I hydro locked my LS/VTEC almost 2 months ago and just now it's finally started giving me problems. I did a compression test the other day and the results were:

1 - 170
2 - 240
3 - 240
4 - 240

So I did a leak down test to find out that I was leaking out the exhaust valves on cylinder 1 (bent) and the rings all the rings had some some leakage.

Today I pulled the head to see just how bad things were and noticed #1 piston was very slightly lower than #4 at TDC. After seeing this I knew something else was up. I pushed the pistons out and of course I had a bent rod.

Cylinder 1 has a few scratches on it, but they are just visual. There are no groves or gouges in the wall.

The block was bored and honed 30,000 miles ago. The other 3 cylinders are still in great shape. The cross hatching is still very visible.

Here is a picture of the cylinders. Let me know if you think the cylinder walls are good. The block is still in the car and I don't really want to pull it out. I just plan on replacing one rod, all the rings and new rod bearings for #1. I built the motor and everything was replaced and built right.

Here's some pictures, let me know the good news!

 

YES.

 

I've already had it bored and honed to fit the OS pistons.

Ok, so if I need to hone, would using a BRM ball hone while the block is in the car suffice?

 

NO, not unless you want even more problems down the road.

The Flex Hone should be fine, but you need to properly clean the block to remove all of the abrasive grit that gets everywhere when you hone it. It's not much more work to take the engine out to do it.

 

if you do decide to do it in tha car make sure you theroly clean the mains and stuff afterwords you dont want any of the fine dust sitting on there when you reinstall the bearing , did the rod bearings take any dmg on the one with the bent rod ?

may i ask how you hydro locked it ?

 

I just decided to pull the block and take it to the shop and have them do. I'm not one for cutting corners.

Hopefully they can swap my piston from the bent rod to the new rod without damaging the piston.

AEM Cold Air Intake - No splash gaurds + Lowered Car + LOTS OF RAIN one night and the filter got splashed with a TON of water and enough got in there to stall it twice and I guess bend a rod.

 

yep, keeping splash guards in place is key.

 

It's not even a fine dust, it's more like a paste when it's mixed with the honing oil and the action of the hone spinning out of the bottom of the cylinder gets that stuff eveywhere.

Good call taking it to a shop though.

 

yea i dont know why i called it dust lol

 

I'm not one to cut corners especially on an engine re-build especially when I spent so much money building it in the first place.

I just wanted it done right.

And definitely splash guards for now on.