xlasianizelx

heres the problem... when i rev it around half - full throttle, it makes a knocking sound, and i think its comming from the head.. im running a b16a4... but thats besides the point... when i drive and have it from 50-100% throttle. it klanks, knocks or clicks. like its metal hitting metal... sounds like the camshaft is hitting something. iono..

could it be my timing is off?... let me know

AnDy327

could be engine timing.. Have you checked it??
If the timing is good how is your car running??

hondatuning1989

did you check valve lash also?

crazyguy

if your timing is off. your car wont idel normal. check the tension of your timing belt and perform a valve adjustment

B18C5-EH2

The easiest thing to do, and this would check three potential issues at once, would be to pull the valvecover off and have someone check the valve lash (adjust the valves), check the tension on the timing belt, and also check the timing marks on the cam gears themselves while the cover is off.

I'll tell you what to look for for two of the three suggestions I have, but adjusting valves requires a few special tools and more knowledge and feeling than most average people have - no offense to anyone.

Anyways first is checking the timing marks:

Line up the WHITE mark on the crankshaft pulley with the sight on the lower timing cover - don't use the red marks.

Now pull the valvecover off and check to see if the cam gear timing marks are facing each other - the marks are going to be on the outside of the gears, on the side of the gars that would be facing away from the transmission. If these marks are pointing exactly at each other while yor crank shaft is on the white mark (of TDC/top dead center) then the timing is good, and this isn't your problem.

Checking the belt tension:

This isn't a slam-dunk easy to describe thing either, but basically grab the belt between the cam gears and pull up and down on it - it should not be rubber band tight, but it should also not have much movement/deflection up and down.

The best place to check for belt tension is actuallu on the backside of the belt; the side facing the firewall of the vehicle. There will be the most amount of defelction there because that's where all the lack goes. Again it's a feeling type thing. It should not be rubber band tight, but should have some deflection. A general rule of thumb is that you should not be able to wist the belt 90 degrees or more on the back side of the belt.

Like I said valve adjustments should be performed by someone who has done it a lot. If you try adjusting your valves for the first time then you may only be making this overall problem worse, or even harder to pinpoint since you might wonder afterwards "did I help or hurt the problem? Maybe I messed up?"

While the valves are being adjusted the rocker assemblies themselves can be wiggled to see if any has any extra play, which would indicate a bent valve possibly from the engine either being over revved, or if the timing belt is loose enough to have jumped timing.

If you're not too mechanically inclined then have a reputable shop take a look at this problem. Sounds are difficult enough to diagnose in person, but more so impossible to diagnose on the internet.

I had a customer bring us a brand new crate ITR engine from the Acura dealership (new short block, head, gaskets, etc.) to replace his "knocking" B16A2. Turned out his recent cluch install wasn't done so well and one of the clutch bolts had worked it's way out, causing the clutch to rub the bell housing of the tranny and cause a distinct knocking type noise that other mechanics said was bottom end noise. We knew right away it was coming from the tranny side, while others said "rod knock."

Just saying that you might want a professional opinion, that's all.

Good luck man! Let us know how it goes!

B18C5-EH2

Oh yeah in all of my rambling I forgot to say this:

The noise could be coming from a loose timing belt slapping around in the timing cover/valvecover area, the valvetrain itself, or possibly the bottom end itself, with the noise traveling through the engine and seeming to come from the head.

IIXtremeHansen

Yeah its your timing. A buddy of mines had the same describtion you describe and later a rod shot through the block and black smoke cam otu the exhaust.

xlasianizelx

i have another problem... alrite i tried to redo my timing belt but i messed up and its pretty hard to start the car... im planning on redoing it again but i dont know how to make sure its TDC, i know the cams have marks lined with with the word UP.. but since i fuked up.. how can i make sure that the crank pully is TDC?.. let meknow

Frozen E

Do a search for "replacing timing belt" including the archives.

AnDy327

Take your spark plugs out. That will make turning your engine over by hand easier. Put your hand over the #1 cylinder while someone turns the crank counter clock wise. When you feel the air push your palm that means your on compression.
Stick a long screwdriver (clean) down #1 cylinder and slowly turn the crank by hand till the piston pushes the screwdriver all the way to the top.
You will notice when the screw diver hits the top the crank has a little play before it goes back down.. try getting it as close as you can to the middle so there is even play both ways... (kinda confusing)
That should be pretty close to your TDC mark from the crank cover.

on your cam caps there are 2 holes for every cam were you can stick an Allen wrench down so the cam wont move as you put the belt on...

Double check everything
after that
Turn the crank about two full turns to make sure no valves hit.
Put everything back on and you should be good