I just picked up this 1992 4dr LX Auto F22A1, with 180,000k for lunch money. Previous owners really mistreated it, and I'm here to rescue it. I made a video of the engine noise it's making... hope you can give me places to start looking. I'm guessing it's either the timing belt setup, or really bad adjustment on the lifters. It starts and drives just fine, idle does jump sometimes... but that's a different post.

I'm ready to just replace the engine if I have to.

Here's the vid, only 1.5MB:
http://home.comcast.net/~komeuppance/Badhonda.wmv

Let me know what you think. This is the best Accord forum out there from what I've been reading in posts.

-Robert

 

I would suspect no oil is getting to the valve train. Remove the valve cover and confirm. This would likely mean the oil ports are blocked due to carbon deposits or sludge. Lot's of work here. I wouldn't drive far. Probably entire engine needs to be pulled and cleaned, but you might try some cleaning procedures to see if you can clear the blockages. If it's been driven like this for any length of time, the camshaft lobes may be damaged.

Another added possibility is the timing belt tensioner bearings are completely shot and making noise. You will have to get the valves a little quieter to determine this.

Fixing this baby will keep you out of trouble for a while.

good luck

 

Hmmmmmmmmm... hmmmmmmmmmmmm...

-Robert

 

If its been that abused, find out when the timing belt has been changed last. Although this wont solve your current problem, if the belt hasnt been changed and then breaks, well your engine is pretty much dead for sure. Good luck. And yeah, try some of the complete fuel system treatments and stuff. You may also try SeaFoam but you have to be VERY careful w/ that stuff.

 

For oil treatments, look on the site bobistheoilguy.com. These guys are really **** about their oil and will have some good suggestions for possible fixes. I'm not optimistic that cleaning will work, but it's certainly worth a try.

good luck

 

Buy a cheap mechanic's stethescope and try to more closelyisolate the bad sounds. Put the end of the stethescope on the valve cover and then on thetiming belt cover. (If you remove the left wheel, you can put the probe on part of the lower cover.)

If the noise is from under the timing cover, then "someone" should do a complete timing belt job.

If it's the valve train, do what TexasHonda says. If things are pretty dry, drain the oil andnote what it looks and smells like. Likely what you'll see will be pretty shocking.

I may get into trouble by suggesting this cleaning method, but in the good old days, to give an engine a good oil-side flush, we'd change the oil with some real cheap stuff,but stop 1 quart short. For that last quart put in either transmission fluid or, believe it or not, kerosene, diesel fuel, or number 2 heating "oil". You may alsouse Stoddard Solvent, but good luck finding it. Compared to the flamability of those solvents alone, the flamability of theresulting oil/solventmixture is relativelylow - onlyslightly more than oil by itself.

Because the viscosity of this mixture is lower than normal,drive the carvery easy forfifty or a hundredmiles or so. Then change the oil and note the condition of what comes out. If the sound of the engine improves, and what comes out looks really bad, sludgy, etc., then repeat until what comes out looks essentially like what goes in.

When the engine is finallyclean,fill withMobil 1 andpray the engine's myriad of old seals don't start leaking like a sieve.

Good luck.

 

I'd say it's a safe bet the previous owners never changed the timing belt... hah...

Interesting oil cleaning method, I've got a replacement motor in the works, worth a shot!!

-Robert

 

If your replacement engine's timing belt, etc., has never been changed, or you don't know when it was last changed, while the engine is sitting there on the pallet is a great time to replace those parts.

Although it will no doubt add to the total cost of the engine, doing it before installationwould be amuch simpler job than doingit after the engine is put in the car.

With all the parts ready to go, and the engine out of the car and raised up say two or three feet above the floor, I'll bet one could comfortably complete the job in an hour.

With the engine in the car, it'sa differentstory(maybe War and Peace).