Car runs with slightly speratic idle (did this before the motor replacement)... Ran fine after fixing the timing. As soon as I put it under a load (reversing from driveway), it started pumpin black smoke and sputtering withVERY VERY low power. Black to me means too much fuel...

Timing is right because it fires each time I fix it. This last time, the rotor button came loose because someone didnt put the screw back in tight enough. So it stalled and would not start. I fixed the timing AGAIN and it fired right on cue and idled fine. Only when under that reverse load using clutch did it start sputtering and puffing black. It would not idle correctly after putting the load on it.. It also did this when the rotor button came off last time.Puffing smoke and no power. Sounds like a lawn mower. The rotor button came off when under load in first gear from a stop sign.


Any hints???


1989 Honda Civic DX [After engine replacement from american model to jap model block.]

 

Stupid hint but worth checking. Make sure your intake is not clog up or anything like that. If your air intake is clog up then that will end up with lower power and excessive gas but I cannot image your intake would be clog up.

 

It may be clogged from the previous engine? It had a horrble oil burning episode with blown rings and also a blown head gasket. Car runs fine at ide and I drove it two blocks yesteday before the rotor button issue...

 

might have bad cap,plugs,wires, did u check gap on plugs???u can foul new plugs easy if runing rich its called a gas foul.

 

Plugs and wires are new. ---- got car running again. Mashed gas pedal to the floor to get it to fire. Bogged and smoked black for a minute until the fuel burned off then idled okay. Now I can drive the car as long as I keep the rpms up from a stop. If the rpms are too low and I give it too much gas, instead of just stalling, it bogs hard and then stalls and won't start again for a few minutes. (TOO MUCH FUEL?)


Also noticed when downshifting from 3rd to second, the clutch bounces instead of grabbing and decelerating (only grabs in high rpm, bounces hard at low rpms before [i think] it should.)Only does it in from 3rd to second and i'm not dumb enough to decelerate to first in traffic, that's why they make brakes! ) It's almost like I don't know how to drive it, but I do know how to drive a stick. The symptoms of me screwing up during acceleration are there, it just seems like it's real excessive.

P.S. Car only smokes black when bogging in low RPMS. If I give it enough gas pedal, it gives more air and burnsthe gasoff to come to a clean idle. Only when I put it back under load again at low rpms it bogs and smokes black.

 

Bump ---- HEEEELLLPPP!!!

 

Car also bogs hard under hard gasing. If i let up on the gas, it seems to even out and kind of sputter back to full torque.

 

double check ur timing belt and dizzy it sounds like its off 1 tooth.

 

I can't help from thinking that the rough running engine is related to the rotor coming loose in the distributor. Is it possible that this event damaged the rotor itself, the distributor cap, etc.?

 

Ron, I don't think so. The rotor button never came off the shaft. The screw came out and while the rotor button was on the shaft, the cam was spinning but the rotor button was stuck in one spot. The only real event that took place was the dizzy shaft spinning inside of the rotor button. The metal prong on the rotor button wasn't moving, hense the stalling event. I'm going to go over the timing ONE MORE TIME!!!! Just to be 100% sure that it's correct. I've dynamically timed this thing three or four times already. I'll do it one more time for sh*ts and giggles. P.S. -- The timing should be lined up with the MIDDLE of the THREE MARKS on the CRANKSHAFT PULLY. Right? | >|< | <----- ?