What year Honda??
Thank you. I will refer back to video when testing run out on the head.
I would avoid using this $10 torque angle gauge, as itās more likely to slip and lose your reading than to give a good result. A torque angle wrench is one of the few tools that even for a DIYer it makes sense to pay for a professional model. I paid about $400 for mine, which is ATD Tools brand, and used it to successfully change the head gasket on my Daewoo Lanos. It is a top-quality tool, and worth every penny.
Interestingly, Harbor Freight Tools released a line of digital torque angle wrenches under the Quinn brand, in 1/2" and 3/8" drive, and since they were on sale for a good price, I decided to buy the 3/8" drive version (I already owned the ATD Tools 1/2" drive digital torque angle wrench at this point). The Quinn digital torque angle wrench is actually a great tool, and it works well.
As a side note, any time an engine is disassembled, you should ALWAYS have the head checked and resurfaced by a professional machine shop.
Personally, I would also pay to have the head tested for hairline cracks, new valve stem seals and camshaft seals/plugs installed, valve re-grind, and testing under vacuum and positive pressure. You should also clean the bolt holes in the engine block and use a new head gasket and new head bolts.
If the engine uses a closed-deck cast iron block, it is likely that the mating surface is flat enough, even if the engine was overheated. However, if the engine uses an open-deck design, especially if the engine block is aluminum, it is possible for the mating surface to warp or curl if the engine was overheated. This can also occur if head bolts are over-tightened. You will need to check the engine block for flatness before proceeding further.
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!
That gauge I showed you is the same one Iāve used for over 30 years.
And guess what?
It still works!
You want to do this job as cheaply as possible.
And if it means renting one of those gauges from a parts store, itāll get the job done.
Tester
2 Likes
Go rent a compression tester FIRST and confirm your compression in each cylinder.
Diagnose and identify the problem before you throw parts at it! CHECK the used parts you throw at the car before installation.
Right now you are just wandering around in the dark guessing where the problem is.
4 Likes
It appears youāve taken some shortcuts on this head repair job. Something associated with those are the most likely causes. hmmmm, but what else to consider? ā¦ The loud blowback might indicate some sort of timing problem, valve timing and/or ignition timing should both be considered suspect until tested. If those both test ok, then the advice above to test all cylinders for proper compression. If everything tests ok, one unusual problem that can seem to be poor compression, but isnāt, is if thereās way too much gasoline being injected into the cylinders. The extra gasoline washes away the oil from the sides of the cylinder, which makes it sound like thereās low compression.
In your very first post, you said a single person who saw your video made a guess that the compression was low. I donāt think you ever diagnosed the problem. There was always the possibility that you assembled something incorrectly, or that you has a bad part, or many other choices. You donāt even know whether you have an interference engine. By now, I donāt even trust your statement that the timing belt had jumped. How do you know that? I would get all the basics straight before I dumped any more $$ or time into this project. You might be better off finding a used engine.