it's a freshly rebuilt b18b1 motor. got it all together and start it up and ran just fine. I didn't get on it or rev it up at all since it has all new bearings, new clutch, etc. In other words it's still in the break in period. I was driving it to my work a week later and it threw out a bunch of white smoke. checked it and everything was fine. a day later it threw out white smoke again and it was a huge puff of smoke now. the temp went up and now oil/water mixture inside the engine. i did a compression test and 170 all the way? My question is did the head gasket went out? why would it still have compression on all cylinders? if it's not the head gasket how did the water get in there? After i stopped the car for 10 minutes, and open the radiator cap, it makes a pressurized sound and the coolant level is low. When i first noticed the smoke, when i drive it into the freeway or just simply start driving it the smoke stops. it only starts smoking when i leave it on idle parked. and another wierd thing is that it's throwing tons of oil inside the spark plug cylinders? i don't know how because all gaskets were replace including the grommets, valve cover gaskets, etc. any input should help me because idk if i should remove the head and check it out or not. thanks. sorry for the long post.

 

do you think a bad pcv or the wrong one could have caused this problem? the old pcv broke and i replaced it with another one from the parts store but not genuine. the old hose were cracked so i replaced them.

 

o.k i start it up again and pull out the spark plug wires 1 by 1. the oil is oozing into the spark plug cylinder from the gasket. So i'm guessing the crankcase vent is pressurizing the oil into the spark plug cylinders? also i noticed when i open up the oil cap when i stop the car, smokes comes out of it.

 

any help??? anybody? bumpidity bump this ****!

 

bump... damn no answers? o.k what would make oil/coolant mixture besides a blown head gasket? would a upside down or the wrong head gasket cause it? i quadruple checked that the head gasket was on the right side because it says up on the mls head gasket. if no answers by 30 mins the head is coming off. dammit. all that torqueing down the bolts and crap i have to do it all over again.

 

upside down head gasket could cause it, but you said that you put it in correctly so ? Obviously the coolant is leaking into the cylinders and oil somehow so it is likely a bad head gasket. did you get the head and the deck on the block checked for warpage?

 

2 things either bad rings or you didnt brake it in properly (prob the first 1) or combo of both

what kind of fluids did u fill it with when u originally started it up, have u been doing oil changes etc etc

 

bump, i had this prob a while back, it was a spark plug gramet it just wasnt well seated but to be sure i would replace those (gramets) and the head gasket just to be sure.

 

o.k this is what i found. more oil/coolant mixture. Took the head off and the head gasket was on right. I resurfaced the head myself (engines class) but the block was honed and resurfaced by someone else ( bought it on craigslist). I checked ring gap, ring clearance, cylinder bore, pistons, and all came with in spec. i used standard size rings, bearings, head gasket, etc. o.k if the rings are bad, how do you explain the 170psi on all 4 cylinders plus the oil/coolant mixture? when rings go bad it will burn only oil, and coolant still won't enter the cylinders or oil chamber. that's what i don't get. I think my next step is to replace head gasket with a genuine honda/acura one and use a straight edge just like "grjr" says to see any warpage on the head and block. for break in fluids i just used conventional 5-w30 and standard coolant. I rebuilt motors b4 and never had this problem.

 

here's some pic

 

i used 5-30w conventional oil to start it up. i haven't done any oil change since it's a freshly rebuilt motor and i've been driving it for only 2 weeks and put on 10 miles at the most on it.

 

fwiw: I know it's too late but there is a bolt on the side of the block that allows you to drain the coolant from the block so that it doesn't end up everywhere when removing the head. I've circled it in your photo.

 

yeah thanks. I knew that already but was lazy to drain the whole coolant system out because I just wanted to remove that damn head and get to the bottom of this problem. Man I thought you was circling the solution to my nightmare. got me all excited for a sec.

 

if you replace all the gaskets and still have the problem i would go over every part of the head/block you can and check for hairline fracture. this would be my last idea as to whats wrong.

 

yeah thanks buddy. I'll be sure to do that if it still continues to do this. but i never saw a hairline fracture on a aluminum head/block? only cast. but hey, i'll check it out anyways. my best bet, either warped head, or block , or it was just a bad head gasket.

 

ok double check the surface of the block and head, then make sure the two dowel pins are on both corner sides of the ex side of the block place your new hg on make sure its on right there should be a tab with a stamp on the left corner of the front of the head gasket on oem head gaskets thats how you know its on right second dont reuse the oem head studs i bet you $5 thats why the head diddnt seal correctly use arp hs pay the extra 70 bucks and use them i see so many nice motors built but either they forget those two dowel pins or they reuse the stupid stock hs people say you can get away with it but its a know fact they stretch the first time there torqued in your head from the factory! so get some arp studs dude and torque it down right, also soon as the motor is started and ran for a few moments change the oil cause you need to flush all the assembly lube from the head and block then use your oil of your choice. double check the timing belt timing and valve lash and that all vac. lines are on correctly bleed the coolant and she should purr hopefully gl and use new spark plugs and a oem head gasket imo.

 

well i'm not building this motor to race or anything that's y i went ahead with the oem head bolts. 2nd of all, i think your right about the dowel pins because when i took em off to rebuild it, i lost the 2nd one and just went ahead and installed it with out the 2nd one. thanks 4 the info, but commuting 20 min to work doesn't need arp's IMO. Everything is stock, no high cp pistons or power adder here.

 

Well thats why lol you need that dowel pin dude haha you cant leave it out! p.m me if you cant get one locally i have one from a ls you can have, second it doesnt matter if its a daily motor or a motor that will be raced, the head will gradually lift fom normal driving, The advantage of studs is this...the block will be "pulling" down on the head, which is the opposite force of combustion, as opposed to the head "pulling" up on the block, in the same direction as combustion, which is what the stock head bolts do. The studs help create a better seal.

 

I understand what your saying but it's still not a necessity. I've built engines with oem head bolts b4 and boosted the **** out of it, no arp's needed. It's good to have but there is no need for them, otherwise all cars with oem head bolts will have to change there head gasket every 10 miles. lol. As for the dowel pins, i'm just going to go to acura for those and get the head gasket also. thanks for the offer though.