So, as this weekend was my first complete weekend off my friend & I decided to start yanking the motor apart so I can ship my head out to Alaniz for their Competition Head Package.
The last time I drove the car I noticed that there was a tapping noise coming from what sounded like just infront of the first cylinder - when I had a friend come over & listen he said it sounded like a bad cam tensioner.

So anyways, we yanked the supercharger off the car & yanked out the intake manifold yesterday. This morning we got started on the head. One the valve cover was off we took a look at the cam. I am not full of engine knowledge, so some parts I will have to describe as I do not know the name. Looking from the front of the car, the cam gear at the end of the intake cam where it meets up with the gear that is attached to the timing chain. The sprockets were not meshing - at all, in fact they were ontop of each other. However, the exhaust cam was placed just fine. Doing some further researching the 1st cam cap was slighly cracked just over the intake cam. We were able to loosen the caps up and then put the intake cam back into place, however upon tightening the cam cap back down - the cracked one snapped in half. As well, it looks as if the intake cam is actually bent - where infront of the 2nd cap it is almost angled upwards yet flat from the 2nd cap back (like it is suppose to be)

We are dumbfounded as to how the cam gear sprockets are not meshing at all with the gear at the end of the timing chain.

I am suspecting that along with rebuilding the head I will need to :
a) replace all 5 cam caps
b) replace intake cam
3) replace all bolts for cam caps
4) replace cam tensioner

Can anyone help me out as to anything else I might need to replace or anything on that list I might not have to replace?

 

chad, my bet would be that the 2nd cap cap was tourqued to tight and maybe cuase the cam to warp from the 2nd cap foward. my other geuss would be that since the first cam cap cracked it let the cam warp because it wasnt holding the cam down properly. Which ever it was being that the cam is bent that is cause of the cam not meshing the idler gear(the big central gear attached to the timing chain. I reallly doubt your cam tensior had anything to do with your problems but it is possible, they have been known to be slightly problematic form time to time.

hope this helps a llittle,
-Matt

 

Any pics?

 

Unfortunately no. Once we recognized the problem we loosened the cam caps and manually put the intake cam back in place - with the cam gear meshing with the idler gear (thanks for name matt!). We decided to leave it alone until a mechanic friend of mine (or someone on the boards) could come up with a solution as to what happened. Between that problem itself and the cam cap snapping - we just sat there dumbfounded & decided to postpone removal of head for today.
A few friends stated that they believe it could have been caused by valve float. Personally I can not say because I don't know excessive engine knowledge and can not say.

 

I want to cry...
I just got off the phone with my local Honda Parts Department. Unfortunately you can not purchase new caps themselves as they are made for each individual head. He basically said that I will need to purchase a new bare head, then swap over the parts that can be used from the existing head.

 

that is definately right, nor would you want to get just new caps.

These are just like engine mains. They are most likely line bored so you will need the whole unit. Caps can not be swapped, or even flipped.

I would start looking for a junk yard head...

 

Hmmm, I spoke with Joe @ Alaniz and told him the complicatins I just ran across - to let him know that it could be a bit longer before I can ship the head out.
He replied back saying that he does have a set of new cam caps that he can sell me. He said they are machined seperately from the head so they can be swapped.

I can not win.

 

Well, after sitting aroud all day thinking about this I finally decided that I am going to have to bite the bullet - better safe than sorry.
Looks like I'll have to either order a bare head from my honda parts department or keep an eye in For Sale to see if anyone might have one available.
If anyone happens to know of either a) a company that does a full head build, yet does not need your existing head to work on or b) knows anyone who has a bare head for sale... please help me out!

-chad

 

Just, I appreciate your offer bud. I am going to have the camshaft taken to the local machine shop and have tested to see if it is fully functional or if it needs to be replaced. I'll let you know how that turns out.

 

I got my new head from honda for around 1300 umm if you want I can find that site again if you have to go the new route