Well basically what I’m up to the weekend, or better yet the upcoming week is replacing my head.

The past couple of weeks since turbo my cylinder head temp rises when I’m at idle or when I am boosting for a while. Plus the coolant over flow would fill and the rad would empty. Basically the first sign of a head gasket going typically. One way to find out is to hold the upper rad hose and feel for pulsing when the car is going, or a leak down or compression test. Since I pulled all my plugs and they were nice and tannish all except for the # 1 plug, which was covered in oil. Hence my problem, burning oil in cylinder # 1, either a bad valve stem seal, which I doubt as the head is a 99 and was rebuilt fresh, or a bad head gasket. The later is the problem, as I was at the initial stages of overheating and my rad was filling the over flow tank as a result of pressurizing the coolant system, which again, head gasket.

So last night after I got home from work (with this big damn smoke cloud following me) after hauling the plugs I got right to it and started to disconnect everything from the head, exhaust manifold with the turbo, all coolant hoses, sensors, and intake manifold. After setting the motor to TDC and hauling the top pan, you can really see what sythetic oil does, the head assembly is spotless. I drained the coolant, oil and hauled the filter off, disconnected my oil send line to the turbo as I’m putting all steel braided hoses with a manifold distribution box for my oil pressure gauge, oil pressure sensor and feed to the turbo ( the correct way I might add) which will be mounted on my strut tower. It should look pretty clean when its done.

Anyway it raining out today so I’m going to paint my top pan and get my old Z6 head ready to go back on. I’m going back with the Z6 head as it will lower my compression ( yeah I want to run more boost, say 8spi?). I have to dismantle the head and put new valve stem oil seals in as the head has 200K on it, but other than that the head is absolutely mint as it ran synthetic also. Plus a bit of polishing the intake and exhaust ports and re-assemble and its ready to go back on.

I’m going with the stock Honda gasket again. People ask why aren't you going with an aftermarket gasket? No and the reason is the Honda head gasket is is a triple layer metal head gasket that can handle upwards of 30psi, way more than I’m going to push. But hey some times **** happens and parts fail ( I know that all too well from my last experience with a JG cam that almost toasted my motor last year).

 

sounds like a lot of fun

are you getting new head studs? what kind?

 

I am having problems with my cooling system. My overflow tank is getting filled too frequently when I boost. From what you describe, sounds like my head gasket is in need of replacement as well. What exactly is it that happens when the gasket is blown that causes the coolant to flow into the overflow tank very quickly? Is it simply the pressure from the turbo? To me it seems like the more and higher I boost, the quicker I have coolant going where it isn't supposed to go. Thanks for any replies.

 

BUMP

 

Nope no knew head studs. Just numbered the old ones which I will use again.

As for coolant from your rad overflowing into your overflow, well when you have a leak in your head gasket some air from the combustion chamber may leak out into the coolant system and hence add air pressure which in turn displaces the coolant. When the system gets low on coolant the engine temp goes up. I have a mechanical temp gauge installed directly in the flow of coolant from the head. From this I was able to see my temp rise and fluctuate before the temp gauge on the dash showed me.

Anyway I hauled the head yesterday and upon initial inspection everything seemed to be ok, the rings seemed good and there was no scoring on the cylinder wall. Upon further inspection there was some particals melted on to the edge of combustion chamber # 1. the gasket seemed to be ok, certainly not in 100% shape, but then I looked down at my # 1 piston...................hehe she has stated to melt away on the intake side in small amounts. Everything was intact, and the rings were just barely exposed, but certainly not damaged.

So today, sunday I'll be hauling the # 1 piston, after of course I haul the base pan, disconnect the rod, put rubber hose on the bolt ends and then pop it up through the cylinder. Upon doing this I will dig through some spare parts and put another piston on and away we go.

The bottom end has 200k on it and damn its in fab. shape. Harldy any ridge on the cylinder at all. and the head is spotless. God love synthetic oil! Mobil 1 at that.

I'll be taking some pics today and I'll drop them on you'all.

If any body gots any tips drop em on me.

Cheers!
(gotta love driveway mechanic's )

 

Here are some updated photos.

Hauled the piston and the ring land is fried. So I'm going to put in all new rings and rod bearings and hone the cylinders.






I'll snap some more of the piston tommorrow. These shots here don't do any justice to the actual piston and ring damage.

 

Damn, that is some messed up **** man. Let us know how it goes for you!

 

Here she was in all her glory this time last week.

 

Nice and clean, I like it!

 

Yip just some 16's.

I'm more of a no show all go, and not a all show no go.

There are alot of muscle car's around here, Imports are just coming on the scene.
And with all the new ricers going around (due to the F&F) people just laugh type of deal.

So I like to prove what a 4cyl honda is about.

Anyway I dimantled my old Z6 head to ready for the rebuild. Plus some other required duties such as cleaning washing and inspecting the oil pan, same with top pan etc etc.

I figure this will be a busy week.

tata.................

 

You said it! Hope everything goes well for you! Don't work too hard on it!

 

Update

Here is the culprite





and my rod bearings

 

hey nice work done to ur sohc

i have a sohc turbo with the greddy kit

i always want to take apart my engine and put them back on

how hard it is to work on engine internals? are u a mechanic??

any tools needed?? how much is a sohc vtec engine worth?? i might buy a new engine then take it apart, let me know man

thanks

 

ttt

 

No I'm not a mechanic, mechanically inclined and adventurous can do anything with my hands, but no not a journeyman mechanic. But I have lots of resources to rely on.

Its not a diffucult procedure but I bet doing it in a garage with air tool is better than in the driveway with bare hands..........................DOH!

Get some engine books and start reading, plus it don't hurt to be around people who take apart motors and rebuild blindfolded.

Not sure what a SOHC vtec is worth, maybe $1200 canadian for a complete swap?
I only paid $800.00 for mine.....................hehe.

 

thanks for the reply
but if you change the rods and pistons, you would need to take the whole engine out of the car, right?

and yes, air tools, i wish i had those

sohc vtec worth that much !! didn't know that haha...
then i think i ill let my car park for a month and work on the engine instead of buying another one !

thanks for reply

 

yeah I would think that one would go for that much. But I'm talking a complete swap, and the price is canadian, so really not that bad.

You can take the rods and pistons out with the block in the car. Makes the job messier, but if you take your time and ensure everything is washed clean before you reassemble you should be fine.

 

is it really hard to swap out the rods and pistons??

sometimes i just want to take apart my engine and see what is going on inside
but well, takes time and knowledge and tools
and money also

 

well sounds like taking A LOT OF PICTURES before taking it apart
and on every step u take it apart would be the safest
dropping down notes
reading lots of books

i will deifnitely do it if i have time

thanks for info

keep us updated on ur sohc !

 

You alway's have to make sure you have lots of masking tape and markers around to label just about everything you take off, certainly everything internal.

For the little bit of extra time it payes off in the end. Plus when you go to reassemble you have every thing in place and just so.

 

So hey, was your gasket messed up too? I can't really tell by that pic.

 

hey, when u saiur overflow tank is getting filled all the time
isn't it because of the pressure the engine has??
isn't this suppose to be normal??
coz when ur engine s hot, u will have excess coolant, which will be in ur overflow tank, right??
u r saying overflowing, maybe u have too much coolant??

if ur car has been running normal and didn't overheat, ur headgasket would not have any damage...

and as i remember when i had a blown head gasket when i was in hong kong for my integra, what it affected was overheating....

i am not sure if i am right or not, but it's what i think

i have been worrying about my cooling system too, coz it's summer now..
it was winter when i installed the turbo, so i wasn't not worried

and sometimes when i boost, or when it's hot, i smell some coolant burning, u guys think of any problems ??

BUT i had a coolant leaking problem before from my block heater(we need this in canada for winter), this block heater plugs into the engine and warm up the car, BUT this thing had interface with the turbo, which i needed to put in a bolt for that hole, and i think it's still leaking, and i have no idea why, and i don't want to take off my turbo again, and it's leaking VERY VERY little, so i will just let it stay, just want when i am bored, then i will fix it, probably using the right turque?? but i can't find that bolt on the helm's manual.. ****..... maybe i will tighten it more.. i don't know yet

sorry, i know ihave been typing too much, and maybe not making any sense

 

Dude, my coolant is bubbling in the overflow tank a lot. Also, I displace so much of it that I overheat BAD. I know it is the gasket in my case. Nothing else would cause these symptoms.

 

oh.. bubbling
and u r overheating bad, i didn't see that in ur previous poots

then i am sure that it's ur head gasket .. hehe

so u going to use the honda gasket??

oh but what causes u to have a blown headgasket?? coz of overheat? but what causes u to overheat?

a question : does a bigger radiator mean a better cooling system? coz i don''t have AC and i have big space to for a big radiatior, so i am thinking

 

Yeah, I bought a new Honda head gasket. I had a bit of detonation for a short time and I am sure that is what took out the gasket. Hell the motor has 108K on it so the gasket was waiting to go I guess. Anyway, the gasket caused the overheating and not vice versa. A bigger radiator will help the cooling system for sure especially with a turbo. I plan to go to a double thick radiator here in the near future. If you do not have AC, go ahead and get a full length unit. Your car will thank you for it!