Is it true that the engine has to be taken out just to get the sump off? (Need to investigate my bottom end). I dont have alot of time at the moment so I got a quote and they reckon like 5 hours work.. ?

 

The engine does not need to be removed to get the Oil Pan off. It's one simple reinforcement bar.

Now I don't know what kind of lower end inspection you need done, but I cannot thing of anything from the bottom end that would require any form of engine removal, loosening, or anything.

If you got this from a either a generic shop, or even a Honda shop that doesn't work much on S2k's and didn't actually look up the job time in their system, they may have been giving you an 'off the top of their head' rough order of magnitude type quote. A lot of cars, including many of the other Hondas, do require engine removal or at least lifting.

 

^ true that. Imagine being a person already stretched thin on your finances driving a newer Toyota Sienna and you happen to make the innocent mistake of bending a front LCA after hitting a curb. To replace them the entire engine needs to be lifted.. dun wanna think of the labor cost

 

You can get the oil pan and oil pump off without removing the motor. You will be able to inspect the rod bearings, rods, and the bottom of the pistons. You will not be able to inspect the main bearings or the main crank journals. For that, you would need to pull the motor and disassemble.

 

To do it properly you need to remove the engine.
But it is possible to do it with the engine still in.
I guess.

 

Here are some photos from when oil jet banjo bolts were changed out for the newer design.

http://random1photo.zenfolio.com/p159344575

 

Possible, I suppose, but not being able to see the main journals, and having to do the job from under the car are not worth it, IMO. Pulling the motor is the right way to do it, and not a huge amount of effort in the grand scheme of things.

 

Ye I got under there and got into it. My 2nd cylinder bearing is pretty worn, and theres alot of metal shavings in the sump. Im just hoping its all from that one. I also found a small piece of metal that looks like brass and looks like it 'used' to be some sort of pin, but not much left of it. Very small, on 5mm by 5mm, the rest is shattered, Gotta work out what it was.
Do you guys suggest I check go all the way and check the main bearings?

PS. This piece of metal fell onto my face when I removed the bearing housing/end of rod. But im not 100% thats where it fell from, i didnt see. Any suggestions where it came from? It looks to be brass and is a chunk, and the locating pins on my rod are still there so its not that.

 

I just had a crazy thought that hit me. This piece looks like its made of lots of pieces. As if its cast. U know when you see a cracked casting you can tell its cast cause it looks 'sandy'. IS it possible ...(hear me out) ... that all the shavings from my bearing built up in the hole that injects the oil, and the heat from it spinning made it sort of fuse together, and one end of this new fusion was running on the crank causing it to become smooth. Cause thats exactly what it looks like. I will post some pics of this mystery metal but someone tell me.. is this crazy talk? or possible?

 

As someone that had to revisit a rebuild after 6000 miles, my recommendation is to pull the motor and replace everything. Make sure you get the crankshaft measured while it's apart.