LudeyKrus

Well last night my motor died while heading to the drag strip. Basically, I was cruisin at about 3k, not ******* on the motor, and a cylinder stopped firing. I pulled into a gas station and pulled the spark plugs and #2 had the insulator gone and the ground strap was pushed into the electrode. Also, the motor still ran w/ one cylinder dead, and there was a loud erratic pinging coming from what sounded like something metal bouncing around in the combustion chamber.

I went back to the car tonight and did a compression test, and #1 tested around 220 cold while #2, the fubar'd cylinder, checked in at 170. I figured a valve dropped and smashed the spark plug, but I should be getting 0psi on that cylinder if that happened.

Here's a more detailed account of the incident:

https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=1017068

What do you think could have busted? I wasn't at WOT or high RPM's, i wasn't detonating, I was runnin an H23 VTEC w/ a tuned VAFC that had a decent tune, according to my logs. The oil was changed the day before, and the motor has about 6k on the rebuild.

It almost sounds like a ring, but i don't see how that could have broke.



Modified by LudeyKrus at 12:59 AM 10/10/2004

Nikoli

dam that sucks

SKDRCR

Did you happen to put any oil in that cylinder to see if the
compression would jump up?

Sorry to hear about your luck Chase.

Monkey Fing a Coconut

i dont know too much about internals, but in ur original write up, u said that u put the ring loose for a better seal at the bottom, could it have been too loose and finally gave and is now in the cylinder???

SKDRCR

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by twistedbydezign &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i dont know too much about internals, but in ur original write up, u said that u put the ring loose for a better seal at the bottom, could it have been too loose and finally gave and is now in the cylinder???</TD></TR></TABLE>

Good observation, I remember this too.

thehondaguru

hmm sounds like you are having the same luck that I have .

I say the first step is to drain the oil and look for anything metal... then do another compression check and put a cap full of oil in thetre and see if it gets better. THen pull the head and go from there.

I dont think it has anything to do with leaving your rings a little on the loose side. I have faith in your build brotha

Eddiebx

does it knock really loud now? or is it stil relatively quiet, just erratic idle?

LudeyKrus

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Eddiebx &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">does it knock really loud now? or is it stil relatively quiet, just erratic idle?</TD></TR></TABLE>

It's relatively quiet. It pinged when I first turned it off, but it doesn't now that that spark plug is pulled out and it didn't w/ the compression tester in the plug hole.

I don't think it's the rings being set loose. Or at least explain to me how it COULD be!

I didn't think to try the oil thing while i was there b/c i figured something had broke, but i may try that.

The car's still sitting at the gas station about 15 miles from home. I'm tryin to figure out how to get it home w/o a tow.........

Eddiebx

thats easy, just get a tow strap and pull it home with anohter car.

LudeyKrus

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Eddiebx &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">thats easy, just get a tow strap and pull it home with anohter car. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Haha, I might just do that, except for it's highly illegal around here and I've already had one guy get it from a cop for using a chain to tow.

I'm either gonna use a chain w/ a pipe on it, or drive it home w/ no spark plug in #2

thehondaguru

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by LudeyKrus &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Haha, I might just do that, except for it's highly illegal around here and I've already had one guy get it from a cop for using a chain to tow.

I'm either gonna use a chain w/ a pipe on it, or drive it home w/ no spark plug in #2</TD></TR></TABLE>

HAHA you think thats bad I swa a mini van pushing a car the other day bumpoer to bumper down the main strip here. ONly in ******* south GA would you c that stupid ****!

I would just tow it with a strap and tell the cop to **** off if he gives you ****. Or take a chance and drive it home.

LudeyKrus

pentaq

NGK ??

P.S&gt;Nice gasstation We don't have Chevron here...

LudeyKrus

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by pentaq &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">NGK ??

P.S&gt;Nice gasstation We don't have Chevron here...</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yup, NGK's.

And we have all kinds of great gas stations here; some of them are starting to resemble a Super Walmart w/ a gas pump instead of a plain old gas station!

thehondaguru

hmm. HAve you put in another plug and tried to start it back up?

LudeyKrus

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 95 lude &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">hmm. HAve you put in another plug and tried to start it back up?</TD></TR></TABLE>

No, b/c at first i thought a valve dropped, and now I think there's still some stuff in the combustion chamber to bounce around.

I MAY give it a shot later, but the down'd compression is worrying me now.

thehondaguru

yeah defiatly try the oil in there for a compression test first and c if you can get your hands on a boroscope to c if there is anything in the cylinder area.

92LudeSI

Why not pull the valve cover off and check all your valves you should be able to see if any dropped. If they are all ok then I donno I was thinking maybe something from the plug droped in there? Im not sure man hope you get it figured out.

LudeyKrus

Well all the valve stems were fine and still there when I pulled the valve cover that night.

I just don't see how the plug could have done that on its own.....

Eddiebx

maybe a rod cap is loose and sent the piston up into the spark plug, , far fetched but possible.

and I highly dont suggest you drive it home on 3 cylinders, a possible few hundred dollar fix, could turn into a new long block like that, trust me, been there done that, hehe.

but seriously man get a strap and pull that sucker home in the middle of the night, who cares of the cops give you ****.

or worst case get a friend with AAA and have that bitch flat bedded. should only be a 40 dollar surcharge for a flatbed.

Goinfasterthanu

thats funny that the same thing that happened to my motor...I bet tommy did your timming belt...lol....hope it isnt a broke valve...Hit me up i wanna go see it...404-2476713

vtecn8ive

Is it possible the incorrect sparkplug was put in or over torqued? Possible seating too low in the combustion chamber.

LudeyKrus

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Goinfasterthanu &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">thats funny that the same thing that happened to my motor...I bet tommy did your timming belt...lol....hope it isnt a broke valve...Hit me up i wanna go see it...404-2476713</TD></TR></TABLE>

Dang cracker, i called you a week or two ago and you never called back!

Haha, I'll try to give you a call tomorrow; i'm gonna try to get it chained home tomorrow morning. I gotta work all day, but I wanna try to rip the head off sometime.

And nope, they were the right spark plugs, and they were torqued down just right.

SKDRCR

So did you try firing it up with a new spark plug?

LudeyKrus

Nope, i didn't have a chance after work. God, i'm gettin anxious.....