Hi everyone,

Been lurking a while and finally joined up. Thanks for all the help you've given so far in answers to other members questions. This one has me kind of stumped though.

Swapped in a used engine (130K miles) to my Civic (1997, EX, auto trans, w/ VTEC) and after getting it all hooked up and filled with oil I started it. Fired up pretty quick and idled smooth. Throttle response was good too; revved up nicely with no hesitation or anything. It idled for about 30 seconds then I turned it off and it sat for a few min. Turned it on again and it started great again. I was about to start putting in the coolant (had none up to this point) but had to deal with a little emergency so I left with it running. When I got back to the car (probably idled 2 minutes while I was gone) the radiator hoses had collapsed from the vacuum of no radiator fluid. Started adding fluid but the idle slowly dropped until the engine cut out- almost as if it had run out of gas. I filled the radiator and then tried to start it to get the fluid pumping but now it won't start. In fact, the engine seems to seize up when I try to start it. I can turn the crank with a socket wrench so it's not actually seized up, but it definitely "catches" when trying to start. I took a video of it happening:

http://s42.photobucket.com/user/BigD..._0519.mp4.html

My immediate thought would be cam/crank out of sync but then why would the engine start and run fine initially? I did change the timing belt, water pump, and tensioner on the used engine before swapping it in. Maybe could have jumped a tooth on the timing belt? Any possibility that running it for those few minutes with no coolant damaged the head in some way? Also, if i turn the crank past this point with a wrench I can sometimes get it to crank but it still won't start up. And just FYI I'm getting no CEL. Should I go back and check my timing belt and crank/cam alignment or is there something else you guys can think of?

Any help would be extremely appreciated. Thanks a lot!

Sam

 

Its not an air cooled engine you should have definitely had coolant in it just to run it for more than 15 seconds.

 

No offense but why on earth after replacing an engine would you even crank it with no coolant? It does have oil in it right?

 

You could have done all those things without even bothering to start this thread to wait to get some "advice". Used engine belt?

Running an engine without coolant has GOT to be one of the stupidest things I have ever heard of. Only topped by running an engine with no coolant and leaving it unattended while idling. Admit it. YOu forgot to put any in. There was no emergency.

 

Need another engine. Bet the cylinders are warped to hell now from overheating due to nothing on the other side of the 1/4 inch thick aluminum wall to pull the fiery heat away.

Not sure why you would think starting an engine with no coolant would be safe. Expensive way to learn that it's not.

 

Going to need another engine, you don't let an engine run without coolant even when its first start up.

 

Yeah I realize that wasn't a good idea. It did have some coolant left in the rad but either way I didn't mean to leave it idling that long. Like I said I got pulled away from it before I could add the coolant.

Anyway now that we've establish that I'm a moron- anyone have any suggestions on where to go from here?

Sam

EDIT: wow you guys are quick haha. Warped cylinders huh? That really sucks...

 

 

I think everyone is over reacting a bit.

OP can turn the engine by hand. It's probably fine. Likely a bad ground or starting component/charging component is to blame.

Although after its running, I would suggest a compression test.

I would also suggest replacing the water pump and timing belt.

 

OP...check your ground to your trans.

Try jump starting the car. Your battery may be dead. Your starter may have developed high resistance and it's showing up coincidentally.

I'm only saying all this because you say it's possible to turn the engine by hand. Was your battery light or any other warning light on while you let the car run without coolant?

Im curious...what kind of emergency presents itself so urgently that you can't flip a key into the off position? My penix would literally have to be ablaze for it to qualify as urgent enough....

Next time if you start a car without coolant...I would suggest not straying more than arm's length away from the key cylinder. I would also say shut it off after no more than a couple seconds.

 

There's a possibility of a next time?

 

Just being realistic. Lol

 

Car was idling fine,, without coolant, until he walked away. For how long he was away we dont know. So of course my answer would be something mustve melted. Oil can help keep cool and lubricate but to a certain extent.

 

I bought a 1991 CRX HF in Jacksonville Beach and drove it all the way down to St. Pete Beach with no coolant. The head gasket blew, guy must have had a warped head/block, and the coolant would not stay in the engine. BEWARE OF VALVE COVERS WITH NO PAINT IF IT CAME FROM THE FACTORY WITH PAINT. I burst a radiator hose and had to think of something quick. My friend and I drove up there at night and he had to be at work in the morning. I put the heat on full blast, rolled the driver's side window down and had to use a rag to remove the passenger window crank because the window would not roll down. Pulled the door panel and dropped the window. Next I removed the hood and put it inside the car. Yes, the hood to a CRX will fit inside the car, right at the back of the head of the driver. It was night time but only in the 60's. Had to keep it under 2,000 rpm. The engine still ran many times after this because I had to move it no less than 5 times. The first time was 90 mins away.

So the engine is robust and is capable of running with water in the oil and little to no coolant.

Air cooled all the way. Volkswagen ain't got sh*t on a broken Honda.

 

IV seen people run Honda dngines, in an attempt to destroy them, without oil nor coolant, WOT. They usually last a while, you may be surprised.

OP, run the standard tests. Check if the spark plugs are making spark. Check if fuel is being injected into the cylinders. Check the compression if you can manage to get the starter to turn it over.

you very well may have destroyed your engine, but there's a chance its a stupid problem

 

Actually, try this first.

1. Put coolant in the radiator/engine.

2. Put a gallon of fuel in the tank

3. Hook up jumper cables

4. See if it starts

"like it ran out of gas"
maybe it actually did?

 

I think we're being trolled.