Hey HT, I just did a head gasket job on my 01' Civic. After getting everything put on, not necessarily bolted down, I did a "Test start" with no exhaust manifold on. It ran "Fine", loud as ****, but ran, and so I turned it off and started putting everything back together.
After I attached the exhaust manifold and had everything all tightened down, I went to start it and heard a pop and smoke start coming from the intake side of the engine, After that it wouldn't start.

Anyone have ideas? Did I blow another head gasket or is it something else? Thanks!

 

Double check your work. Check all your electrical connections. Make sure all sensors are connected. If that doesn't fix it, check timing. The belt may have jumped a tooth.

 

I checked over a lot of it, the thing that gets me is that it was running literally right before I put the exhaust manifold on and i went to start it right after I put it on and it popped and smoked a little and then would only crank, not start.

 

What tools do you have at your disposal?

If you have a bore scope you can look at things without disassembly. If not then you have to pull your intake manifold and spark plugs to inspect the intake valves and get a look at the piston tops.

Also might want to pull the valve cover, might spot a dropped valve.

Also the advise to check your mechanical timing is very good advise, if you are far enough out, you might have kissed a valve to a piston.

Boils down to what tools you have to what has to come off to inspect for these possibilities.

A leak down test can also point to these possibilities too.

 

I do not have a bore scope, Tomorrow im going to pull it all apart and check the valves and cylinder heads.

I've got quite a collection of tools at my disposal and anything I dont have I can go out and buy.

Thanks for the help guys~!

 

Bolting the exhaust could be a coincidence or maybe not. Have you tried unbolting it and trying to crank it again? Does it though any codes?

 

Even with a bore scope it could be challenging getting down each runner to inspect the intake valves without taking the Intake Manifold off.

I would probably start by pulling the valve cover. If I didn't see anything obvious that way, then the IM would come off, followed last by the exhaust header. The last thing I would want to pull is the head itself but you usually can get a decent look at the piston tops through the spark plug hole.

You did say there was smoke coming out of the intake manifold right?

A leak down test can tell you volumes without taking anything off but the spark plugs.

 

Okay so, I decided to start tearing it down andI guess the cam sprocket key broke and it came loose and I bent a valve. I looked at the piston, no obvious damage, it was one of the intake valves on cylinder 1. I replaced it and tightened down a new cam sprocket to spec, put it all back together the right way and it still cranks but won't start. I'm trowing a code(s) but I dont have a scanner. Picking one up tomorrow as its 11pm here now. Thanks for all the help guys/gals!

 

Sorry to hear it. At least you found part of the problem.

I didn't tighten the crank pulley bolt enough once which allowed the pulley to shift. Mangled the key and the crank shaft a bit. Still works though.

the code is a good place to start checking.

 

So it looks like im getting a P0113 code, which is the "Intake Air Temperature Circuit High". As far as I know this shouldn't stop the car from running, The head gasket looked good when I pulled the head off to fix the valve, everything is timed correctly. I'm absolutely stumped.

 

Looks like the Cam sprocket was 180 degree's off, going to get a completely different head from a junkyard and throw it on, my guess is that I didn't tighten the timing belt tensioner to spec (40 ft/lbs) and I am jumping teeth. The valves should be destroyed shouldn't they? Thanks for the help guys!