Well, my car has had an issue for as long as I have owned it, where it likes to blow headgaskets. The first one due to severe overheating, and the other two due to botched repair jobs.

I decided that in order to do it properly, I was going to get the block milled, and I might as well take care of some detail items while I was elbows deep in the empty engine bay with the right in front of my face.



Out she came, the chains I had sucked as there was no way to level the motor without setting it down.



Ready to get taken down.



Stripped spark plug



Three NGK plugs, one autolite. Why somebody decided that was a good idea I don't know.



MMMMM fuel injector. All were just as dirty, and the injector ports were full of it as well.



Clogged EGR ports (car failed NOx emissions the last two weeks.) The galleys were completely blocked off with carbon deposits.
Also as you can see, courtesy of a cracked exhaust manifold spraying exhaust into the engine compartment just about every surface on the outside of the motor is covered in soot.



Hunks of RTV in the oil pan. I'm liking whoever put that motor together.



Bust your nuts, not your knuckles. PB blaster instantly increases the size of your tool...



This is the camshaft, minus the gear. Notice anything? The key was in upside down.



here is the trick I used for the crank pulley with the motor on the stand. Wedge the breaker bar up into the motor mount, and crack that sucker loose.



'nuff said.



I like the hourglass shape on my girls, not my engine fasteners. Bolt had been overtightened past the yield point of the metal.



Belt tensioner missing parts of course. Someone couldn't be bothered to get new ones.



Off come the heads. The gasket was not fitting properly, seemed to be too small as it wouldn't come off of the dowel pins. Also, the dowel pins won't come out of the head.





Done



Fortunately, all of the engine bearings were in serviceable condition (It is rebuilt with 20k miles on it)

I would also like to add, that one of the pistons that I pulled out of the engine had the ring gaps lined up.

Block went to the machine shop for deck and hot tank. Confirmed the block surface was warped. The machinist took a 0.006" cut off the top, nice and shiny smooth again.



Back from the machine shop.



installing the pistons.



Sneak preview. Will post more as the week continues. I am currently in the process of wiring the car up for Vtec, and reassembling the motor.

 

looking good.

 

looks great man, I think you should cleans those pistons up though. Great job though so far.

 

Nice job. Look simple enough and whoever did all those hack job is a straight up Bubba! Lol.