I was finally able to fix my 1990 Honda Civic after a whole summer, and on Sunday I tried to test-drive my car and it drove somewhat alright for a while until the PCV hose burst and started spraying oil over the intake manifold and causing the engine to make a horrible clattering noise (I quickly stopped when I heard the clattering). I fixed the hose assembly and when I got the car started again, it was still making a horrible clattering noise even after letting the engine idle for a little bit. This clattering noise goes away when the engine is revved up to higher RPMs, but it comes right back at around idle speeds.
Father and I are convinced that the engine is either out of time, which is impossible because the timing belt is fully intact and father and I had scrutinized the engine’s timing alignment when I had both timing belt covers removed and the engine ran just fine on Sunday when I first started it after the whole summer (the clattering started while I was test-driving the car), or some oil-starved valves are sticking open. Either way, this clattering sounds like it’s coming from underneath the valvetrain cover, which is a baaad baaad sign. Considering that there was NO oil left in the engine before I even started the repairs to the PCV system (I made sure to fill the engine with oil before starting it), there might be air between the oil and the pump.
Does anyone know what should be done?
Have you checked the valve lash?
What is the valve lash?
Oil spraying out of the PCV? Don’t know about that. Are you certain that it was the PCV valve? Clacking noise in the valve train? Adjust the valves . . . pretty easy on this year, get a Haynes manual. The valve LASH is the clearance or distance you are trying to adjust to when adjusting the valves. Rocketman