We just got done rebuilding my son's '91 Prelude, 2.1L after a bearing and oil pump failure. All the rebuild went OK and the engine is now operational. We readjusted the timing and reset the idle and it runs smooth, no noises or codes. When you put it in gear and try to drive away it plain just has no *****! Like you put a plug in the exhaust or starved for fuel. Fuel filter has been changed and all ignition components are new. A loss of power in the manual makes reference to a faulty cat. Could this be my loss of power???
Any other areas to research????
Thanks for all the previous info and help during the rebuild

Tom and Kyle in PA

 

checked the spark plugs and wires? cap and rotor?

 

hmmm I'm for a lost. bump

what's the condition of the fuel press regulator and what's the pressure at idle? fuel injectors been cleaned?

 

Plugs, wires ,cap, rotor and all other related electricals are new.
Fuel filter was replaced. What fuel pressure should I have at idle??

Tom and Kyle

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by tgmedin &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Plugs, wires ,cap, rotor and all other related electricals are new.
Fuel filter was replaced. What fuel pressure should I have at idle??

Tom and Kyle</TD></TR></TABLE>

well you do have that oddball engine b20. honda b-series engine normally have the pressure range from 40-44 psi w/ vacuum line off the fuel pressure regulator. do you have the honda factory techican manual? also known as the helms manual on h-t? if not buy it here: http://www.helminc.com that should give you all the factory specs to the prelude engine ie fuel pressure, torque specs, bolt size, etc.

 

are the cams properly indexed?

 

Cams were perfectly indexed prior to adjusting the valves. I checked and double checked this prior to adjusting valves. All the pulley marks were in the correct place and the #1 cylinder was at TDC with the timing mark correctly aligned at the flywheel. When you operate the throttle by hand the engine sounds fine. When put under a load is when you notice it. It starts and idles fine.
I have the timing advanced as far as it will go on the distibutor.
Am I missing something small??? Maybe the throttle position sensor?? This should control something as it moves off idle, heh??

Thanks guys, keep the info coming...

Tom and Kyle in PA

 

Does the engine pull smoothly other than lacking *****? If it is smooth you could assume that it isn't an ignition misfire, especially if the parts are new. A lean fuel mixture could also cause a misfire or jerky acceleration but normally it would 'stack fire' through the intake. An overly rich mixture could cause a significant lack of power but would almost certainly be evident by black smoke from the exhaust on wide open throttle runs. This would leave retarded ignition timing, retarded cam timing, or both as other possible problems. Check for additional timing marks on the dampner, I believe there are several. You can also reclock the distributor (if possible, I don't think it is) so the timing is more advanced and if it helps significantly you know that is where the problem lies. Retarded cam timing could also cause low power because it lowers the effective compression ratio (the ratio measured at the point at which the intake valve closes) so your cam timing may actually be off. Of course, like you mentioned, a plugged cat could be causing the problem. The best way to test for a plugged cat is just remove it and take her for a rip. You'll know immediately if it's plugged.

 

Also, is it an automatic or a manual?

 

The car is a manual tranny. It runs perfectly smooth and rev's like hell in the shop. When I timed the cams initially I used the flywheel mark when at TDC on #1 cylinder. You can't physically use another mark at that point. Cam timing is right on the reference marks as you rotate to adjust valves. We assume we are looking for something minor at this point. My thought of the Cat is based on a trouble shooting chart in the Helms manual. I was also looking at the Throttle Angle Sensor as it varies according to throttle plate opening.
Can an O2 sensor go bad without throwing a code or CEL???
Thanks for all the help so far guys, we're almost there!

Tom and Kyle in PA

 

If your cat is clogged you will typically run a little bit hotter on temp gauge and get the rotten egg smell, I know you said you double checked timing several times but it still sounds like your off a tooth.

 

Did you readjust ur throttle cable when putting everything back together? check to see if the T.B. is opening up all the way at w.o.t.

 

Yes, All throttle cables are hooked right and adjusted. Here's what I found yesterday...... We pulled the valve cover again to verify the timing marks as everyone seems to think we are off a tooth on the timing belt. We verified TDC at #1, with the white timing mark on the flywheel, not the red one, and we again verified that the cam pulley markings are at 12 o'clock and the holes in the camshaft line up with the registration holes in the bearing end caps. All is perfect!! One tooth off would show up as a big error.
We then re-assembled everything and tried to recheck the timing after warm-up. Here's where it gets interesting......I cannot get the red 15 degree timing mark to line up even with the distributor advanced all the way. I am about 13 degrees retarded which explains our lack of power even with a smooth idle. Now to verify I pulled all the bolts out of the distibutor housing, advanced it until timing was on the red mark at 770 RPM and held it in place with vise grips. Engine runs perfectly even under load. No we were not stupid enough to run the car with the vise grips in place, I just drilled and tapped a new hole in the flange and put a bolt in to secure for testing.
Question is...How can this be when I followed all the right procedures. I have done everything to come up with a plausable explanation as to why I can't advance to the proper mark and I am at a loss.
Now what should I do????
Thanks for all the past help.....keep it coming! Almost there.....

Tom and Kyle in PA