. Once hitting normal operating temps, it seemed as though it totally went away. After idling for about 10-15min, it threw a CEL for a knock sensor problem. During the rebuild the existing knock sensor got demolished, and replaced (non-OEM) so I figured it was related to the noise that had disappeared, so I cleared it.

Enter the valve cover. I popped off the valve cover to double check the valve lash, and adjusted a few (no big adjustments). While I was in there I noticed the timing belt sort of slid back and forth on the cam gears a bit, so after struggling to remove the crank pulley for ~3hrs, I pulled the timing covers off and adjusted the KS tensioner a bit.

I reassembled everything and cranked it up. The knock persists. Again, disappearing after warm up. After warm up, I took it out for the ever coveted 'maiden voyage'. Everything was smooth and fluid. On the way back, I opened it up a bit (~70% throttle) and got a CEL. Back at home I pulled the codes. It gave me a stored code of P0325 (Knock Sensor Circuit Malfunction) and a pending code of P0401 (EGR Flow Insufficient).

I see a couple of possibilities at the moment. I understand that a clogged/inoperative EGR system or valve could cause a knock, thus eliminating the new sensor. I highly doubt this because I excessively cleaned the intake manifold and EGR valve when the head was removed.

Possibility number two: Buying a cheap knock sensor bit me in the ***. And I have a random pending EGR code for reasons unknown to me.

I've also had an ABS light that bugs the **** out of me. Code 1-7 and 8-1 if I remember correctly. I've tried troubleshooting it as per the Helms, but I'm bad at wires.

Feel free to bounce some thoughts off me. The intermittent knock and CEL/ABS lights have me at a loss.



/RK

Fliptard

Well, is it a knock, or more of a tick? Like is the valve lash was not right? If it's the tick, I can guarentee it's just the lma's (lost motion assemblys) They hold the vtec rocker from bouncing around while it's not in vtec. they are like 7-8$ from honda, but you have to remove your rockers to change them.

richk14

iTrader: (1)

More of a knock, really. If it were the LMAs would it go away after warm up? If my understanding of their operation is accurate, temp/oil pressure doesn't effect them.

Bouckaroo

Well i hate to point out the obvious, however, when you had bad HG it damaged the bottom end causing the knock?

richk14

iTrader: (1)

Care to elaborate as to how that could possibly happen?

Fliptard

coolant in oil will spin bearings.

richk14

iTrader: (1)

Agreed, but a spun bearing would cause rod knock, which doesn't go away after the engine warms up.

richk14

iTrader: (1)

I've been thinking about your hypothesis. Cold start, LMAs are short and squishy, after warmup they expand a little and keep the VTEC rocker from slapping around... You may be on to something. Unfortunately the only way to confirm or reject your idea would be to pull the cams out, which I'm not a fan of doing. Back to the garage I guess.

/RK

Bouckaroo

The knock may not be from the rods, it could be fRom the balance shaft bearings being spun, or a mian bearing being spun, due to either to much heat, breakdown of oil, coolant in oil or a mixture of the three.

Hell it could be somethign compeltly different but im basing what i say on the issue you describe, so perhaps put up a fuckign sound clip or something, rather than just ask open ended questions and then arrogantly ask "how somethign could happen" when someone offers opinion.

But hey, what do i ******* know, my lude runs and drives wihtout making a bunch of fuckign noises due to shotty craftsmenship.