age

hey guys,

ok.. this is on a Honda (my daily driver). Some of you know that I've been on this board for quite a while, and I don't make posts that aren't F-body related.

But this is my daily driver, and something bad happened on monday. I've asked some honda guys already, but I figure I get a 2nd opinion on here.

I did the head gasket on my DOHC Vtec engine (99-00 Honda Civic Si, B16 motor to be specific) a couple of weeks ago. I had the factory manual next to me, and I torqued down all the bolts in sequence, in steps and to torque. I even double checked the torque. I had the head resurfaced, and I used a multi-layer steel head gasket with a couple of coats of the copper spray-a-gasket as insurance.

When the head was off, I noticed that the iron sleeve that's in the block (surrounding the cylinder walls) had shifter upward very slightly. You couldn't see it, but you can feel it when you run your fingernail on the block. I didn't think too much of it, and I did NOT have the money to send the block out for machining.

Now, I put everything on.. and all seemed fine UNTIL monday evening.

I was driving and the car started overheating. I pull over the gas station and got some water (knowing that I was prolly losing coolant). I ended up putting in 2L of water into the rad. I went to start the car (rad cap off) and water started gushing out of the rad filler neck. As it cranked, I heard a loud CLUNK.. and then nothing.. the engine had "seized".

Had the car towed back to my shop, and after pulling the plugs, I noticed that ALL FOUR cylinders were filled with water.

Now, I don't think that I messed up with bolting on the head. I couldn't have messed up to the point where all four cylinders would fill with water.

Would you guys have any thoughts as to what would've caused this?

I'm thinking that the block is screwed.. and because the sleeve had shifted upwards, the sealing was done btwn the head and the block..

thanks guys.. and sorry for the off topic.

jstrdn90rs

What I would like to know is why did you do the head gasket in the first place?what was your reason?..apparantly the sleeve shifted up..probably due to the clearance in between the block and sleeve.Water surrounds the sleeve and I dont know if its pressed in or o-ringed etc. but whatever sealed the sleeve is no longer doing its job and water has entered the combustion chamber.Its possible it could be a defective block to begin with?(poor machine work)..whatever it is you will need to pull the engine.

91CamaroRS305

iTrader: (2)

Sounds like you trashed the engine to a point where it is non reuseable. You hydrostatically locked the engine, with the water in the cylinders the pistons acted like a hydraulic pump, and when the water had no where to go, CLUNK, something or everything gave way.

You cylinder sleeve sounds like it may of shifter up. Like jstrdn90rs said, whay change the gasket?? If there was no reason they perhaps letting tension off the sleeve when removing the head cause it to move. Plus was the engine cold when you removed the head?? As in not running for a whole day? Removing the head if it was hot cause the sleeve and block to cool off and essentially contract at different rates, which may of cause the sleeve to be pushed up if the block cooled faster.

Either way, good luck with it, sounds like an expensive boo-boo, and I know we have all been there before, myself included.

nelapse

iTrader: (17)

Did you use the same head bolts? On imports and I should know I built dozens... when you put that final draw of torque on a bolt they stretch right then and there... making them completely reusuable... if you reused them than more than likely you only got half the torque you were suppose to and you hydrolocked your car as a result.
i doubt the sleeve is a cause of concern. Now is a perfect time to do one a honda engine swap... you have 20 kinds to choose from :P

age

hey guys,

thanks for all the responses.

I did this engine swap in march (went from SOHC to DOHC). A couple of months later, the motor overheated BAD. I suspected the headgasket, and therefore decided to do it.

I did the head gasket when the motor was cold, and I did reuse the head bolts. I thought that it would've been ok to reuse them.. I had the honda shop manual right next to me, and it didn't say anything about replacing the bolts (normally it mentions when something needs to be replaced).

I know that the sleeve had shifted upwards just a hair.. and this did happen to me a couple of weeks after I did the head gasket. <sigh>

SSC

Honda uses TTY bolts so that was one issue but probably not what killed it. You also have pressed in slevees and the only way one can walk up is if somthing pushed it up, usually the block cracks and you end up in that situation. I learned a long time ago never do patch work on a honda it's not a chevy and it will break.

age

thanks for all the responses guys. At this point, the only thing I can salvage is my dignity in knowing that I at least did things as correct as I could. I did follow the honda shop manual, and this was my first time doing it. I didn't get any new head bolts because normally it would indicate which/what items need to be replaced. Oh well, all is done now.. can't change the past. Thanks again, guys

nelapse

iTrader: (17)

look into any manual... haynes, chilton, whatever... they all include or exclude certain things... for example: last night i was setting valve lash on a 4.3 v6... haynes said to find TDC and adjust the #1 valves then turn the crank then do number 6 valves then turn the crank then do number 4
while chiltons explained it how it's suppose to be done... find TDC then do exhaust valves # # # then intake valves # # # then turn the crank 360 and do Exhaust valves # # # then intake # # #.
When doing something major, its always a good idea to get a second opinion... when i do a rebuild i have 4 different references...