Short block replacement thread.
Registered User
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,259
Likes: 2
From: Ohio
https://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=395375
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Service manager says low oil caused this and it's not covered.
2002 model 41,000 miles.
#4 cylinder knocking.
Add me to the list.
Service manager says low oil caused this and it's not covered.
2002 model 41,000 miles.
#4 cylinder knocking.
Registered User
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 43
Likes: 0
Um i havent pulled the head yet but,
I have a 2003 with 83,000 miles and at 3/4 throttle 3rd gear at 7,100 rpm i heard a clunk clunk and the engine shut off. no smoke no CEL no overheating nothing leaking.
Mod's single cat back and cai.
After the flat bed home i tried to start it no deal...
Pulled the plugs and found the #4 plug had broken about 2 threads from the bottom... compleatly gone.
Did a compression check and found
1(160) 2(0) 2(100) 4(0)
IDk what the heck happend i have full oil just changed it the week before.
IDK what to do i guess i could start by pulling the head.. I have no money to fix this car it all goes just to pay for it.. i dont know what to do....
I have a 2003 with 83,000 miles and at 3/4 throttle 3rd gear at 7,100 rpm i heard a clunk clunk and the engine shut off. no smoke no CEL no overheating nothing leaking.
Mod's single cat back and cai.
After the flat bed home i tried to start it no deal...
Pulled the plugs and found the #4 plug had broken about 2 threads from the bottom... compleatly gone.
Did a compression check and found
1(160) 2(0) 2(100) 4(0)
IDk what the heck happend i have full oil just changed it the week before.
IDK what to do i guess i could start by pulling the head.. I have no money to fix this car it all goes just to pay for it.. i dont know what to do....
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,065
Likes: 10
From: Skopje
well man too bad..Fix is a Expensive thing..
Probably you could buy pistons for 400$ and sleeve the block and i hope nothing else is gone bad and than get the motor running again..
Hope you sort it out..
stefce
Probably you could buy pistons for 400$ and sleeve the block and i hope nothing else is gone bad and than get the motor running again..
Hope you sort it out..
stefce
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Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 54
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Sorry for bringing up an old thread, but I think I may have this problem. If anyone has had this problem, please take a quick look at this video of my car to see if this is what your car sounded like: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpZkhnp9dJU . Some background on the car and what happened:
I bought the car maybe a month ago with a 31,781 miles (2003, dont have engine # because my car is currently at Honda). Had Honda inspect it before i bought it and it passed, and carfaxed, came out good. (Also, the car had no performance modifications. Only lowered, different wheels, carbon fiber hood)
Was driving it, 3rd gear, 1/2 throttle, 6,000ish (give or take a few hundred rpms) and i heard a noise from the engine like a bolt was getting tossed around inside, this was soon followed by a ticking noise (you can hear both noises in the video). I was on lunch at work, so i babied it home for 10 min.
When i got home the car idled as normal. Next morning i checked the oil and it was slighlty under the low level. I did and oil change that day and now the odometer read 33,020. I let the engine run for a few minutes, noise continued (this is when i took the video above posted). Noise went away so i thought maybe it just need some fresh oil. I drove it normal under 5,000rpm and i tried to take it into vtec 20 miles later to see if it would act up again and it did. I towed it to Honda.
They adjusted the valves and noise continued. He suggested that the previous owner used lower grade gas and since i now put in premium, carbon deposits built up. He did something to try to remove "carbon buildup" and said it sounded fine afterwards and wanted to keep it overnight and start it up in the morning to see how it ran. So he started it the next morning and the sound came back on a cold start, but says sounds fine when warm. He asked if Ive been hot rodding it around or missed a shift and i told him no. I did get on it every now and then, but I never hit 9,000rpm or missed a shift.
I dont know what to do now, im considering replacing the block. Does this seem like it could related to the previous posts? Anyone reccommed something else i should try before spending thousands?
Kyle
I bought the car maybe a month ago with a 31,781 miles (2003, dont have engine # because my car is currently at Honda). Had Honda inspect it before i bought it and it passed, and carfaxed, came out good. (Also, the car had no performance modifications. Only lowered, different wheels, carbon fiber hood)
Was driving it, 3rd gear, 1/2 throttle, 6,000ish (give or take a few hundred rpms) and i heard a noise from the engine like a bolt was getting tossed around inside, this was soon followed by a ticking noise (you can hear both noises in the video). I was on lunch at work, so i babied it home for 10 min.
When i got home the car idled as normal. Next morning i checked the oil and it was slighlty under the low level. I did and oil change that day and now the odometer read 33,020. I let the engine run for a few minutes, noise continued (this is when i took the video above posted). Noise went away so i thought maybe it just need some fresh oil. I drove it normal under 5,000rpm and i tried to take it into vtec 20 miles later to see if it would act up again and it did. I towed it to Honda.
They adjusted the valves and noise continued. He suggested that the previous owner used lower grade gas and since i now put in premium, carbon deposits built up. He did something to try to remove "carbon buildup" and said it sounded fine afterwards and wanted to keep it overnight and start it up in the morning to see how it ran. So he started it the next morning and the sound came back on a cold start, but says sounds fine when warm. He asked if Ive been hot rodding it around or missed a shift and i told him no. I did get on it every now and then, but I never hit 9,000rpm or missed a shift.
I dont know what to do now, im considering replacing the block. Does this seem like it could related to the previous posts? Anyone reccommed something else i should try before spending thousands?
Kyle
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 45,129
Likes: 4,041
From: Arlington, VA
It is very expensive to replace - mine, on my first S, was over $5000 several years ago, fortunately covered by warranty. So be sure that is the problem. Do you have access to a good independent mechanic or an S2Ki member in your area who can help you determine the cause? Why don't you post about this in your regional forum (see Forums tab at top of page). Bet you get some help. I'd go that route before doing anything else. Not sure Barry (the shortblock guru) is still lurking about, but he may weigh in. Good luck!!
Thread Starter
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 4,762
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From: Sheridan
Kyle, I think there is a good chance you have the cylinder scoring I had. The sound is similar and changes with rpms.
Have the shop pull the plugs and inspect it with a "boroscope" a kind of endoscope for engines.
Barry
Have the shop pull the plugs and inspect it with a "boroscope" a kind of endoscope for engines.
Barry
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 42,315
Likes: 45
From: Central Massachusetts
Kyle,
Unfortunate. The loud ticking is indicative of potentially serious damage. I don't buy the discussion about fuel quality, as poor fuel really only just saps the engine of power, but doesn't cause knocking. Carbon buildup, well, I don't see how that's relevant here.
The fact that your oil was low is possibly the root cause as maybe there was oil starvation.
It could be that you have a bad valve retainer -- if I recall it's pretty easy to see that when the valve cover is off. But, if you did a valve adjustment, I suspect you would've noticed it.
Best of luck.
Unfortunate. The loud ticking is indicative of potentially serious damage. I don't buy the discussion about fuel quality, as poor fuel really only just saps the engine of power, but doesn't cause knocking. Carbon buildup, well, I don't see how that's relevant here.
The fact that your oil was low is possibly the root cause as maybe there was oil starvation.
It could be that you have a bad valve retainer -- if I recall it's pretty easy to see that when the valve cover is off. But, if you did a valve adjustment, I suspect you would've noticed it.
Best of luck.
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Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 8,504
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I repeat the earlier posters, we have maybe 50 failures, all in the early car, and there are how many of this model out there? Considering how they are driven, this is a fantastic tribute to the engine and honda's QA/QC.
For you doubters, take 2 sec and look at the Pcar websites or the Mazda sites. You wouldn't believe how many catastrophic failures they have and we are a fraction of a percent.
For you doubters, take 2 sec and look at the Pcar websites or the Mazda sites. You wouldn't believe how many catastrophic failures they have and we are a fraction of a percent.