Well it's more than bumps. There is nothing wrong with the car but I just keep having bad luck, and after this second motor failure I just realized I felt differently about it even though nothing is wrong with the car. I can't really explain it, more of a feeling than anything else. A shady sale to start with, a crazy ride home, parts ordering problems, two swapped motors that were bad...it seems like this car was meant for someone else.
I think part of my gloominess was that I haven't driven her in 3 weeks, so we were becoming detached. I spent last weekend swapping the D16A6 back in, watched the Packers lose in OT (jerks) and then went to dinner with my family. After a long trip to SF last week and swapping the original motor back in after this whole fiasco I was a bit drained and got kinda sloppy as the night wore on. The new water pump I had put in started leaking so I took that out and re-sealed it. When I was putting the timing belt back on for the 2nd time that night I didn't go through the proper tightening procedure and when I started it up it was loose and I'm pretty sure it slipped. After taking it off a 3rd time and aligning the UP on the cam and the white mark on the crank and putting it all back on when I started it just turned over really quickly with nothing firing up (timing belt not stripped, on snug). Last time that happend (about 10 years and 7 cars ago) I had mashed some valves. I've got a spare D16A6 head that I'll be putting on this weekend which will hopefully get me back on the road.
jesus, sounds like rough times man, it's all worth it though, wagons are legit. I don't want to separate with mine, even if it starts to have a bunch of problems. I sold my old wagon and missed it for the 3 months I didn't have one, and bought another one. hope you get that engine in and running properly, goodluck man
While taking off the bad A6 head I snapped a head bolt (using the helms head removal procedure). I am 100% officially done working on the motor(s) of this car. I am having RC build me a Z6 vitara and do the install.
I've wasted so much money already that I don't want to spend any more money w/o knowing I'll be getting results.
It's really tough because I've done so much work on Hondas before and I've never had so much bad luck with one car. This will be the first time I've ever paid anyone to do work on my car (aside from getting off really tough bolts, or welding custom exhausts etc.). I feel like I lost my touch or something. Maybe the D's know I've been working on the K's and are getting revenge.
I also feel like if RB and I can make it through this...we can make it through anything.
So the bad motors are on their way down to RC Autoworks on Wed to be turned into one good Z6 with a Vitara build. Then I'm having a local shop complete the swap, and custom exhaust. I'll have an update with pics as soon as I have any.
Well, the morning I was heading down to drop my motors off at RC I talked with Bob and he let me know that we were looking at about +/- 2 months before my motor would be assembled. Once I got that news I knew I had no choice but to do the build myself to get my motor in the car before there is too much snow on the ground.
Not paying for labor also allows me to put together a bunch of Bisimoto components for the head, while the block will still get the same FJ custom rods and vitara pistons. I've converted one of my spare rooms into a work room and will be updating with pictures as the build progresses.
Z6 is dropped off for honing and the works. Need a new crank though.
Got my winter tires for when the car is actually running. Rebuilt JRSC is in the mail along with 450cc injectors and a chipped p28. Ill be getting Hondata eventually but the guy I got the JRSC from was running the chipped p28 with the 8psi pulley with no problems.
Trying now to decide on if I should get a cam or not.
CP pistons and Eagle rods were $774 from Real Street Performance, a package deal.
Also got my bearings from them for $140, and my valve springs and retainers for $299.
Valves were from Skunk 2 garage sale. I got them BNIB for $125 shipped. Got my cam gear for $25 shipped, BNIB! Keep an eye on that area. http://www.skunk2.com/garage_sale.php
So I learned that with this set of rods/bolts I also need to notch my main cap. After checking with plastiguage and torquing everything down, when I rotated the assembly my rod bolts hit.
:x
I found this site shortly after about notching, and realized he pretty much has instructions and photos of an entire D16Z6 bottom end rebuild. Great stuff:
Clean wagon. The car and the story sound familiar though. I sold an A6 block with a steel girdle last year on craigslist to a guy from Milwaukee in a red rt4wd. Said he flew out to pick the car up and drove it back. I remember the paint being really clean. Was that you?
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I think part of my gloominess was that I haven't driven her in 3 weeks, so we were becoming detached. I spent last weekend swapping the D16A6 back in, watched the Packers lose in OT (jerks) and then went to dinner with my family. After a long trip to SF last week and swapping the original motor back in after this whole fiasco I was a bit drained and got kinda sloppy as the night wore on. The new water pump I had put in started leaking so I took that out and re-sealed it. When I was putting the timing belt back on for the 2nd time that night I didn't go through the proper tightening procedure and when I started it up it was loose and I'm pretty sure it slipped. After taking it off a 3rd time and aligning the UP on the cam and the white mark on the crank and putting it all back on when I started it just turned over really quickly with nothing firing up (timing belt not stripped, on snug). Last time that happend (about 10 years and 7 cars ago) I had mashed some valves. I've got a spare D16A6 head that I'll be putting on this weekend which will hopefully get me back on the road.
The saga continues.
I've wasted so much money already that I don't want to spend any more money w/o knowing I'll be getting results.
I also feel like if RB and I can make it through this...we can make it through anything.
Not paying for labor also allows me to put together a bunch of Bisimoto components for the head, while the block will still get the same FJ custom rods and vitara pistons. I've converted one of my spare rooms into a work room and will be updating with pictures as the build progresses.
Got my winter tires for when the car is actually running. Rebuilt JRSC is in the mail along with 450cc injectors and a chipped p28. Ill be getting Hondata eventually but the guy I got the JRSC from was running the chipped p28 with the 8psi pulley with no problems.
Trying now to decide on if I should get a cam or not.
Here is how she sits now.
RB hasn't moved in about 3 months.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/RB-The-Re ... 8928420841
10.5:1 CP pistons
Skunk 2 valves, supertech retainers & springs, competition head build from C&S performance.
TNR powdercoating. Fantastic job, and a great company to work with.
Also got my bearings from them for $140, and my valve springs and retainers for $299.
Valves were from Skunk 2 garage sale. I got them BNIB for $125 shipped. Got my cam gear for $25 shipped, BNIB! Keep an eye on that area. http://www.skunk2.com/garage_sale.php
Now I just need to notch my block and put it all back together. Doh.
Solid
Tomorrow night will be a plastigauge check and then torquing down rods and main caps!
:x
I found this site shortly after about notching, and realized he pretty much has instructions and photos of an entire D16Z6 bottom end rebuild. Great stuff:
http://www.wonderbart.com/category/auto ... ild-swaps/
Also got the Hondata all soldered in, and the hole cut for the USB cable.