nOOb... need some help with my 88 LX

[powered_by_greddy]

Hey guys...I'm new here. I have an 88 LX with the A20a2 carb motor. I've only got it for a couple months and now its giving me hell. I've owned 2 coupes, an 88 DX and an 89 Lxi, both with no problems at all but now this one is giving me hell. The problem first started when I was driving it to work and i noticed a slight knocking noise from the motor. I asked around and people said it could have been the lifters knocking. They also told to me to try out some of this RISLONE stuff that you pour in with your oil. It's supposed to quiet down and smooth out lifters and valves. I tried it out but it didn't help. As time goes on, and I keep driving the car, the noise gets louder and more frequent. I asked my boss (I work at Autozone) and he listened to the motor. I told me to rev it up and keep it at around 2000 rpm. There was the knocking noise. He concluded that the noise wasn't coming from the head but it was from the block and it sounds like my piston pins were going out. He also went on to tell me that he had the same problem with one of his cars, which he drove around with for almost 12k miles with no problem. SO... me being the stupid-assuming-self that I am, I figured "HEY, IT'S A HONDA. I'VE HAD THE SAME CARS IN THE PAST. NEVER GAVE ME ANY PROBLEMS" so I kept driving it. Then one day my mom asks me to take her someplace. We were going and going... then pLOOp! It starts loosing speed... gradually and then all of a sudden it starts to studder... so I was like WTF?? It studders and studders and then when I pulled over to check it out, it dies. I try starting it up... takes a few times... then it finally starts up. It studders and dies again. I start it up again and it fires...studders but stays running. I limp it to a stop sign to get out of the way and it dies again. I get out, open the hood and there's oil all over the place (well not really). So I call a tow truck to come get us... he tows it to my place and tells me I need oil. I was like...NAW?!? REALLY?? (c'mon, I was pissed) After he leaves, I open up the air filter cover and I see oil all over the place. The air filter is drenched in oil, the breather filter is also drenched in oil, and I got oil in the hoses and pipes connected to the filter box. So assuming that was the reason why my car was stalling (air filter clogged with oil) I cleaned everything out. Took off the valve cover to see if anything was damaged, and it look fine. I cleaned and cleaned and put everything back together. Started it up... and it still studders. So I was like, maybe that piston pin finally went out... and now I could be running on 3 cylinders (or 2). I couldn't find a spark plug socket that fits so I wasn't able to check the plugs. SOOO... now the car poops out slightly blue smoke and studders ALOT... especially when it warms up. I'm assuming that there could be oil fouled the plugs so I'm trying to find a socket big enough to take out the plugs and check them. Until then, I'm looking around for another car and/or motor for a replacement. I'm also thinking about a rebuild, but I don't know the extent of damage inside the motor and to make things alOt easier for me, right now I don't have the funds to do anything. I need alot of help..... any suggestions? comments? Right now anything helps... Thanks for your time guys... LeeT.

[sunderland]

Have you checked your PCV valve? Here's a description of what the PCV system does:

"The purpose of the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) system, is to take the vapors produced in the crankcase during the normal combustion process, and redirecting them into the air/fuel intake system to be burned during combustion. These vapors dilute the air/fuel mixture, they have to be carefully controlled and metered so as not to affect the performance of the engine. This is the job of the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) valve. At idle, when the air/fuel mixture is very critical, just a little of the vapors are allowed in to the intake system. At high speed when the mixture is less critical and the pressures in the engine are greater, more of the vapors are allowed in to the intake system. When the valve or the system is clogged, vapors will back up into the air filter housing or at worst, the excess pressure will push past seals and create engine oil leaks. If the wrong valve is used or the system has air leaks, the engine will idle rough, or at worst engine oil will be sucked out of the engine."

[A20A1]

You already stated you had heard knocking, if it turns out not to be a mechanical problem like a bearring, It may be from the oil because you can get knocking when the car sucks up oil.

Do you beleive that the oil on the air filter occured all at once or was a slow buildup over days or weeks of driving? How often did you check the filter prior to the death of the car?

Drop the oil pan and look for metal shavings... also you can cut open the filter and look for shavings there.

[ex1z7]

This entire thing sounds nearly identicle to what happened to my car... I spun a bearing and I'm sure it's seized now..

Time for a new engine / rebuild.. Which is why I bought a donor car for it's engine =)

[powered_by_greddy]

This entire thing sounds nearly identicle to what happened to my car... I spun a bearing and I'm sure it's seized now..
Time for a new engine / rebuild.. Which is why I bought a donor car for it's engine =)

What and where exactly is the bearing? .....just wondering.
I have no other car to get around in so I'm just driving it as is...I know its not safe, and I can do more bad then good, but it still gets from point A to point B...somehow. I might have to check on that PCV valve though.
Anyway, I haven't had the time to crawl under and drop the oil pan. I work like crazy and I am barely home, if ever.... even though I only work at Autozone. I asked around and one of the guys at work told me to take out the plugs and stick a long screwdriver down into one of the cylinders. If I can move the piston with the screwdriver then I'm pretty much screwed. But I was wondering... would that be a very good idea to be sticking things down there? I don't want to damage/scratch anything more then it already is.
I still don't get why it still studders and dies at red lights and stop signs though. I have to shift it into neutral and keep the motor running just high enough so it wouldn't stall. I'm still thinking that it could be because one of the cylinders went out. When it fully warms up, the stalling gets worse and the knocking comes back. I'm just really confused right now.
Plus I'm no good when it comes to internals..sOo.....any help right now is greatly appreciated.

[88Accord-DX]

Do a compression check on all your cylinders. That'll give you a better idea of the mechanical condition of the motor. Bearings are inside the block, the crankshaft & rods ride on them.

[AccordEpicenter]

lol... is there a hole in your oil pan?