Help us help you. By posting the year, make, model and engine near the beginning of your help request, followed by the symptoms (no start, high idle, misfire etc.) Along with any prevalent Diagnostic Trouble Codes, aka DTCs, other forum members will be able to help you get to a solution more quickly and easily!
Well done getting the powertrain out! Man, you weren't kidding about bent valves. :silly: Also, I love how you can really tell which head was on the vacuum side of the PCV, and which one was fresh air.
About the transmission issue, I agree with holding off for now. If it does turn out to be a TCC shudder issue, I've had fantastic success with Lubegard Shudder Fixx. I know, it sound like snake oil. :lol: But it's been successful (together with a fluid change) on many different makes/models. Not saying you should go the cheap route, just something to keep in mind.
I've been picking away at this during off hours and am getting close to having it together. Hopefully after work tonight.
One boo boo I made is that the last time I dropped the engine out I forgot to secure the steering wheel and it moved. I don't know how much, but the shaft came all the way out of the sleeve, so I can't figure out a way to put it back knowing where the wheel would be where it was before. I don't think it's possible.
Any way I put it back, how do I know that it isn't one rotation off, and one parking lot maneuver away from breaking the clock spring?
Are you reasonably sure that the wheel didn't turn more than one rotation? If so, I dunno that I worry about it. :silly: Most clocksprings I've seen will survive being one turn out, sometimes more.
You'll probably have a more difficult time getting the steering shaft back straight on the rack (assuming that's where you separated them). IIRC, those connections aren't keyed, so you can put them on about 20 different ways.
I was thinking today that most clocksprings I've seen are wound clockwise. As in, turning the wheel to the right winds them, and to the left unwinds them. So, if I was in your shoes, I'd spin the wheel one turn to the left and lock it down. *shrug* This seems like the safest bet.
We install a lot of used steering columns at my shop. I turn the wheel all the way one way, slowly, until I feel the tension of the clock spring. Then I count how many turns in the opposite direction until I feel the spring getting tight again. Then return to center with half the number of turns you get from one end to the other. I've never had one break using this method.
I don't know how many guys I've seen just eye ball it, then the first turn around the garage and "crunch!", SRS light, no horn, do not pass go, do not collect $200.
Even better is when I was working in the junk yard, killing yourself to pull a column out of a junk, and making sure you do a good job keeping the wheel centered for the customer, then the "mechanic" who ordered the column spins the wheel all the way around like it's a G.D. gameshow prize wheel!
This job has been a nightmare. The guy has been out a car for almost 3 weeks. They are mad about it, rightfully so.
Some back story is that I wanted to do this job at my house but my boss persuaded me to bring it to work so he could help. Well the damage happened while he was helping and he assured me he would help me get it fixed quickly. I have been busting my butt during off hours to get it going but he hasn't done very much to assist.
Now the owners are pissed and are threatening to call my job to sort of blow him in for the whole thing. They want a copy of the RO that we set up every time something goes up on a lift, but it's not a real signed customer one. They want it in case something goes wrong down the road with it so they can go back to someone.
You shouldn't feel any responsibility for that mess. I may have gotten the wrong impression, but I feel like this job and customer were poorly handled from the word go.
It appears to me that your supervisor kind of minimized his role in this by "allowing" you to make up for HIS poor guidance by doing the head job on your own time.
And what the hell, over complicate the job 10 fold by making you pull the drive train to chase a transmission gremlin while you're at it.
And you're so upset about the bent valves because you're one of the ones who CARES, you go along with it and he gets away with it.
I'm sorry brother, if I'm off base, I apologise.
But regardless of the motives behind the handling of the original come back, you did no wrong.
Mr. Honda was supposed to have your back on your first big job, and he dropped the ball. On top of that, he helped you turn the engine through open valves.
And even all that aside, shit happens. Sometimes it's expensive, but it's the shops name on the building and on the bill. The risk and cost of running a business is their responsibility. Someone should have been paid their salary to correct the issue even if that cost isn't billed to the customer.
I just re read this saga from page 1...
This is a side job? Of Mr. Honda's I presume? Looks like this guy is making you carry the weight of his commitment. I'm sorry you got dragged into that situation, but when the dust blows over you'll be a better tech, you'll know how much you can really trust the shop management and maybe you'll develop an ear for those afdormentioned wedding bells.
We all get married to a car every now and then. There's no class for spotting a can of worms that comes rolling into your bay, just experience.
Just try not to let it beat you up too bad. This is not your fault and this not how it always goes down.
Thanks guys. I got it finished and delivered today. No engine lights or issues so far.
It was my side job that I told him I was going to be working on and he told me to bring it into the shop and he would help. When he was trying to adjust the cams with the belt off, I told him that I thought the valves were pushing into the pistons and he didn't think that was the case - we know what happened from there.
The problem I had was that I was limited to the dealership store hours and wasn't getting much help from him to get the car back to the owner quickly. Shortly after I did the compression test I decided I wanted to tow it to my house to finish on my own time, my own pace, and without the peanut gallery. I was talked out of that.
A lot of lessons learned here. Don't let anyone help with personal work unless it's their car. Don't bring jobs to work. Trust that I know what I'm doing and am resourceful enough to look into things if I need help, or ask the forum. This would have gotten done either properly the first time or at least much faster at my house if I just trusted myself.
I did get to replace some valves for the first time though, so that's cool.
Yes, Noah, I am going to keep the bent ones. I have a few other extras from it that I'm going to try to make into something someday.
