I need the experts...2 connecting rods are loose

[Shag Wagon]

2 nights ago I noticed that my H23a1 was knocking slightly. I didnt know what it was so I just didnt pay it no mind and thought I would check it out Thanksgiving (today). Well Yesterday as I was cabbage patching my way to work the knock got worse and worse and finally my baby started skipping. Well I try and drive it to the nearest parking lot since I was out in the middle of BFE. Well by the time I hit the Food Lion up the road its knocking like crazy and it seriously wont go any farther. Well I park it, hitch a ride to work, and after work I get my dolly and drag it to the house. I pull off the oil pan and noticed there are alot of shavings down there. Then I pull off the little plate that is above the pan and I start wiggling things around and butter my ass and call me a biscuit....I got 2 connecting rods loose at the crank. So my question is, what needs to happen? The past owner of the car told me that he had rebuilt it a year ago and had alot more life left in it. I am thinking that maybe I can replace the crankshaft and bearings and go on with my life or would it be best just to get a new JDM engine and just call it a day?

[d112crzy]

Sounds like the rebuilder didn't do a good job.

What do you mean by got them loose? Do they wiggle in place? Or did the rod bolts come out easy?

If it's the latter, then I'm guessing the builder didn't pre-load them, so they came loose.

If that's the case, you'll need a new crank/rods. But, I wouldn't do that. I'd just get a new block/motor.

[Robert Pinckney]

yeah you coul torque em back down and call it a day but you wont make it far, the engine probley going to need to be re-honed which almost never gits done right!! unless you know a shop that specializes in "honda blocks"! depending how loose it was it could have beat (slide around) on the crankshaft which has to be precisily balanced! but if it was me i would be looking to buy a new engine!! Lemme know if you need one i know a guy that gets em dirt cheap!!!

[Shag Wagon]

The rods are loose enough to the point where you know they are loose. They probably wiggle less than a hair.

I need one ASAP Robert! I was looking at an F20A with a 5spd and ECU....the works for 650. Its supposed to be the same as the H23a1 but with 10 less HP. I wanted to pull the Ef deuce deuce ay uno out of the wrecked wagon but thats too much work to pull it out and put it in the one im in now and then pull it to put it back in the wrecked wagon. Anyways can the engine be taken out as a whole instead of just the bare engine? If I am getting an engine and tranny combo I wanna get everything out as a whole instead of breaking everything down and taking alot of things off that are gonna get lost or something of that nature.

[wed3k]

the rod nuts or they wiggle side to side on the crank? i believe they are suppose to have side to side play, probably around .020".

[BuckChoklit]

yeah you coul torque em back down and call it a day but you wont make it far, the engine probley going to need to be re-honed which almost never gits done right!! unless you know a shop that specializes in "honda blocks"! depending how loose it was it could have beat (slide around) on the crankshaft which has to be precisily balanced! but if it was me i would be looking to buy a new engine!! Lemme know if you need one i know a guy that gets em dirt cheap!!!

Are you saying that Honda's require special honing?

Anyway...You're going to need at least: rods, crank, bearings. Does your car burn oil? I'm wondering if you got low on oil or somehow you spun a bearing or two.

[whitejdmcb7]

im it the process of rebuilding a h23a1 whats up with the predoading never heard of it

[Shag Wagon]

It doesnt burn oil as far as I know. Lots of my friends ride behind me and they dont notice any burning oil so thats out of the questions. I did change the oil like 2 days before the knock occured. There was a SuperTech (wal mart brand) oil filter on there that didnt run shit for oil pressure...less than 25. I changed the oil and it spiked to like 100 and came on down between 25 and 50...according to my guage. Im thinking that the wal mart filter caused it some how or another. I did replace that filter with a powerflo filter...the commercial filter made by Purolator.

The other rods had the .020 rod play...I would say the 2 loose ones had about .05 or something. Anyways I got a set of bearings on the way to install in it this afternoon. I just want it to run until I can get another engine. I looked at the crank and it appears fine. I am going to put a mic on it and see what she measures.