blackhatch1992

Had my hatch die on me the other day, after some trouble shooting I figured out that the cam wasn't moving, but the timing belt and sprocket are. Anyone ever have this happen? My guess is the cam snapped, but I cant see a break in it. Just a standard d15, with 220k, oil level was fine and I was just commuting doing around 35. Will this cause the same issues as having a t belt break and trash the head. Im guessing 220k is a bit high to do a mini me on the block, Any opinions??

Thanks
Matt

09chaplak

So the timing belt is moving, but the camshaft is not. Can someone let me know if I'm crazy but I don't think this is physically possible. Unless you're saying that when attempting to turn the car over, the engine cranks but will not start?

NotARaCist

iTrader: (1)

How exactly do you know that the cam isn't turning?

Former User

Removing the head cover and watching the cam pulley and camshaft while cranking or turning the engine by hand should quickly solve the mystery.

blackhatch1992

I took the valve cover off and turned it over multiple times and the cam wasnt moving and the distributor is not spinning. But the timing belt and the sprocket it is on is still spinning. My guess is that it must have snapped right after the sprocket, but I cant see that connection with out tearing down the head

Former User

Remove the cam pulley and cam seal. What do you see?

09chaplak

Must've been pretty easy to turn over then huh? Or was it still fairly difficult? Perhaps you should also remove the distributor and check that out.

NotARaCist

iTrader: (1)

You also may have sheared the keyway that holds the cam gear onto the cam. It's time to tear down the head.

lostforawhile

probably the key sheared, and it's just spinning on the bolt, something must have happened to lock the cam in place before it would have done that kind of damage.

blackhatch1992

I pulled the bolt out of the pulley, but the pulley wont come off by hand and I dont have a puller. Can see the key from the outside of the pully with the bolt off, it looks twisted, Im guessing it must have snapped the key. So Im guessing thats a sign of something else wrong with the head to cause it to do that. Im also guessing that the head is toast either way, because I would think the key breaking would have the same affect as a t belt breaking and trash the valves. Im thinking my only solutions are a junk yard head or a mini me, or just a full swap. What do you guys think. Thanks for the help so far

Former User

You would probably get additional information by removing the cam holder on the cam pulley side.

NotARaCist

iTrader: (1)

If you could take a head-on picture of the cam gear with the bolt removed, so we could see the keyway, that might also be helpful. When I say head-on, I mean like this.



As it sits, given the age of the engine, what you do next depends entirely on your budget, how much work you want to put into it, and how much damage has been done.

TomCat39

You didn't exactly specify. Did you loosen the timing belt and slip it off the cam gear first before you attempted pulling the gear off?

With the belt on, it should apply enough pressure to make getting the gear off even more difficult than it already is with a twisted gear.

I am going to hazard a wild guess that your oil was low enough to starve the head of oil to the point the cam seized. Or the jet has become clogged due to heavy sludging of the oil and it finally blocked the cam oil passages once again causing it to seize.

I would be shopping around for a new head and worry about that one on the car now after you replace it. It's quite likely not salvageable and if it is, the expense of all the machine work will negate the cost you can get for selling it.

The non vtec motors didn't have cam sleeve (bearing) provisions so it's not like you can replace the bearing rings like you can on a crankshaft after a polish or grind.

blackhatch1992

Thanks Guys,

Ill prob just hit the junk yard up for a used head, a u pull it place by me sells them for $70 bucks. Either that or Id like to find a vtec e swap for that car on cl, but there kinda rare. Im gonna wait till spring though what ever I do, I have no garage and its cold out, and I have 2 other cars, so it can wait till its warm lol thanks again

NotARaCist

iTrader: (1)

There's a bit more to it than just "slapping a new head on", but that is an option. Also, is that $70 for a bare head, or a complete head? Pick a part yards are sketchy like that. Sure, the head is $70, but the cam might be another $50, the cam gear might be another $10, then they'll charge you a core charge because they can. Then add in the machine work, head studs/bolts, gaskets, and seals that you should do, and you're probably looking at a few hundred dollars to DIY.

94EG8

If the key snapped chances are the cam seized in the head due to a lack of oil. Might mean the oil level was low, or it might mean some oil passages were plugged up with sludge.

slomofo

iTrader: (1)

I see key ways break all the time on CB7s and a few on SOHC Civics. The majority of the times I fix these, I pull the cams off and find deep scoring in the cam journals.

Since you're getting a used head, I suppose this information doesn't matter to you.