Hello,

So I bought a automatic 95 civic and upgraded the engine to a B18B1 from an Integra. Also got the transmission and axles etc out of the Integra so it got converted to a manual. It has a new thermostat, new radiator, and no obvious leaks that I can see.

I first started noticing that it was accelerating hesitantly at lower RPMs. Especially in second and third gear. It was like it was not getting all the power, and then I would get a sudden pickup in power after a second or two. I was planning on changing the spark plugs and seeing if that fixed that issue. Then I noticed that the engine was starting to shake a little bit, especially at idle. I also thought I smelled a burning type of smell. This all happened relatively quickly, but the hesitant acceleration had been going on for a little while. I topped off the oil, and as I was heading home on the freeway after driving for about 45 minutes in the sun, I encountered some traffic and had to slow down. As I was stuck in traffic the engine temp began to rise to the max. However it would get closer to back to normal after moving, and I believe even after staying still but simply revving the engine up. I managed to barely get it home, but it actually stalled out on me a couple of times as well, when I put in the clutch or put in in neutral the RPMs would drop and then actually completely stall out.

Any ideas what the issue could be? Thanks for your help!

 

Might want to start looking at the other overheating threads. You'll get the same type of advice. First being; did you bleed the system of air?

 

Yes, the system is completely free of air. I am thinking there is some relation between the engine shaking/ slowly accelerating/ stalling and the overheating. Not sure what the relation is though..

 

Check coolant level and bleed the system again. Turn heater on full blast while doing so. Sounds like air could have been trapped in the heater core.

 

is the burning smell sweet?

 

Hmm that is a good question bajasti. I cannot say for sure. I would have to smell it again. I suppose that would mean a head gasket issue, right? Are the symptoms I mentioned probable with a blown head gasket?

 

Yes.. Check coolant level and bleed the system again.

 

Ok so the shop said that the coolant system and fan etc are all fine. No blown head gasket either. They are saying that the clutch is going out and slipping and that is what is cause the hesitation, and also the overheating.. Does that make sense?

 

Nope.

 

So driving for an hour with a failing clutch (I do smell burning) and then slowing down and going bumper to bumper and thus using the clutch a lot could not possibly cause the car to overheat? Can you elaborate?

 

The people at that shop are idiots. Clutch slippage doesn't cause hesitation, it causes free revving, and it also doesn't cause overheating.

There are two ways this is going to work out for you. Option 1, you give us symptoms, we give you tests to do, you do those tests and give us the results, we give you more tests to do, you give us more results, rinse and repeat until we have enough results to give you a diagnosis. Option 2, you take your car to a shop, and let them deal with it. There isn't really a middle ground there.

When you burped the cooling system, did you have the front of the car elevated? Do it again. Put the front end on jack stands, or park it on a hill. Remove the radiator cap, start the car, and let it run until it reaches operating temperature. The radiator fan should turn on and off, twice.

Once you've done that, rent a block tester from you local parts store, and use it. There are multiple types of block testers - rent whatever kind they have, and follow the included instructions.

You say you smell burning, but you haven't described the burning. What does it smell like?

Does it overheat cruising, or at idle? AC on, off, or both? Heat on, off, or both? Are any of your coolant lines distended?

 

I can do the cooling system check again, but in the mean time, the fan does turn on, the burning smells like burnt rubber or something similar to that. Also like I said it overheated in traffic.. Is fine when I am in higher gears and cruising along at higher speeds. I don't have AC or heating.

 

Also, I am confused about how you say that a bad clutch doesn't cause hesitation. This is straight from wikihow: How to Diagnose a Slipping Clutch in Your Car

"Be aware of your clutch's action. Although a clutch/pressure plate system wears gradually over time, eventually the clutch's performance may become noticeably diminished, and by paying close attention to how it engages, slippage should be apparent to a competent driver. Here are some simple signs to watch for:
Change in engine speed without noticeable acceleration. If you rev your engine and the car hesitates before accelerating, it can mean your clutch isn't delivering the boost in RPM through the transmission to the drive wheels.
Change in the clutch pedal height where the driver feels the clutch begin to engage.
Change in perceived engine power when pulling a load. A slipping clutch reduces the amount of power delivered to the drive wheels.

 

Clutch slippage is not the same thing as what we know as hesitation, engine hesitation. You can try and argue it all you want but look elsewhere to solve your overheating issues. Take your car to a shop and have the clutch changed. Because if you could have done it yourself you would/should have by now.

 

I am definitely not saying I can solve it myself! I do appreciate your help. I guess I am not even saying I have clutch slippage, because like I said I do get some acceleration, but it takes a second for it to fully get all the power. Is there another stage of clutch failure before full on slippage?

 

You're slipping now. After that it just won't engage.

 

Any article that refers to a clutch as "delivering boost" should be ignored. If the clutch slips, the engine will rev like you put it in neutral, but it won't accelerate. That's how it works. If you burned up your clutch, that's a separate issue unrelated to your overheating.

You don't have heat...as in, you bypassed the heater core? Post clear pictures of how you have your coolant lines routed.

 

Ok will do

 

Yeah was gonna say there is a disconnect on the term hesitation.

Car hesitation from clutch slippage is expected, but on these forums, hesitation is usually thought about a motor itself, not the whole car, due to diagnostic direction and symptoms etc.

In in one perspective a slipping clutch can cause hesitation but not in the same context as hesitation is typically thought about here on H-T.

The burning smell is quite likely your clutch disc in it's final stages of burning up. Pretty soon it won't engage at all and you will have a free revving engine while the car goes no where.

Like others have said, the clutch is not related to the overheating problem.

You have two problems here that are unrelated to each other.

 

Thanks for clarifying TomCat. Strange how the mechanics at the shop who presumably tested the cooling system as far as air and all that said that that was all fine. But I will definitely keep in mind how you guys say there are two unrelated problems.

 

Mechanics at shops fit under three categories - Too stupid and/or lazy to properly diagnose cars, too greedy to tell the truth, or both.