Spencer Morgan

i have a 2003 honda civic lx. 1.7 liter. i bought the car a few months back and it recently shut off and stopped working. we came to the conclusion that it was the timing belt. pulled everything apart and the timing belt tensioner was in pieces. the bearing had came apart, however, the belt was still intact. we bought a new timing belt kit and replaced the belt, the tensioner, and water pump. after lining timing marks up we reassembled and it doesn't start. it turns over and tries to run but does not. i thought maybe timing was off so i pulled it apart again, realigned timing marks, and reassembled. same results. the first time you try it will almost turn over but never fully. i'm kinda at a loss as to what to try next. fuel pump runs and it's getting fuel. spark plugs appear to be fine. also, we tried running any engine codes but the computer is showing 0 codes. any help or suggestions would be very greatly appreciated! thank you.

Poopies

iTrader: (4)

Umm... did you pull the engine apart to check the valves, pistons and cylinders before you went through all that effort? Due to the engine's interference design, the piston(s) most likely contacted the valve(s) so there's a pretty good chance your vehicle suffered some immediate, substantial internal damage when the tensioner blew up. Like, "I need to spend a couple grand and/or get a new engine" kind of damage. If you were considering a K-swap, this might be the perfect excuse.

ezone

Do a compression test before doing any other work, PROVE there's a huge problem?

Then you'll have proof it needs pulled apart.

Spencer Morgan

i didn't check valves, pistons, etc. i was told that at such a low rpm that engine damage was unlikely. i should have checked anyways but i'm pretty novice at this kinda stuff.

Spencer Morgan

as i was pulling spark plugs to do a compression test, i noticed that whoever did the last time up crossthreaded the #2 plug. advice on that?

ezone

It's extremely likely.


Remove all plugs, do the compression test on whatever cylinders you can do.

Is the plug actually cross threaded or is it just stuck?
Were any others loose?
A plug that wasn't properly tightened can get stuck due to carbon buildup in the threads.

If it bent valves as we all expect, you or a machine shop can deal with the cross threaded or stuck plug after the head is off the engine.

ezone

IF you do end up fixing this, pay the money for a tensioner pulley set from HONDA.

Aftermarkets are garbage, many end up needing an engine or valve job.

Spencer Morgan

no compression in #1 cylinder. #2 plug is still stuck. #3 and #4 have 200 compression. so does this mean that engine is just scrap? or just damaged? ��

xRiCeBoYx

iTrader: (22)

Valves damaged, likely, though plug 2 being stuck isn't good. Time to pull the head off and visually inspect

Just a personal experience. Had my belt shred because of an improperly torqued ckp sensor. Only damage was all valves bent. Takes slightly longer than a headgasket change, though, I did have the head checked to see if the valve guides got messed up in the process (thankfully no damage)

ezone

Based on what happened and what your test result is, I'd say it bent valves on at least the cylinder with no compression. A cylinder leakage or leakdown check could verify this and show which valves aren't sealing, intake or exhaust.

Then the head will come off, sent to a machine shop to have the valve work done and extract the stuck spark plug.

These engines usually don't suffer bottom end damage when this happens, usually you just fix the damaged valves and go on with life.

Mad Dog Tannen

If you are trying to budget, look at salvage yards for long blocks, it might cost less to get a low mileage long block as cheaper option. That is what I plan on doing if/when my engine blows (the rings are already a little worn).

ezone

^Re: Used engine

It would be in the owners best interest to yank the head off of any used D17Ax engine and replace the head gasket--- before the engine goes into the car. Same for the timing belt job and whatever oil leaking gaskets you want to change while it's easy.

Once the engine is in the car it's a lot more work to do anything.

Almost everyone here already knows how likely it is to blow the head gasket, and it's just smart to do the timing belt service..... may as well get them all out of the way while it's easy.

Mad Dog Tannen

+1

Definitely do preventative maintenance/repairs while it is out of the car. Timing belt for sure! If it is low mileage than I would leave the head gasket alone. I have only had to replace head gaskets from hydro-lock and damaged spark plug holes on my Hondas. I think replacing the water pump/belt is more worth the time, if it doesn't overheat, then the gasket should be fine with normal maintenance.

I even polished my intake and other aluminum parts when I had my Volvo engine out, just because I was bored and waiting for parts to arrive. lol

ezone

You've never had to deal seriously with a 7th gen car, have you?
They blow the head gasket for no apparent reason, and many did it at low mileages. It's gonna be a serious gamble for the OP if it isn't done while it's already apart.

Mad Dog Tannen

True, only 6th gen. I have never had an issue with my B16 or D16's.