To tell you the truth, even with my amount of knowledge in the Honda area (which has been that long, only about 3 years), I could almost tell you that there is almost no way that your exhaust is causing your car to run like shit.. I have seen it restrict like hell, but I cant see your exhaust keeping your compression numbers down like that. Like KJ said, after you re-ring it you will pretty much know whats up.

 

While the head is off check how your valves are sealing. An easy way to do it is to stand it on its side so the ports are facing up and fill the ports with gasoline and watch to see how fast it runs past the closed valves. It is a good way to check to see if any valves are slightly bent or in need of a fresh valve job.

 

I love T.R. ,sorry about your motor.Good luck w/ the re-build.

 

id def. re-ring and then run it again

 

exactly what he said...i just got done with a 95 ls doing almost the exact same thing...ended up couple of the intake valves were bent..and while i was at it new stem seals and valve job....and a rering wouldnt be a bad idea also.....hows the piston to wall clearance? any excessive piston movement...g/l with this..


mike

 

cubanyoshi - i wasnt saying the exhaust is making it run crappy, i know thats not it, but ive heard people say before that an excessively restrictive exhaust can cause a HG to blow, and i didnt know how true it was. at that point, i was so lost i was trying to find any possible explanation.

kevin - good tip, and i will try it as soon as i finish gapping the new rings

hondamike - yea, there are def some sheisty bitches on here... it sucks for those who know what they are doing and try to sell legitimate parts.

mike - im gonna try the valve check, and as for piston/wall clearance, they feel pretty snug, but im gonna check it once the ring gap is done.

thanks for all your help guys, hopefully i can drop these pistons in and show some serious compression numbers....

 

UPDATE:

tried what kevin suggested, and found MAJOR leaks, cept not through the valves. the valves seem to be fine... its leakin out through the coolant passages in the head, meaning i have cracks in the head around the top of the combustion chambers...

at least that explains why i was burning coolant. never overheated tho, which is weird.

new LS head time.

 

wow sorry to hear after all that

 

yea, kinda sucks...

oh well, least i know itll be fine once i get a new head on it.

i would have at least thought i would hear air coming out when i did the compression check... some of these leaks were crazy...

 

vtec head time?...hehe..glad u found the problem..good luck findin another good head...maybe take some gasoline with u to test the new one..