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My son's 96' EX had the cam seize, and the gear spun on the cam.
I'm gonna pull the cam out tomorrow to see if it can be reused.

I know that Honda calls this an interference motor, but I also hear that it may not be.
Might I get away with new bearings and a cam polish up?

I suspect that the car was driven for several weeks after the gear started to
spin, so I doubt the valves would have been spared impact with the pistons if this is indeed an interference engine.

 
Rep Power: 230

If the gear moved on the cam your gonna need a new one. period.

 
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A new what?... cam?
I got a new gear, that end of the cam is o.k. as the old gear failed before the much harder cam.

 
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Honda's are interference motors. Check your valves before throwing things back together and trying to run the car.

Honda heads do not use cam bearings either, they simply use journals machined into the head and rocker arm assembly. The cam itself is probably fine and so are the pistons, but I'll bet dollars to donuts that some of the valves are not.

 
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It sounds as if I'll need a replacement head, assuming that the aluminum journals have galled, and valves are bent.

Would it make sense to pull the rocker shafts and do a compression test to check for bent valves?

 
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You can do that if you like. It takes a lot to mess up those journals and it's usual a low-oil situation that causes them to get messed up.

If the gear spun, there's a good chance the keyway on the end of the cam is now a circular groove instead of a keyway anymore. Check that first. If that is bad, you now a cam to source or get repaired, new cam gear, possible journal damage, possible/probable bent valves, etc... It would be much cheaper to just pick up a used D16Y8 cylinder head and swap it completely out and be done with it. That way you're only into it for around $100 for the head and $40 in gaskets.

 
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Here you go. Complete Y8 for $110 shipped.

Ebay D16Y8 used head

 
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You got that right, I just pulled the cam. The galling was so bad that the cam is junk! The bearing surface closest to the gear is DEEPLY grooved.

A new head it is.

Thanks for the help AND the link!

 
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No probs, glad to help.