2k5civicEX

As the title states engine won't start and run after doing the head gasket, water pump and timing belt replacement. Used a Aisin WP and Timing belt replacement kit and bought the OE Honda head gasket kit from a online dealer. So quality parts being used.

The car sat in our shop for about a month with the head off waiting for the machine shop to get done with it and then finding time to put it back together. Which btw was last week (vacation time). Rotated the crank bolt two full revolution to make sure timing marks where lined up(all good). So put back on all the accessories and covers and misc stuff. Went to start it up and all it would do was turn over. The green key wasn't flashing at while cranking over. So not the immobilizer module.

I was stumped on what might cause it. So even though I relentlessly didn't want to. I pulled the front of the engine apart again and removed the valve cover. Rechecked the marks and everything is GTG still, belt hasn't slipped for some odd reason... nothing. So I put it back together Sunday yesterday and still no start. Just turns over. Gets spark and fuel. As I was a idiot out of frustration and manipulated the gas pedal while starting the second go around. Pretty sure I flooded it. So let it set overnight and pulled the plugs and still wet. Took a touch and air hose and dried them off and pushed air into cylinders to dry them out too. I did use a straw and my finger and maybe placed about a teaspoon of oil in each cylinder thinking maybe walls and rings dried up some.

Haven't put the valve cover back on yet with coil packs and try it again. Any of you guys have anything to add I might look at. I'm stumped and it ran good before doing this. Didn't use or burn oil at 198,131 miles. #1 Piston is TDC along with crank balance mark lined up with pointers on lower TB cover.

TIA guys

Bill

Level w top of head

Level w top of head

Camshaft sprocket \"UP" in the up position along with the keyway.

BrotatoChip

Any faults? I would take a look at the crank position sensor. We've seen others have issues after head gasket and timing belts. Coolant/oil gets in the connector and causes issues.

2k5civicEX

No faults that I know of(CEL isn't illuminated). But I have a OBD dongle that has Bluetooth connection with phone. I could see if anything is stored by chance. I'll take a pic of the crank position sensor later today. But yeah I hear yeah on the mess it creates when you remove the water pump, then more mess when you remove the head from the deck of the engine block😬.

Thanks 😊

guitarsnlikker

Please ignore my message if its not applicable..... but Its hard to tell from the picture, is the cam 180deg out? I don't see the "up" on the camshaft sprocket, its blurry. Also... reassembling the head.... all valve lashes were in spec? How's the compression?

2k5civicEX

Cleaned out connector with non chlorinated brake clean and plugged harness back in to sensor.

Timing is spot on...checked 3 times.


Got home from work early today...like 4am and didn't want to go disturb the dogs and wake everyone up. So went into the shop and started fiddling on the car again.

After putting a teaspoon of oil in each cylinder and turning it over several times and pulling the plugs to clean them off and reinstall. I've had success with it hitting/firing for a split second. Then the dreaded no start just turning over goes into effect. Pulled the plugs and they're wet. Proceed to clean and dry off again and reinstall. Then attempt to start again and it hits for another split second before again the dreaded no start just turning over.

Pulled the plugs again and they're wet again...clean and dry and reinstall and again attempt to start the and hits then goes into the dreaded no start just turning over. After 5 cycles of this I have up and headed up to the house as it was almost 6am and felt I wouldn't disturb the the house too much now LoL 😂.

Any ideas?!?! I got frustrated after the 5th or 6th time of pulling the coil packs and plugs to find the plugs soaked in fuel🤔🤨😑😔.

At this point I'm about ready to give up and push it to the back of the shop and I found a nice used 2016 Civic Touring model for sale at a local large dealer and be done with the 7th gen and move on to a 10th gen unit😬.

2k5civicEX

Yeah, it's in the UP position. Just a cruddy pic as my phone ain't all that spiffy no mo(5 years old).

Maybe my valve clearances are out of spec. They(machine shop) did cut new seats prior to installing new valve seals and resurfacing the deck. I can get the car to fire for a split second before starting to dreaded none start just turning over. I gave up after about 4 hours of being inside of our none heated/cooled shop. With it being 95* with 70%+ humidity=112* feel like on the outside(oven inside shop literally).

2k5civicEX

I also thought your engine had to be in normal operating temp to do a compression check to get a accurate reading too?

guitarsnlikker

Man Im sorry I just saw that your last pic has a caption about the "UP" marker. I didn't see that before. I'm getting too old. If you got fuel, spark, its not the anti theft system, timing is dead on, crank and cam sensor are hooked up and they have powers and grounds intact there are no codes and everything else checks I would want to do a blowby test to make sure each cylinder is sealing well. After all it ran great before. Just my very unprofessional opinion of course. Good luck.

2k5civicEX

Nah, its all good. But my car isn't lol. If ezone lived near by I'd pay him to come over and get her going again. But have a feeling he's farther north of me...maybe IA, SD or IL. I'm 45 minutes SE of KC and nearest dealer is 30 minutes away at Lees Summit Honda.

Just frustrating, wants to start for a split second. Thanks for your and BrotatoChip advice.

BrotatoChip

It can be done on a cold engine, you will see slightly lower readings but can still confirm the engine is healthy. Should see around 180 psi on each cylinder.

2k5civicEX

Welp, pulled the valve cover this morning and checked #1 valve clearance..In. .002" Ex. 008" #2 was tight also. But #3&4 when checked were actually compressing the valve spring several thousandths. So that was my cause of no start, no compression lol. Guess the valve job altered my clearance and went to put the rocker assembly back on and just torque it down. Thinking nothing changed lol, wrong!!!.

So got it fired up after buttoning it back up the top of the engine. BUT now I have misfires on all 4 cylinders. Hoping and praying it's caused from being fouled out plugs. They were pretty cruddy looking even after trying to clean them up with brake clean and compressed air.

So got another set of plugs just now. Man I hope this is it LoL 😂. It wouldn't even stay idling it was running the rough with the misfires.

2k5civicEX

Well went to NAPA and picked up a cheap set of NGK V Power plugs to experiment if my NGK Laser Platinum plugs were indeed fouled out from injecting and small amount of oil. To get it to boost compression after first getting it back together (only to find out valves were WAY too tight especially on the intake side).

Got #1 & #2 to fire normally but 3 & 4 are still misfiring and throwing the code with the CEL flashing because of it.

Pulled those plugs again and they're still getting wet(thinking oil). They don't smell gassy. Any ideas on how to get those two to act normal and not misfire cause they're wet with oil.

Didn't inject that much maybe a inch worth of s drinking straw.

TIA