ARRGGHHH!! I just typed this thread and tried to submit it and found out I was logged out. So now I get to type it out again. So I guess you get the condensed version. Forgive me if I forget something...

I've got a 99 accord, 4 banger, ULEV, auto, with 153k miles that has some issues. The CEL has been on pretty much since I've owned it. It is the code that has to do with the EVAP system leaking. I replaced the gas cap, but to no avail. I think perhaps there are some new codes stored in there now, though...

The car has burned oil since I bought it at 133k miles. At least I found out it burned oil a couple hundred miles after I bought it... It used to be about a quart every 1000 miles, now it's a quart ever 600 miles, + or - 100 miles. There are no leaks and no smoke coming out the the tailpipe. But there is some black residue on the tailpipe.

About 2 weeks ago, the car was running terribly. I drive 60 miles a day in a very gentle commute (7 stop lights and the rest 65 mph highway where it's on cruise at 72 each way). It was idling like junk and getting poor fuel economy (about 25 mpg compared to 30) so I decided to pull the plugs and see what were going on. Plugs #2 and #3 were covered in white-ish crusty junk. The others were too, but not to the same extent. They plugs were maybe 6 months old. There was also crud on the distributor cap and rotor, so I decided to replace the plugs, cap, rotor, and wires. I also did a compression test, though the motor was only semi-warm. Results were: 150 psi, 80 psi, 80 psi, 150 psi.

After the tune-up, it ran smoother, but actually felt more weaksauce. Granted, where it used to really suffer below 3000 rpm (which is where I spend most of my time driving), it actually went a bit smoother off idle to 3000 rpm.

Today (two weeks later) I decided to pull the plugs again and take a peek since it has been running rough for the last week or so. The middle two plugs were, again, white-ish. The outer two were also white-ish, but not so much. I did a compression test as well, making sure that the motor was warm this time. The results: 150 psi, 130 psi, 70 psi, 150 psi. Adding a little oil to the middle cylinders bumped the pressure up 5 psi each, but nothing significant. I didn't notice any oil in the coolant or any coolant missing.

Anybody got any ideas? Initially, low compression in two adjacent cylinders spells head gasket to me. But when the engine was truly warm, I don't know if 15 or 20 psi ( which is 10 or 13 % difference to 150 psi) is enough to say that it is a problem? Certainly cylinder #3 at 70 psi is an issue. Since the additional oil doesn't change the compression significantly, I'm guessing that the bottom end is ok. What about the valves? That's where my dilemma is right now... There is a local honda guru but I don't know him personally and he works at a dealer, so it may cost me a bit in diagnostic fees. Thanks!

 

first thing i would make sure that there is not a tight valve thus lower compression .or perhaps carbon build up on the valve.....but it sounds like that it might be more than that........Valve job ...

 

Update: Local honda guru says the intake valves are toast on cylinder #3. So it looks like I'll be pulling the head to have it rebuilt by the one of the local speed/machine shops in town. I'll most likely pull the head myself. Obviously, I am going to need a gasket kit from the head gasket up. I might as well slip on a new timing belt even though I had it replaced 20k miles ago.

Anything else ya'll would recommend I do while I have the head off? Judging by the above-stated compression readings, I'm debating whether or not I want to re-ring it while I wait for the headwork to be done. I plan on leaving the block in the car, which would make it more difficult to put new rings in. But then I think, if I'm going to pull out the bottom end, I might as well pull the block and have it bored and honed, along with the crank. But just a thought....

I've pulled the heads off a chevy V8 (5.7l vortec) a couple of times (different cars) and an old ford M block, but I've never pulled this one off. Is there anything I should look out for or do, or do ya'll have any tips or tricks to make the process easier without getting myself in trouble? Or is it fairly straightforward in a labor-intensive kind of way?

Also, what brand of parts do ya'll recommend? What kind should I avoid like the plague? Oh, and do I need to buy new head bolts or can I reuse the factory ones? I don't know if they are the torque to yield type (I believe that's the term for it...) that stretch and can't be reused.

 

I think there's a shop manual linked over in the DIY area somewhere. It's an .iso file so you have to burn it to a CD to make it usable.

The head bolts probably can be re-used. There's a measurement in the shop manual, you basically measure whether they are stretched. Usually they're not stretched so OK to use.

If the compression is bad because of the valves, how would you know if the rings are OK. If both rings & valves are leaking, then a wet compression test will still read low. I guess I'd consider doing rings but it's your engine, your time, your money.