I recently blew the head gasket on my 01 Civic 1.7 SOHC. Decided to have a valve job done on the head while they were machining it. Going to put everything back together, I get to installing the cam. It won't turn. No matter what, even if none of the bolts are torqued - of the rocker arm assembly is on the head, my cam won't turn more than a quarter inch and then it binds. I have spent literally hours trying to figure out what the problem is and I am no further than when I started. Everything is properly lubed, same bolts went in the same holes, and the engine is still at TDC. I have done several head gasket jobs and plenty of major engine work on others cars and have never ran into this problem, but I figured one of you may have. Anyone have any ideas?

 

If the engine is at TDC, couldn't one of the valves be contacting the #1 or #4 piston? They are interference engines.

Alternatively, maybe one or more of the valves are stuck? I haven't really heard of that happening, but maybe?

 

I was turning the problem over in my head and thought the same thing at work today... just got home so I am going to try it out now and break out the plastigage while I am at it.

 

DumpdEJ6 is right, if the cylinder head is bolted down to the block, and cylinder 1 is at TDC - then it won't turn because the valves should be interfering with cylinders 1 and 4.
I would rotate the crank maybe a 1/4 turn and then try again. Then when you go to put the timing belt back on, just make sure to double check and line up the crank/cam positions correctly. Then rotate the engine by hand to further check of course

When I did this job, I tore the head down on a bench, then fully reassembled and tested rotating the cam on the bench too.

 

Make sure that none of the valves are bent.. Its really easy to bend the vales in one of those heads if the cam is installed and rockers bolted down.. the valves will be hanging out of the head and can easily be bent if the head is set down on the sealing surface.. Its could happen easily in transport from the machine shop.. ask me how I know. lol

Hope they arent bent.

 

I seriously hope not either! Is there any way to check short of removing the head again?

Edit: I bolted the head on before installing the cam and rocker arms. So I doubt that they are bent

 

Once everything is lined up and in time you can do a compression test, or if you have a leakdown tester you can do that without the timing belt on I believe, as long as the valves are closed.

 

Well... Tried turning the crank, the engine is no longer at TDC. Torqued the rocker arm assembly to spec, cam is once again locked... Looks like I'm pulling the head again early in the morning.

Woo-effin'-hoo.