Okay so I hydro locked my 2000 si with AEM's piece o' **** V2. I did a complete rebuild with a GSR block, with oversized jspec b16 pistons and my dumb *** traded my head for another b16 head with crower internals in it. Well the engine leaks oil at the head gasket I believe, anyhow no oil in the coolant and it doesn't burn anything at idle so I wasn't tooo worried about it. It has been like this for a while I just add oil and let it drip, mostly because I am lazy and cheap. While driving, the engine sometimes makes a rattling noise, almost tinny, someone said imagine small marbles hitting glass. Anyhow when VTEC engages I get a bunch of smoke and a **** ton of the tapping. I can't tell what color the smoke is but it definitely isn't white. Someone said that my lifters were clicking and not to worry about the sound but I am wondering if the clicking and the VTEC smoke are related. Not knowing a complete history on the head I traded for I am wondering if the tapping is from the valves? My engine is built somewhat decently and I just don't think I am getting the power out of it I should. Any ideas? I am almost to the point of taking it somewhere but I am trying to buy a truck too so money is an issue. I know I am prob going to get ripped apart for this thread on so many levels but I am just looking for possible ideas and maybe even a rough estimate of how much I can expect to pay to get it fixed. I appreciate all feedback in advance.

 

How did you manage to hydrolock your car? Just out of curiosity... I have the same exact car with the V2 as well. (car is lowered on tein SS 1.5" lower)

I avoid deep a$$ puddles of course. But aside from that I drive it in winter (Canadian snow filled streets, and in the rain (not monsoon rain though).

Did you nail a puddle that was deeper than you thought or something?

 

pull the head and have it checked for straightness as well as compression. and after you put it back on, start it and let it warm up and then check the valve clearances. should cost you about $150 including a new OEM head gasket...assuming the head isnt fuked. good luck.

 

Well I ran over a truck tire a long while before the hydro locking and it ripped the fender lining which I never replaced. Then one day I got called into work when it was pouring out and I hit a pretty deep puddle which freaked me out but the car puffed out a giant white cloud and continued on it's way just fine.... about 8 miles later I was cruising through a parking lot when I heard what sounded like someone hit my engine with a hammer then another white cloud and a CEL. I didn't think I hydro locked it at first so I tried to start it again, no dice so I left it alone. Coincidentally it got fubar'd right across from a mechanic shop, unfortunately for me the guy had no idea what he was doing and started the engine (I still to this day am amazed that it started) but it ran like **** so I yelled at him to turn it off. I took a hose and shoved it in a cylinder and pulled out a ton of water so I knew I was in trouble. I got it towed home and ripped it apart to find my connecting rods bent to ****. Eveyone who sees them is so amazed that they didn't break!

 

I no longer have a garage or the time to do all that, how much do you think I'd get charged from a shop? Thanks you all rock!

 

ALOT!! at least pull the head...all you need is basic hand tools and a torque wrench. thats where all the work is, then let a machine shop check it out

 

so, ever thought that there could be a reason that the guy traded that head for your stock head??

 

Ya, for the extra cash I threw in on top of the head.


If I buy a truck I'd be able to rip it apart, I am just nervous about taking it apart again. I had my roomate help me, a mechanic, who now is not my roomate to help me anymore. It runs now and has been running, so I'm a little apprehensive. I have put a **** ton of miles on it, hell even drove it 600 miles in one trip with no real problems except it leaking oil and making noise.

 

Oh, I thought you were saying that you all just traded straight up....

yeah, my buddy had a machine shop port and polish his head and do a couple other things.. his leaked oil too, but they went too far on something when they were doing it.. the car still runs now, but it never made any extra noises in vtec, but it did tick a little harder at idle than usual...

 

it's only under acceleration at certain times. I don't hear it in the lower RPM's.

 

your valves may just need to be adjusted.. really hard to tell.. but if it's got all the crower things like the springs and all then they might not have adjusted them correctly.. but did it have any other head work done to it other than the crower things??

 

are you using high octane gas? did you have it tuned? could you be hearing detonation?

 

Not that I am aware of.... I was too trusting, I think I may have gotten taken for a ride on the head. He said it has stage two camshafts but, I didn't see any markings. He told me they were older and that crower didn't stamp them. I took him for his word (probably a dumb thing to do) because he had a good rep and the other internals have crower stamped on them. We adjusted the valves but I cannot remember which specs we used.

 

I didn't think about it detonating.. that could be it too..

 

What does detonation sound like? It has a chipped ECU in it but never been tuned. I use 93 octane every time.

 

you guys rock btw

 

Detonation (generally caused by fuel with a low octane rating) is the tendency for the fuel to pre-ignite or auto-ignite in an engine's combustion chamber. This early (before the spark plug fires) ignition of fuel creates a shock wave throughout the cylinder as the burning and expanding fuel air mixture collides with the piston that is still traveling towards top-dead-center. The resulting knock/ping is the sound of the pistons slamming against the cylinder walls. Severe detonation can break pistons and destroy engines.

 

anyways, detonation sounds like a knocking noise.. if you've heard a rod knock before, it kinda sounds like that, but only in a small rpm.. it won't be as bad as a rod knocking but that kinda gives you an idea...

 

it's kind of a quiet tapping noise and again mainly prevolent at higher rpms

 

i'm thinking maybe you might need to check your valves again... just to go over them and make sure they are correct..

 

Are you sure timing is dead on? Does it tick (sounds like detonation to me) when u go up hills in lower gears? If smoke is black and your detonating i would deff check the timing. Only takes a second and cant hurt.

 

The going up hills in lower gears thing is on point. What all do I need to do to check my timing? I am not good at all when it comes to the head. Everything else I am alright with. Just timing and valves are DEF not my forte.

 

make sure you have it in TDC and then after you do so, check your cam gears.. there will be an arrow on each one, make sure both arrows are pointed straight up.

 

even with aftermarket cam gears? I think mine are skunks

 

omg.. i have no idea on them... i've never messed with aftermarket cam gears, i'm sure it should have the same kinda marks for it to be up, but not definate on it... anyone else no what to do on this one??