Hi Everyone!
This is my first post on the site. I've read the rules of the forums and searched around quite a bit first but haven't found anything similar.

I have a 1997 Accord LX coupe, auto-trans this should be easier for you guys to figure out because the only thing not stock on the car is some NGK spark plugs!
The car has 152,000 and two months ago had the head replaced, and currently is not overheating. There is a light shuddering in the engine every 1.5 seconds in idle from the start. It only takes about 3 revs from a stop to heat the car up to normal operating temperatures. After that the car looses all pickup; it has to be milked lightly to achieve maybe half the horsepower it should have. I can feel there's something either backed up or blocked off. It sounds like I have a V8 under the hood, but no ***** to match! The engine is working way too hard before it shifts over to work way too hard on the next gear. Upon heating it up after you let you foot off a rev, the exhaust pipe creates suction!(noticed this with a friend's dress).
One opinion had me chopping off my stock Cat for a new one with no progress, looking around at all of the different ways you can customize and fine-tune a Honda engine and all the knowledge on these forums, I'm sure you guys can give some good advice to get my stock sleeper back on track

willing to learn,
-D

 

Check engine lights? If you take off the heat shield of teh exhaust manifold, does the manifold glow red, after the engine runs a while?

 

Yes, the check engine light has been on too, sorry for leaving that out, it read a p170 which was described to me as the car running too rich.?
and I will research where that part on the car is, and get back to you.

 

Ahh, so you need to suspect a few things. First, a vacuum leak. Has it acted like this since the head repalcement? Also, were the valve adjustment checked on the new head, after installation? Do you get black smoke? Get a good vacuum diagram and check and then double check all lines are ran properly, and that theres no cracks.

Second, your primary O2 sensor. You also need to make sure that your vehicle is going into closed loop operation. If it is not, then you need to check you ECT system. Was your coolant system bled properly? Are cooling fans coming on after you shut engine down?

Finally, the last thing to check is your fuel pressure regulator. if it is stock, I would think it is ok, but if everythign checks out, then suspect it.

 

since I've gotten it worked on it has had this power issue, but no black smoke that I'm aware of. Poking around under my hood on your suggestions I found half of the mechanisms caked with oil, so now I know there is a leak I just don't know where yet. One of the friends has a more suitable lift so within the next couple days I should have a diagnoses. It really seems like an exhaust issue could be forcing my engine to do this.

 

sounds like you have multiple problems:

heating up too quickly causing the fans to stay on all the time

running rich which causes all sorts of problems with the catalytic converter and exhaust

overheated recently and the head gasket was replaced.

So when it overheated and the head gasket replaced did it have this power issue? it almost sounds like the timing belt is off some teeth

 

The temp gauge seems to be working fine, the fans do run but not constantly. The only good thing going for the engine now is that it keeps a decent temp. I did some more snooping around with the very limited tools I have and pulled off the air intake today. Whatever metal cylindrical piece connects to that plastic intake tube, it sounds clogged, or like it needs an adjustment, and i don't even know how the parts work. I let it idle for about 4 minutes before it heated up to "operating temp" and the engine has quite a bit of clicking. spark plug 4 has a few dabs of oil on it, not soaked, but yeah I can agree; multiple problems

 

Did you have a shop replace the head before? Or was it a do it yourself type job?

Also, did the timing belt break before? You said head was replaced? Was it a junkyard head...or a rebuild or? I assume new timing belt, water pump, head gasket?

 

had a shop do it, but these problems have persisted since; I was just happy it wasn't over-heating :/ There appears to be a small oil leak by the alternator, and the clicking persists so I'm thinking it really is just a bad timing issue between the valves and belt?

 

Take it back to the shop.