So, my long saga with the poor idle, stalling, and finally not starting has at least found a villain.

I towed the car to a shop, they did a leakdown test, and got 70-75% leakage on ALL FOUR cylinders. My compression test results of <100psi on all four were obviously not the result of a bad test method. They're pulling the head now but they suspect rings.

Now I'm not sure what to do. I could buy a new motor, swap it, and go back to stock, I could buy a new short block and do the same, I could take it apart and have the block honed and get new pistons and stay boosted, or some combination of the above. I guess I'm leaning towards a new short block and some forged 9:1 pistons. Would I need to sleeve the block? I'm not planning on running a "lot" of boost.

This is a supercharger 5th gen lude (h22), which was as of the last dyno running about 12.5:1 on the wideband.... and no audible detonation. When the JRSC was put on, there was detonation, which may have started the clock ticking.

 

The odds of blowing all 4 rings to 75% leakage are pretty low... I'd say one seriously fouled up headgasket or your cam timing is a tooth or so off so the valves aren't sealed up at TDC. Valvetrain seems way more likely to me here.

 

i checked the cam timing and so did they... when the head is off, we'll know for sure. the guys at the shop seemed to think it was possible since the car had very gradually been generating less vacuum and eating oil.

but that's why i thought i fouled up the test the first time, b/c all four numbers were so similar and so very low.

wouldn't a head gasket that bad have other symptoms? (coolant in the oil, etc?)

 

just build it and thing will get better. my motor is starting to go out too. i already got offers for my turbo kit. i was thinkin about goin back to all motor... but ive been convinced not to once again. the power of turbo owns joo! it wont ever be the same if you go all motor.

 

any other opinions?

basically i'm looking at (in order from $ to $$$$$) :

1. new honda short block, back to stock
2. new honda short block, stay with boost and hope same thing doesn't happen with better fuel management
3. hone existing block and get +1 honda pistons
4. hone existing block and get je 9:1 pistons
5. sleeve existing block and get je 9:1 pistons

i don't want to spend more than 3 grand INCLUDING labor.

 

Honestly though, I can't see how you'd have equal compression loss across the board like that. Maybe your rings (not ring lands) are just gone..... Try just replacing the rings if the pistons are ok.

Also, the H22s have those fiber sleeves...

You aren't really supposed to hone them, and you can't run forged pistons without resleeving to iron sleeves...

Go with option #2 or option #5.

 

any opinion re:arias pistons vs je pistons? golden eagle has a package deal, i send them the block, they sleeve it and hone it and supply some matching arias pistons for about 1300 bucks or so. doesn't sound too bad to me, really. certainly cheaper than a new bottom end from honda ($2000+) and more reassuring than a used motor. the turnaround time isn't too bad, esp. since shipping via ups ground from here is only a day or two each way.

 

As far as pistons, I have heard really good things here and there about ross pistons. I haven't confirmed anything though, since my engine build is still a little ways away, but I am just suggesting another company to look at.