Just recently built my b20/vtec - well sort of. B20z pistons, ARP rod bolts, Ported ITR head. The car runs and drive and idles PERFECT. Compression is 245 on the dot all the way across, with oil added its 290 on the dot all the way across.

It was smoking, white smoke and burning oil. So i changed the head gasket. Still smoke. So I decided to do that valve seals. Just got done doing the valve seals and IT STILL SMOKES. Under hard acceleration is white smokes, Its deffinetly oil and not coolant. There isnt any mix in the oil or in the coolant. So I know the head gasket is fine.

When i stay in gear and rev it out to about 6k at like 40% throttle it smokes like summa bitch. I dont get it what else could it possibly be? could the rings not be seated correctly and this is causing blowby? This is really bothering me. Plus are a white/blackish color the some weird build up on them. I'm about ready to scrap the motor and start over.

Can anybody have any input on this? Anybody want a b20/vtec long block. LoL

TIA

Matt

 

is it fully broken in, what kind of oil did you use to break it in?

 

Yea, it has over 1k miles on it. Non detergent for about 50 miles, then switched to a 5w30 regular motor oil. It has smoked since day 1 by the way. Now it has Castrol Syntec 5w30 in it.

 

Seems like you might be running rich.
What type of fuel management are you running ?

 

its a VAFC with, but its a 0. Then its a custom tune from Kenji. Not dynot tuned but a mail order so to speak. I need to get it dyno tuned I know. But this is the cheapest route to get the car running decent while I can try and fix the smoking.

 

was the VTEC head conversion done properly?? i have done afew at the shop.. alot of ppl seem to forget (when doing it themselves) there is an oil passage that needs to be blocked off aswell as it is a good idea to replace the oil orifice and o-ring.. im not sure if NOT doing those things will make the motor burn oil.. but it could be a possibility.. aswell.. yes the rings COULD be the suspect.. ie.. bore was not perfectly round/honed... end-gap clearances incorrect.. could be anything like that

 

Why did you use non-detergent oil for break-in? Because it was cheep at at Wal-Mart. Your engine probably deserved better than the cheapest oil avil. on the most critical part of it's life.

 

i always thought that if u didnt use standard oil(non synthetic) when your breaking in your new engine that the piston rings wouldnt seat properly?

 

I did block that off on the head. And replaced everything that need be.

As for the oil I always have used a non detergent oil for about 30 miles for break in. Then I would go to a regualur motor oil. The only other thing It could possible BE is the rings. Unless like I said my block is somehow messed up. which I dont really think it is.

Here is a picture of 1 spark plug for reference. What does all this stuff on the plug mean?



Both are taken of the same plug. ALL the plugs look like this.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by DonF &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Why did you use non-detergent oil for break-in? Because it was cheep at at Wal-Mart. Your engine probably deserved better than the cheapest oil avil. on the most critical part of it's life.</TD></TR></TABLE>

what do you suggest for break-in? a conventional with moly in it?
rocket seemed to like the non detergent oil for break-in.

 

by the looks of the plugs you are running lean... if you see little tiny shiny flakes on the top.. then the motor is detonating

 

Why is no one harping on the fact that this guy got a 45psi jump in compression when oil was added? What was piston to wall clearance? Ring end gap ? Id be looking right to the rings. Do a leak down test.

 

^^ true.. i asked about the bore being perfect... and ring end-gap in my first post.. but he never replied

 

it was all OEM components. I didnt know I had to gap stock rings. I always just assumed they were fine. Maybe It is the rings. Maybe re-using the old rings but only switching cylinders with them was a bad idea. Guess i'll have to rip it apart AGAIN, and replace the rings.

 

re-using rings is always a bad idea if you ask me....

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Combustion Contraption &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Why is no one harping on the fact that this guy got a 45psi jump in compression when oil was added? What was piston to wall clearance? Ring end gap ? Id be looking right to the rings. Do a leak down test.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I immediately thought of that too!

...i'd get the head pressure checked. sounds like it might be cracked somewhere.

thats water getting into the cylinder by looking at those plugs...of course since its puffing white smoke! Tear it all down and take it to a good machine guy. Magnaflux everything!!

 

The head gasket was leaking, till I replaced it. I was informed of some useful info today. Smoking on Decel = Valve seals. Changed those, no long smokes on decel.
Smoking on Accel = Rings. Havent changed those. Still smoking.

I KNEW I shouldnt have re-used those rings. But at the time I needed to get it built and back together. Damnit. Guess i'll be replacing the rings soon.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by blackhatchb20 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I KNEW I shouldnt have re-used those rings. But at the time I needed to get it built and back together. Damnit. Guess i'll be replacing the rings soon. </TD></TR></TABLE>

so uh...you used your old rings on your new rebuild?? HAHAHA!!! pwn3d...good job Willis
christ almighty...when will people learn to not take shortcuts when building motors. don't know how much rings are but those cylinder walls may need to get re-honed once again i'm sure
so now, costs will most likely be:

new pistons + new rings + machining block + new head gasket vs. new piston rings

weak sauce

 

yeah dude, all signs point to the fact that your rings never seated.

 

ah ha. you deserve it imo. no offense, but you can't re-use rings and damn no to re-using rings into different cylinders. that's more bone headed then re-using bearings in different locations. you learn the easy way or the hard way, but at least you learn. if i had to pull the head three times and pull the block to get remachined, it would be just me, smith, and wesson. you did real good with the arp rod bolts. i hope you got your rods resized though. good luck and do it right this time

 

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

so uh...you used your old rings on your new rebuild?? HAHAHA!!! pwn3d...good job Willis
christ almighty...when will people learn to not take shortcuts when building motors. don't know how much rings are but those cylinder walls may need to get re-honed once again i'm sure
so now, costs will most likely be:

new pistons + new rings + machining block + new head gasket vs. new piston rings

weak sauce </TD></TR></TABLE>

eh, try not to be so hard on the guy, not everything is learned the easy way.

 

Man, reusing old rings on a new rebuild, that's as bad as when I hydro-locked my engine and after swapping the rod, I reused the old 250K mile headgasket, oilpan gasket, and original rings and rod bearing. Oh, but I haven't had any problems, but just as risky.

 

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

eh, try not to be so hard on the guy, not everything is learned the easy way.</TD></TR></TABLE>

yea...to the original poster, sorry if i was too hard on my last post...i apologize publicly for that.