Greetings!

So i recently got a 1997 Honda Civic EX that somebody thought wasnt running but it ended up just needing a new ICM and ignition coil so I replaced that along with spark plugs and all the fluids in the engine were flushed. I didnt not change the spark plug wires or dizzy cap... The car has been sitting for a while so i filled it up with regular 87 octane gas after putting in a bottle of lucas fuel system cleaner because the car had been sitting for 6+ months with a 1/4 tank, part of which is probably still in there (im half way through that fill up driving around to reset the ECU). Anyway here is my first read out (this was with timing way off):



Then i replaced the air filer and drove about 75 miles to try and set the ECU, it was highway driving with a little traffic here and there. Went and got it tested again right after driving around so it was nice and hot and these are the readouts:



15mph - HC 150 - CO 0.5% - NO 550
25mph - HC 250 - CO 0.5% - NO 380

Still cannot pass. I guess I am just asking for any suggestions to help make it pass so I can get it street legal. Right now this is what I plan to do:

Valve adjustment and new spark and valve cover seals.
Clean IACV
Clean EGR valve (CA so i think i have one)
Then drive around until I kill that tank of gas and possibly get slightly higher octane?

I am hoping the those will bring everything close to normal because I really dont wanna get a new cat, its really expensive here in california... I think it is also possible that the computer is not completely set so I hope it will finally be set after tomorrow...

Any tips would be helpful, even something temporary just to get it to pass for now although that is not ideal, I only have one more free test heh...




gotta push out some dents and touch up the paint -_-

 

California model would have an EGR system, and they get dirty. You need to remove the whole plate from the top of the intake manifold not just the valve. The EGR serves primarily to reduce NOx.

Does temperature gauge come up to a normal temperature and stay there? Engine not warming up causes ECU to stay in open loop mode and emissions will be high.

Any signs of misfiring? The way the HC goes up at idle suggests a valve could be misadjusted.

 

It heats up just below the middle mark of the temp gauge and the fan clicks on ect, I am under the impression it is heating up correctly. Since replacing the spark plugs and dizzy there has been no noticeable misfire and no CEL.

So I am going to recheck the ECU with my OBD2 connector and make sure everything is reading right, then clean the IACV and EGR along with a valve adjustment and let you know what happens.

The smog guy didnt want to give me advice because of liability issues but in so many words he thought it was something with the engine too because of the high idle.

 

Sorry to double post but i just overlooked the car and there is no EGR, yikes. I guess someone brought this car to California. So since i cannot clean that I am going to also run seafoam through the brake booster vacuum, I just read someone else on here having that help them pass.

 

I did all the stuff I said i was going to do and the engine was running better than ever (after valve adjustment, vc gasket, spark plug seals and the valves were WAY off) then i drove around for a little, car felt a LOT better.

Then i stopped and went into a store and talked to someone outside for a little and then the car would not start back up... So i primed the fuel pump a few times and gave it a little gas and it has a VERY hard start. But it started so i took it home.

Then I cleaned the IACV and reset the ECU then adjusted the idle screw as per honda instructions. And the car was running even better BUT it started to really bubble in the overflow... Steady bubbles from the radiator and oily look in the radiator...

Headgasket, I am assuming.

Probably a bad idea at this point but i ran a little seafoam through the brake booster. The engine still ran pretty good and i drove around until there wasnt anymore smoke coming out from the tail pipe. But later that night when i drove home from my friends it overheated very quickly and the radiator started bubbling like crazy.


Anyway, I dont know if its worth trying to pass emissions with a bad HG. So hopefully someone can give me a little insight, but Im guessing Ill be taking the head off this week and replacing the HG and hopefully not need milling.

Can I use a thicker HG to make up for minor milling or is that asking for trouble?



picture of the engine...

 

Check head gasket by taking the radiator cap off (cold) and revving the engine.

Does the fan work? Jump the switch so it runs all the time and test drive like that.

 

Constant bubbles from radiator. Immediately after start up.
(water is hot so its not thermostat).

Fan works, I jumped it anyway to stop it from getting too hot. But still the coolant bubbles and has an oily look. Here is a video I took of the bubbles and at the end you can kinda see the oily look to it.

IMG_2108_zpsbdd2a2e6.mp4 Video by neurogrip | Photobucket

Considering the oil I am guessing it would have to be the radiator? It is going through coolant very fast now. I have two concerns that could have made this worse.

1) Could seafoam have made it this much more noticeable (it is a dirty engine)?

2) When I put the new spark plug seals I didnt feel like they sat right:
The spark plug tube sits in the seal when I felt like the seal should have wrapped around it, but there was no way these seals would stretch to do that...





Does that look right?

Drove around a little more and the car died at idle and threw two CEL:
p0301
p1399
Gonna do more research on these...

 

The seals are supposed to sit on the flat part between the tubes in the head and the valve cover. (not stretch over the outside). There will be some rubber inside the hole.

But it does seem the head gasket is blown. You will get misfiring with a lot of water in the cylinder. Quit driving it until the cooling problem is resolved to avoid further damage.

 

Taking the head off tonight. Going to check levelness and possibly take it for milling along with purchasing a 3 layer metal head gasket and IM/EM gaskets. Ill take some pictures and see if this lets it run well, and pass smog -_-;