I just traded my truck for a 92 4 door DX...know the guy pretty well that I traded with. The car just had a motor put in it (1.5L), with @30k miles on it. Problem is, the car smokes, (white), at higher rpms, and doesn't quite have the power I feel it should. It also uses a good bit of gas. Only mod on engine is an intake. I have replaced plugs, PCV, checked timing, (was off @20 degrees), checked valve clearance (way off), and fuel filter. The head on the car was cracked, and had been welded and does not leak. WTF??? I have no other clues what to check...the ECU pulls up no codes. Thanks in advance for all replies!

 

''it doesnt quite have the power i feel it should''

its a civic DX what do u expect

 

Are you trying to ask whats wrong with it? I think you have a pretty good list started. Looks like the guy you know screwed you. It is slim to none that new motor has 30k on it, its just common sense. A crack in the head, even though fixed and doesnt leak, changes the integrity of the whole motor. So I'd start asking your friend whats up.

 

I have had the same motor in 2 other cars...given they were both standard and this one is auto, but it should still have more power than it does. Yes, I am asking for any help on diagnosing the problem. I do not honestly believe that the guy screwed me, because the engine was put in a week before the trade, so he didn't really have the time to notice as it was not his daily driver. And the motor does have low miles on it, I know that 30k sounds a little sketchy, but it is at least a newer motor than what was in it. I know this because I have the block form the old one in my shed.

 

Sounds to me like either a seal is bad concerning the cylinders or maybe your piston rings are going bad. 30K miles means nothing if the engine was abused the whole time.

Doing a swap to the same motor just doesn't make sense to me. What was wrong with the old one? Why don't you use the old one (since you still have it) and rebuild it to replace the one you have now?

 

old motor had 220k on it and had a few burnt exhaust valves...I only have the block, but will be getting the head shortly. I am planning on rebuilding the head and doing a port/polish while I am at it.

 

Just doing a port/polish to an SOHC 1.5L head won't do anything for you but screw your gas mileage FYI.

Why not just get a B series block and build that? You need to get most of the parts for the D series block, it sounds like, why not just start with a better block?

 

with the problems you're encountering, i don't see it's feasible to fix it. parts alone can buy u a used dx motor and then some. i say get a b series engine if you were planning to port and polish and rebuilding everything.

 

the car actually runs decent as is...it just smokes. I had a slammed Mazda and my wife wanted a four door, so I traded. She drives the Civic and I drive the Jeep. I am just trying to do what I can for little cash, and possibly build a new motor later. I found a 1.6 locally for $450.

 

Just so you know there's a bunch of 1.6L engines that Honda makes (D16Y8, D16Z6, B16A1, B16A2, B16A3 ...)

Which 1.6L can you get for that price?