Overheated Engine Repair Project

[marklj]

About to embark on an overheat repair project. It’s been almost 3 years and we finally have enough funds to get started on this. Separated the intake from the removed head and will take it to the engine machine shop tomorrow.

Lots of unknowns at this point, but you got to start somewhere. Starting with a pressure test on the head and a resurface for $120. If the head passes the test, then it’s on to a head gasket kit and reinstallation to see what the bottom end is like. Here’s hoping…

The history:

http://www.3geez.com/forum/showthread.php?t=65913

http://www.3geez.com/forum/showthread.php?t=66480

http://www.3geez.com/forum/showthread.php?t=66510

Low resolution pictures:

http://s449.photobucket.com/albums/qq220/marklj_2008/Honda%20Accord%20Engine/

[Dr_Snooz]

Good stuff. Hope it's a quick easy job. Relatively speaking. Keep us posted on your progress.

[marklj]

Machine shop called and said the overheating did some damage to the valves / valve seats. They will need to do some additional work for $70 more.

BTW - packed up in several layers of cardboard and a few bungee cords, an A20A1 cylinder head travels nicely on the back of a motorcycle.

[Dr_Snooz]

BTW - packed up in several layers of cardboard and a few bungee cords, an A20A1 cylinder head travels nicely on the back of a motorcycle.

Oh my!

[marklj]

The machine shop says the cylinder head is OK! They did a valve job, replaced the camshaft seal, and resurfaced the head. Now to order the head gasket kit and reassemble everything and see how bottom end is.

I've got the Haynes manual to walk me through the reassembly. Hopefully I can remember most of how everything goes back together. It’s been sitting apart for 3 years in my garage.

[Dr_Snooz]

The Honda manual (http://honda.roadpwnage.com/manuals/pages/usdm-accord-1989-full.php) is a better resource. Not sure if you have it already or not.

[marklj]

The Honda manual (http://honda.roadpwnage.com/manuals/pages/usdm-accord-1989-full.php) is a better resource. Not sure if you have it already or not.

Thanks! Downloading and saving for printing.

[Chaotica]

Do you have the download link for the 88 model? or will this manual suffice?

[Dr_Snooz]

'88s and '89s are pretty much identical. The '86-'87 model years are a little different, but it can still work. I'm still looking for a scan for those model years.

[marklj]

Ordered the head gasket kit and other parts off the internet from Autozone. All the parts arrived in one big box. However the head gasket box had been ripped open and sloppily taped closed, the corner of the box was soaked in oil, missing gaskets and the head gasket had been folded over! Called Autozone and they are shipping another head gasket kit. Lost a whole weekend of work because they dumped a trashed head gasket kit on me. Arrgh!

[marklj]

Back on track. Autozone made good on the head gasket kit. It arrived in a factory sealed and all the gaskets were there and the head gasket was not folded.

[marklj]

First of all, Kudos to Dr_Snooz for posting the link for the factory service manual. It is more concise and the simple drawings are easier for me to understand. Great supplement to the Haynes manual.

Today I was able to remove the timing belt cover and timing belt. Turned the engine over and looked at the cylinder walls for the number 1 and 4 cylinders. These look completely OK compared the minor scuffing on cylinder walls 2 and 3. Gently smoothed a very small ding on the top of piston 2. (the sparkplug porcelain had broken off and bounced around.) Cleaned the deck of the block. Bolted down intake to the head and torqued the head down.

Not too sure about the timing belt installation. The belt looks good and I lined up the TDC on the flywheel and lined up the camshaft sprocket. Installed the belt and rotated the crankshaft CCW 3 teeth to tension it but the tension pulley and spring did not seem to put any tension on the belt. (The tension spring is mounted in place.) I went ahead and pried it gently with a long screwdriver to tension the belt and cinched down the adjusting bolt. I’m assuming the tension pulley and spring will need to be replaced. Thoughts?

Also, I found one bolt holding the lower timing belt cover that was longer than the others. Is this normal? If so, which position should the longer bolt go?

Thanks for the advice.

[marklj]

Figured out the tension pulley issue. Examined it with some rested eyes today and saw that it was not on the pivot point. Unscrewed the tension adjuster bolt and position correctly and voila, the tension pulley now works just as described in the manual. This must have been done like this when the belt was changed during the previous ownership.

The longer screw went into the hole right below the water pump on the lower cover.

Alternator and power steering belts are now in place. Exhaust is bolted up. More to come…

[marklj]

Had a cool evening to work in the garage. Finished the zillion hose connections. Thank goodness Honda numbers the hoses and the tags the pipe organ behind the carburetor. Nice to see the distributor drive is offset so you can’t get it installed wrong. Hope to get it fired it up next.

[marklj]

Got it fired up and running. New radiator installed. Insured and tag decal purchased.

A couple of snags yesterday.

First, it started overheating. Full of water, air bled from system. Checked cooling fans as they did not come on. Bypassed thermal switch with a paperclip. Fans OK. But in doing so, felt the bottom of the radiator. It was cool to the touch. Suspected bad thermostat. Ran to AZ and installed it (the old one fell apart when I removed it.) and now it stays at the normal range.

Went to move it out to wash it and it would not budge. Tried first gear and reverse a couple of times and then the rear brakes broke free. 3 years with the parking brake on will do that. Tires had 15 lbs of air.

Have to sort out an intermittent problem with the cruise control. Got it to work several times but today it was engaged and I hit a dip on the interstate and it disengaged and would not reengage. Suspect loose connection somewhere.


http://s449.photobucket.com/albums/qq220/marklj_2008/Honda%20Accord%20Engine/

[1868ccmgb]

Excellent work!

[marklj]

First tank of gas netted 31.25 MPG! That's driving around Athens, GA making my service calls.

Adjusted the valaves Friday. The machine shop got it close but found many way off. Making some long trips this weekend. Can't wait to see what kind of mileage we get.

[marklj]

33.89 MPG on a trip to Atlanta and some around town driving!