Ls/vtec compression results, questions info etc

ASSISTANCE Hybrids & Advanced Aftermarket Engine Performance
1

Ok just swapped this motor in my car some specs

b18a1 bottom end w/ vtec oil pump(couldnt verify that though)
pr3 pistons
b16 head
type r cams
type r valve springs
aebs IM
h/e no cat.

Brief run down^

Anyway, 90 miles into my motor in my car and i noticed my oil light stay on 1-2 seconds after start up. I check the oil, about a quart low. Dump a quart in, i also have a slight leak from my drain plug i need to get an oversized bolt. I also just now added a pcv valve, stock IM has the fitting this IM does not, i just plugged the pcv valve right into the hose from the back of the block and then ran another hose to the IM port. With the car on the PCV valve, when you touch it is uhhh vibrating, not making noise but you can feel a lot of stuff going through it maybe with air(this normal?). Anyway the car still has the oil light on for 1-2 seconds after start up, i dont know if this is normal…I dont remember it from my LS motor.

Ok so thinking the worse i went out and bought a compression tester.

Open throttle, all plugs out etc etc…

left to right

215 230 220 220

did each cylinder twice…same everytime.

Im not sure what these numbers should look like with b16 pistons. Also all my plugs were white. With the car in “on” my fuel pressure is 47-48, with the car at idel its 39-40. The car has no cat, and has whitish smoke(more clear then white) like when its cold out side…smoke stays around id say 75% of the time. Ive had people ride behind me and they say it doesnt go blue so i guess thats good.

Ill get this drain plug leak free and then keep a close eye on the oil, only 10 of those 90miles were with the pcv valve hooked up. I dont really know what to do, need some more ideas? With those compression numbers i kinda rule out the rings right? Also supposely this motor had new rings and bearings about 4-5k miles ago. Had oil pan and eveything off all stuff looks nice and clean.

Oh yea and i have a weird noise coming from the motor, its a clicking thats a little louder then the valves starting around 2300-2500rpms. Now if i rev the motor 500-1000 rpms i can hear it…if i hold the revs anywhere it goes away(i think). It sounds like its coming from the motor but could be something vibrating.

TIA

AIm me at jetswu8924 with any questions or comments

[SIZE=5]EDIT: VALVE TRAIN NOISE SOUNDCLIP http://members.bellatlantic.net/~vze2qzh9/carsound.wav[/SIZE]

2

have u checked your valve clearance?

smoke might be from valves burning because they sit too long, and burn up…

other problems though… :shrug:

i’ll have to get back to u on that…

3

see thats my next question, valve clearence was done as motor was just about tore down. How do you know what specs to follow? You go by the cam specs? Valve specs? Valve spring? I have different parts from different cars so i dont know. I think we followed b18c1 specs

4

its normal for the oil Light to come on for 2seconds and its normal for your PCV valve to vibrate, that means its working, theres a spring in there that opens and closes inside to allow oil vapors come out when vacuum is applied from the IM.
did you get new rings for the b16 pistons?
if theres no blue smoke you should be okay.
let us know what your results are after another oil change.

the valve clicking should be from the Lost Motion Assembly’s. its pretty common among vtec heads around the rpm you mentioned. thats if the valve clearance is set.
the helms manual indicates that b18c1 and b18c5 clearances are the same
0.15 - 0.19 mm / 0.006 - 0.007 in intake
0.17 - 0.21 mm / 0.007 - 0.008 in exhaust
i usually do .007 in intake and .008 in exhaust

other than that you should be okay
peace and happy new year
Anthony

www.EFI101.com
EMS / Dyno tuning / Engine building services available

5

thanks alot, i bought the motor already built. The guy i got it from said it only had 4-5k miles cause the car was wrecked. He said they refreshed the bottom end with rings and bearings. I was gonna do an oil change with 500 miles on it, but i may do it sooner. Anything im looking for in the oil?

What we did was new gaskets, timing belt, cam seals, water pump etc etc etc…everything but the headgasket and rings basicly and valve seals. But the inside of the motor looked really good.

The clicking/clacking i sure hope you’re right, but if it was like piston slap or something it would get louder with higher rpms ? The car runs strong so i dont know what i should expect.

6

well today was the first time i drove it in the daytime and paid close attention to the rear of the car, and sure enough theres smoke coming out. I can just be at 3k rpms and blip the throttle and there will be a puff…a stream of it if i hit vtec, and even after that when i switch gears and get off of it…i can see the smoke coming out.

Ask my car guy down the street and he said it could be the oil ring on the piston…forgot what exactly its called. I want to do a leak down test, but he said it isnt gonna help me much because my compression test was fine…and a leak down test wont pick up on the oil ring on the piston…I still want to do the test just to do it.

Im startin to regret ever dicking with a motor swap.

7

The smoke can be a PCV issue. I changed mine and I had no more smoke. Although, the way you described it, it sounds like it’s working. Please tell me there are ARP rod bolts in those LS rods if you are reving above 7k. What kind of engine management are you running (which could be the cause of the smoke.

BTW What ablout the wheels?

8

yes arp

i have a chipped b16 obd0 ecu

I also just found out from the previous owner that he ran full syn oil, and i just ran normal castrol 10w-30…so im in the middle of changing the oil

9

what up vinny vinny let me know how your leak down test goes.
he ran full synthetic :worry:
hopefully every thing turns out fine.

Anthony

www.EFI101.com
EMS / Dyno tuning / Engine building services available

10

well a quick oil change turned into a 3 hour deal, oil filter wrench didnt fit the filter, and my vtec oil line is right there in the way. I couldnt for the life of me twice that filter off…i ended up putting the screw driver through it 4-5 times to get it so i could get it off with my hand. Then my drain plug would just spin in the drain hole. Went to the store to get an oversized dealy well that wouldnt thread in right it was going upward so instead of fucking my self completely i stuck the old drain plug on with the thicker washer that came with the oversized and wala, it tightened down pretty good and doesnt seem to be leaking yet.

Drove the car, its night time now i still can see some smoke behind me…but since its night time i cant see everything. Im waiting for the car to cool off and gonna check the oil level and top it off. I mite disconnect that pcv valve and see if the smoke goes away. I dont want to drive the car, but i have too how else will i see it burning oil :frowning:

right now im wishing i had my 200k mile ls motor back in with new motor mounts…probably woulda been plenty happy with that.

Also that clickin/clackin noise is really getting to me it starts at like 2k goes to 4k or so then i cant hear it anymore cause the car is so loud.

11

Just went outside to top the oil off, and i pulled the hose off the IM that runs to my pcv and inside of it is kinda wet…suggestions? Im gonna try tomorrow when its light out taking that stuff back off and see if the smoke goes away at all.

12

sorry to hear about that man, What about the Bimmer wheels?

13

like i told you in the other thread i still have them, they’re on a parts car…they are still for sale if you are interested. ah sorry just now saw that you responded. Hit me up on aim and we can chat about them.

14

I don’t have any measenger services. We have to chat here if we chat anywhere, lets chat in the other thread, because I started it and I wont get mad with the million e-mails about replys.

15

Just went out there and took the pcv system off, and drove it still smoking just as much.

Also my drain plug is still leaking, hit a u turn in hardees and heard CLUNK…i didnt think anything of it at the time, until i got home and looked under my car and noticed it was my new header, with header wrap ripped up…hahah great, ill have to feel for dents when it cools off.

as for the smoke its blue, no doubt about it. I dont really know what to do now, its outta my hands…

josh i may be coming to visit youuuu haha

16

valve clearance - how did you do it?

i have done my valve lash about 5 times before i found out the correct definition of “drag”

the shop i work at, for honda b series, all motor setups, no matter if it’s a LS, or a gsr or itr, we run .007 on both intake and exhaust.

the definition of “drag” when u feel it, it feels as if it will not let go, but it will. it has to almost be locked onto the feeler gauge.

im having the same problem with the smoke also, but it’s only when im on the gas alot… if im just driving safe, and not so hard, it stays hidden.

blue smoke though, is a bad sign. that’s valve guides and/or seats. seats and the valve faces can be burned by in-correct valve adjustment. if it sits too long, having too much play basically, (i.e. you need to have .007 clearance, but you do it loosely, so you end up having about .008 or .009) then it will keep seated, and burn…

how was the leak down? if you havent done that, try to get that done, so we can know for sure if it’s the piston rings, valves having problems seating, or anything else…

oil in the lines for the pcv valve is fine. most of the time, if you havent touched it before, the hose is so filled with oil, and has dried up so much, that it becomes brittle and breaks. if the pcv valve is used/old/ anything but new, i suggest replacing it, just because. and it’s only about 2 dollars or so.

this sucks though, cause we’re both having the same problems… but my swap is almost the opposite of yours…

17

pvc is new, infact the system wasnt hooked up for the first week of the swap until i found out what that extra port on the IM was for.

I didnt do the valve clearence job myself, my friend that owns the shop i did it at, did it. Pretty sure he did it to c1 specs, havnt done a leak down test because i lack a tester. Well my smoke isnt under normal driving that i can see, but say im at 3-4k rpms and just floor it even in a high gear so the rpms dont go up quick it puffs out the back. I can see it good going around corners, say downshift to 2nd making a turn at 2k rpms and just give it some gas it comes out the back pretty good.

So maybe i should take a look at the valve lash again?

I may do that tomorrow on ym day off, any good guides since i havnt done one in a while…

18

gonna pull the valve cover off tomorrow and look for anything obivious for that valve train noise. Then try to get ahold of a leak down tester to give me an excuse to use my new air compressor :smiley:

oh and find out whats wrong with my motor…that too lol

19

good luck

20

car could use a valve adjustment, almost wanted to take the head off today…but i dont want to f anything up, still want to do that leak down test…