aleebee156

Hey guys,

I have a 1987 CRX D15A2. Its the DX not HF. it had a severe overheat and blew the head gasket. I pulled the head, had it resurfaced (passed the pressure test) replaced the head gasket (and others), after putting the freshly machined head back on i replaced the cap and rotor, wires and plugs. brand new plugs, started the car, it ran for a bit at idle, so i drove it down the road and it died on me. the plugs in cylinders 1-3 are all fouled from oil. I took the head back off, had the machine shop grind the valves and replace the vale stem seals but there didn't seem to be any real problems with the ones in there. they weren't super hard or cracked. so i have the head back now, its top notch and ready to go, but oil is still getting in. Piston rings right? the overheat was as severe as could get. The car was driven without water/coolant until it died. 181,000 miles on the car. oh i forgot to mention that it smokes like you've never seen before! well, maybe you have

So... my question... should i pull the oil pan, push the pistons through the top, hone the cylinders with a dingle-ball hone or one of the three stone ones, replace the rings and reinstall pistons, oil pan back on and be good to go?

-Or-

pull the entire motor and have it machined and overhauled...

-Or-

just buy a new motor and make a swap? (if you think i should do this, let me tell you that i am most interested in the gas mileage, can i swap in the HF model of this motor without any issues?)

Which would be most cost effective?

Thanks in advance for the help.

.Chris

1grex

Tough one. When things get to this point in the game you have to ask yourself: "how much do I really want/love/need this car?". How sound is the rest of the car? If its never been wrecked, has been well maintained, etc. then to me the best option would be to pull this motor and have it gone through by a good machine shop. I mean, feel free to disassemble in-frame & check it out, but after being overheated it would be bad if, after dinglberry & re-ring you only got a few thousand more miles out of it. There is cost-effective and there is time-effecive to consider too. Now are you sure that the plugs are fouled with oil? It could be fuel. If the car sat for a long time these carburetors will screw up with old fuel in the bowl...

aleebee156

1grex: i just got the car a month ago... It is in great shape! i wish i had some pictures. body is straight, paint is good, interior is awesome, everything is original, never wrecked. I got it from an old war vet. Awesome guy, it was his baby and he drove it a few days a week. so it wasn't sitting, it passed smog last november in 2009. Im sure that its oil. I definitely need the car, the 14mpg at 80miles/day Im getting now is killing me! Just thinking about it now, i would love to have this car run me another 200,000 miles. So i guess in the long run, since thats what im in for, it would be best to pull the engine. Only problem... i've never done that. im pretty handy and can figure most things out and from what i've heard this is probably as basic as an engine pull gets. hmmmmmm, any thoughts for me.

E-AT_me

pull it. if you pulled the head on this beast already, most of the bolts are already freed. also, it's probably easier pulling the whole motor than just the head. no need to ditch a perfectly good car right? hehee.

aleebee156

Sounds like from the responses and my other reading most say to pull the engine. I have never done a job like that before, but actually sounds like something that I would like to do at least once. Since i still have my jeep i can drive I have some time. If i decide to pull the engine is there any major things that i should do while i have it all apart? What about enhancements or improvements? I want to keep the gas mileage as good as it gets, anything i can do to improve that? In the end, if i do this, i would like the car to be a very solid agressive little car. not for racing or auto cross, just a good performing DD that will catch an eye. Thanks again. Ill let you know how it goes.

Oh, what is everything exactly that i would need the machine shop to do if i pulled the engine? And would you suggest new pistons, rods, etc everything? or just rings and bearings...

1grex

Get a manual and a hoist. Or maybe you have a friend with access to a lift? These things can come out the bottom or the top. Move slowly and with purpose and mark your stuff/take photos on the way out b/c the machine shop will have your motor a couple of weeks or so. Just take it to the machine shop and say "check this thing out, I'm thinking about getting it rebuilt". They will tear it down and should be able to give you a run-down of what it needs and a pretty close estimate. I should think no more than 1100 WORST CASE. While its out I would get a clutch kit and have the flywheel resurfaced. Possible overkill, but a new or newly rebuilt carb would be a true "I don't want to even think about this engine for another 200K miles" maneuver..

E-AT_me

since you'll be messing with them, check your axles, ball joints, clutch, maybe have the flywheel machined a few lbs less.. i'd be sure to replace all rubber seals in the engine because you should anyways. timing belt, water pump. just all maintenance stuff. it will be much easier while it's all apart..

aleebee156

Thanks for the responses guys! I have been backed up on this project. But i got the engine out yesterday, pulling the tranny off of it today after work. I got a quote from my local machine shop of about $1,188.00 to overhual the whole engine. thats a full Master kit, Timing belt/tensioner, oil pump included, rings, pistons, bearings, new crank, freeze plugs, everything. he is charging me $95/hr and for 4 hours of labor. how does that sound to everyone? i was hoping to get it closer to $800. i can get a nre/rebuilt motor for $1,200. what do you think? have mine rebuilt or get the new motor? the new motor is the full long block, includes the head. here is the link to the engine:

http://www.everdrive.com/partdetails...px?sku=3323067

any advice from this point is greatly appreciated. should i pull the engine down myself and just have the shop hone & bore the cylindars and resurface the deck and put everything back together myself? or is it worth it for me to just have them do it and reassemble the full long block and all i have to do is put it back in...

much thanks!

1grex

I have dealt with Everdrive before for other vehicles and they are a good company, great service, a big warranty that they have honored for me before. But you pay out the *** for it..You do realize that the link above is for a used engine? Even the $800 "stripped down" deal you'd still be looking at resealing, gasket kit, TB, WP, etc.. You might could get a used engine in your area (they are getting harder to find) for probably $300 but only 90 day or so warranty. Anyway, pwuk dat. That quote from your machine shop is reasonable, did he mention if that included tear-down & assembly? If so I would get on that if the word around town is good about this guy. I'm sure the shop will only honor any warranty they have if they are the ones putting the engine back together. I worked in a machine shop for 2 years so I no BS

aleebee156

the total came to about $1300 with new head bolts, the MLS Head Gasket and new water pump. And yes, that covers tear down of the short block (the Head is already completely rebuilt and has never been put on the car yet), bore & hone, block prep, heat tank, and reassmeble the long block. has 12month/12,000mile warranty. so i just need to drop it back in and away i go.

1grex

OK man, keep us up!