Engine bogging down after replacing head gasket

Tiny
ZEVITH
  • MEMBER
  • 2001 HONDA CIVIC
  • 1.7L
  • 4 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 220 MILES
Hi.

Okay, well, I have the car listed above Ex model, V-Tec engine. I was having some problems with it and so was told it was a blown head gasket after supposedly confirmed tests. Well, I let the shop repair it. They did not have to put a new timing belt on nor a water pump, since that had been done not too long prior. So, the head gasket gets done. Well, I got my car back and It starts bogging when I start to accelerate a little heavier to pass someone. It goes slowly, then it bogs, accelerates another few hundred rpm's, bogs, and keeps doing this. You can see the tachometer going up real quick then suddenly drop, then up real quick then drop. If I slowly accelerate it does not really do this. Sometimes I even barely made it up a hill, because it is bogging down so much to where it hardly has any power. It is like it wants to go, but then something starts to drown its power out, then give it back for a second, then drown it again, at times to where it is almost gone. I had the check engine light flash a few times, but then went away, never to stay permanently on. So, I took my car back to the shop where they had it for two weeks or longer, they would never call me, but I would have to call them to find out what is going on. Well, I was told they did all sorts of tests, tested the TPS sensor, catalytic converter, back pressure, compression tests, O2 sensors, etc, but said they could not find anything, that everything was showing completely good, the compression tests showing perfect or very good. Along with that, the shop has a theory it could be my valve seals or piston rings, telling me it will smoke some (blue smoke) sometimes when giving it fuel. I have never had that problem before with my car as far as blue smoke. Well, the shop tells me that something must not have triggered hard enough yet for the check engine light to come on. They tell me to just drive it until it does. Well, I get home from picking my car up at the shop and inspect my car’s engine while it was running. I notice a vibration from it that was not there before. I see that there is a loose screw to one of the parts on my car, about to shake out. Also, a metal piece on my header area is rattling now. Now I am suspect to what else was not put back correctly on my car. Well, I check my oil while it was running and notice there is a lot of blow-by coming out the oil dip-stick and also out the oil cap when checked. I did not have that before. Also, another symptom of my car is it has stalled on me a couple times when just rolling slowly down my driveway. And when idling, it sounds hesitant-like, like it is struggling some. Going very slow down my driveway it will seem like it wants to cut out sometimes. And again, it does not make any sense to me that the compression test were all good on my cylinders, yet I am told it could be bad piston rings/valve seals or some type of solenoid, yet I got blow-by, and engine burning some oil. Well, I really I hope someone can help me on this.
Thursday, May 31st, 2018 AT 4:59 AM

1 Reply

Tiny
ASEMASTER6371
  • MECHANIC
  • 52,797 POSTS
Good morning.

The blow by smoke is normal since you had the head gasket repair. Hopefully they had the head check and resurfaced which change the compression and made it higher. You have rings on the pistons that were not changed so all that new compression is blowing by the old rings. That will slow down over time.

According to your symptoms the valve timing is off with the timing belt. It sounds like they may be a tooth off. It would explain all the symptoms you have written here for the way the engine runs.

My suggestion is to take it to another shop for a second opinion explaining to them what was done. It sounds like the shop that did the repair is not interested in looking at your car since they got there money for the repair.

I attached a picture of the timing marks that need to be verified to be sure they did not install the belt wrong.

Roy

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-a-timing-belt-works
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Thursday, May 31st, 2018 AT 5:53 AM

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