Rod Bearing problems...

[AccordEpicenter]

OK heres the deal, lately ive been hearing a noise (not real loud, youd have to stick your head under the hood to hear it) and i wasnt sure what it was... I figured it might have been rods/rod bearings but wasnt sure. I had my mechanic friend look at it and he thinks that the rod bearings are getting pounded thin so it gets a little noisy. Heres what happens, when revving slowly (about 1 second between 4 and 5 k rpms you can hear them knock slightly) at idle and below 3500 you cant hear them nomatter what. Heres my question, how hard is it to do rod bearings with the engine still in the car, and has anything like this happend to you guys? Im not complaining after how ive driven this car, i just wanna fix it before i blow it up (ie spun bearing etc) or run turbo. Remember this car has 122k on it and uses maybe 1 qt of oil in 4500 miles ( I change the oil regularly with mobil 1).

[2old_honda]

Although I have never done it myself, I dont think that it would be too difficult to do the bearings with the engine in the car. Just jack it up high, remove the oil pan, and get to work.

[AccordEpicenter]

any idea of how much honda rod bearings cost?

[88LXi68]

I would just find another engine. The work to do that would be just as much if not more than putting another engine in.

[A20A1]

It only takes one bearing to throw the whole engine out of balance. If you keep driving it the way it is you'll do damage to all the other bearings... You might want to invest in a block rebuild kit and hope the crank is still good. That way you can add new rings to the pistons while you have the motor out.

[BootMachine]

Listen man...if the knock is not that bad dont worry about it! Changing the bearings is easy as 1, 2, 3!

IMO you should take the entire engine apart and rebuild everything and take the head off so you can install rings but if all you want to fix is the problem then here is how!

FYI! I can get you ROD bearrings for 40 bucks and Premium piston rings for 80! E-mail me if you need them!

Here is what to do!

- drain all fluids
- take off all sensors and cables and label them so you know how to put them back
- take the VC off so you can see the cam
- take the head bolts out
- take the head off
- clean the gasket surface with a soft wire brush
- jack up front of car
- take oil pan off so you can see the crank
- take the rod caps off
- push the pistons out through the top of the block while it is still in the car
- install new rings
- hone the cyl
- use LOTSA LUBE on the new bearrings....install those (or 1/2)
- drop the piston back in the cyl
- put the other 1/2 of the bearing on the bottom and replace the rod cap
- do that 4 times
- new head gasket
- put the head back on
- attach all the sensor wires and cables
- fill your fluids (oil, coolant, tranni fluid etc. )
- start engine and let break in!

Your DONE!

New rods and new rings!

Anymore questions let me know. If you are close to ottawa I'll do this for you for dirt cheap!

[Shifty]

Bearings r nothing.. i had my rod bearings changed for 600 bucks.. (the mechanic ripped us off) but it should'nt be that much.. the main bearings r ur problem.. i had to have my whole motor reconditioned coz of the main bearings !

[BootMachine]

no....I think if its knocking it would be rod bearnigs or a timing issue!

I did this whole job on my friends car for 400 bucks including parts!

It should not cost you that much!

[Shifty]

mates rates buddy...

[BootMachine]

Originally posted by Shifty
mates rates buddy...

mates rates?

[Shifty]

yeah mates rates.. know a buddy he'll do the work cheaper :D

[AccordEpicenter]

Well its not bad, youd never notice it unless you were running the engine between 4-6k otherwise its pretty quiet, its not loud at all but i wanna think about changing them before they get really bad and risk a spun bearing. I believe the crank should be fine.

[Sean]

try lashing the valves. either that or the oil pickup screen could be clogged up starving the bearings for oil.

[anchovies]

You'll also need to find out the cause of the problem. Low oil? Clogged oil passage?

[AccordEpicenter]

oil pressure seems ok, valves i just did... Keep in mind ive beat on this thing (read-foot to floor redline always for the last 40k miles) ive changed the pan like 3 mos ago and it was sooo clean in that engine... no metal etc in it.

[AccordEpicenter]

O, should i run heavier oil? Right now i run mobil 1 10w30

[A20A1]

heheh, 20w-50 :D especially if you're pushing it for a long time. Plus .... welll nevermind... winters about to roll around... but yeah it's been hot lately so a heavier oil is good.

[AccordEpicenter]

not here, i live in buffalo, ny, today it was in the high 50s... I like to beat on the car somtimes and i had hopes of taking the engine thats in it now turbo to 6-7 psi but im just not sure about wether its gonna let go if i do some serious hardcore driving (not everyday, but occasionally, like to the track) due to increased stresses on the bottom end etc... Im gonna get a 4 or 5th gen accord (just as a daily driver, not to trick out) and work on the accord....

[ryan88lxi]

that sounds like what mine was doing. if the noise gets worse (like it did for mine) its prolly the rod bearings, i knew they were shot but i raced around anyways and eventually blew the one out and that was it for that engine lol, hence the remanufactured four star one i have in there now.

[AccordEpicenter]

yea thats what im afraid of... Im gonna need an engine for that car prolly, but at least thatll be a good time for the tranny swap

[AccordEpicenter]

hey i had an idea today, do you think that downshifting harshly can do this too? Lately ive been downshifting the auto somtimes hitting 5k doing so... hmm....