Hey Guys

Recently I had to replace a head gasket on my 98 Honda Civic D16Y7 engine. I have a couple new problems now.

The first problem is when you start the engine cold the low oil pressure light comes on for about a second or 2. From my research it can be a 1 of 3 things

1. Bad Oil Pump
2. Bad Oil Pressure sensor
3. Clog

This main question I have is how do I check for actual clogs? I know that I have to remove the valve cover, but what do I have to actually look for, and where.

The second problem has to do with my A/C system. The compressor has been malfunctioning, but when the A/C compressor clutch does engage the car runs really rough at idle now, and then it eventually stalls at idle. What is the likely culprit to this you guys think?

Also at a stop light I rev'd the car to keep it alive, and steam came out? I question it being actual steam because 1. The temperate on my temperature gauge was pretty damn low. 2. The steam did not persist. It lasted for like a second, it looked weird almost like fairy dust, and when I checked the engine bay it was bone dry, no liquid at all. I was thinking it was refrigerant from the A/C system but who knows. Any clues on this would be useful as well.

Also yes I did adjust the valves. Hopefully I did a good job lol

 

1st problem -- if the pump was working fine and you had good oil pressure prior to HG replacement, it's not the issue. Are you sure you didn't install the HG backwards?

2nd problem -- the clutch on the AC compressor is likely bad. Easier to replace the compressor than trying to rebuild the clutch.

 

I installed a Felpro gasket, and on there website it said that if the gasket doesn't say which orientation to install it you can install it in either direction. I installed it with the writing facing up though. Also another detail I forgot to include is that I installed ARP headstuds. They said to torque it in three steps to 60 ft lbs. So I did 15, 30, 60. Not sure if this is a potential factor.

Also I may not have noticed the low oil pressure before the head gasket fix. I may have noticed now because I'm hyper aware of everything now.

Also how would a bad A/C compressor cause a car to stall. I'm trying to understand things because I'm a new mechanic.

 

you check for pressure, oil pressure. There's a service port on the side of the oil pump that you connect a gauge to.

 

I don't see where the service port is on the side of the oil pump. I'm currently going through the Honda service manual and it says to do this. Which is basically connect it to where the oil pressure sensor usually sits. If you know where it is can you direct me to it? Thanks in advance!

 

Ok I finally measured the oil pressure.

Before i begin wanted to note that my car has a high idle at 1200 RPM

When the car is cold it idles at 70 psi.
When the car is at full operating temperature it idles at 20 psi

When I can get the car to idle at a more normal RPM the gauge shows 12 - 10 psi. It never dips below 10 PSI though

Also when I did a full oil change the low oil pressure at start up went away.(Yes I did check the oil level before the oil change, and it was full)

Also I notice smoke coming out of the tail pipe when I approach red line. The smoke isn't heavy, but its present. I also notice smoke when the engine is cold. It disappears as it get warm. I don't remember it doing this before.

Let me know what you guys think. Normal, or does anything seem odd?

 

10 psi is ok at idle. I would recommend doing a compression test and leak down test to verify the head gasket is still holding. Are you losing coolant over the course of a few days/weeks of driving? How does your coolant reservoir level look - keeps rising, staying level, or dropping over the course of a few days/weeks?

As NVturbo stated, if you're having compressor clutch issues, just replace the entire compressor. I recommend buying a good brand like Denso. Your ECU is supposed to signal the IACV to compensate for the extra load from the AC compressor clutch engaging.

 

Disconnect the A/C belt for now to isolate that problem and come back to it. (I've zip tied the belt away from all the other moving parts in that area when I've had A/C pulley/compressor bearing problems in the past.)

Any coolant in the oil or oil in the coolant?

What are your results when you perform a:

• Compression test
• Leakdown test
• Coolant system pressure test