Cost and recommendations for machine shop to rebuild cyl. heads?

paulviriyapan

paulviriyapan

Experienced Member
Joined
22 March 2003
Messages
319
Location
Anaheim, California, USA
Well for those who read my last post regarding how does a cylinder bend a spark plug, I think I figured out what the hell happened. Suspect that one or two teeth on the timing belt 'skipped' causing Mr. Piston to meet Mr. Valve who then met Mr. Spark Plug. As a result, I suspect I will be saying goodbye to Mr. $$$. So now I need to have my head rebuilt, but don't know who to send it to. I think I'm gonna have Ramon do the work at Niguel Motors, but he said he didn't know how much something like that would run (he said he would be checking around). Any recommendations for machine shops to do the work? How 'bout the cost? Thanks.

P.S.

BTW, whilst I was at the dealer service shop when we were still trying to figure out what was wrong, and what it could potentially cost to fix, I got the following numbers:

New engine from Acura: $30,000
New heads (pair) from Acura: $5,000
Piston: $900 each
 
Contact Rob Morrison "RacerX-21" on Prime. He has some heads and other engine parts for sale in the "Parts for Sale" forum.
 
There is no need to "guess" that the timing belt skipped a few teeth. That is easily proven by simply pulling the cam cover and checking the cam positions per the shop manual. Have they done this? They should have if they are worth a hoot.

Even if that did happen, when the piston hits the valve the valve can't then slam into the plug unless the valve head first broke off. But that can happen independent of a slipped belt (known as dropping/swallowing a valve) and still give you the same end result. That end result, assuming it dropped a valve for whatever reason, is pretty bad. They tend to beat around in there destroying the piston, combustion chamber, other valves, possibly guides, and sometimes the cylinder walls.

BTW, what year and how many miles on it? Was the belt ever changed?
 
Thanks for the reply SJS,

The car is a '91, with currently 72k miles. I bought it from original owner (70 year old doctor) w/books and records. My big fear IS that one of the heads on the valve broke off and chewed the hell out of the piston/cylinder/head. :eek:

There is hope however. We (I was there) pulled out the oil pan and checked the bottom end (which was okay). We then sifted teh oil with a strainer and could find absolutely no sign of any metal fragments or debris (we did find a small globule of "Hondabond"). I'm still freaking out that I may need a new engine.:(
 
NSX FoYoAss said:
http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=25603&highlight=new+engine


91 NSX C-30A complete engine
Complete, never installed, 1991 NSX C30-A engine. Includes wiring harness, clutch assembly, flywheel, manifold, injectors and all sensors. NO MILES, brand new. Asking $7500.00. Call Deanna 865-556-8428 or email at [email protected].
Click to expand...

Same one on as eBay where they seem to want a bit more for it, but of course that's the point of an auction.

If the engine really is exactly as represented then it would be a very good deal for someone who needs more than a couple of the major components and wants to stick with stock internals.
 
You should be able to find a used 3.0-liter NSX engine without looking too hard, if you want to go that route. ERZ would be the first place I'd try.

Had the timing belt been changed on this car? Recently? Or, never? I'm just wondering whether the damage can be attributed to either (a) improper installation of a new timing belt, or (b) use of a 12-year-old timing belt. Or was there some other mechanism of causation, such as a "money shift"? :confused:
 
Well NSXTASY,

When I bought the car in about March, the seller told me that the timing belt and 60k mile service had been done last year. The car had about 65k miles on it. I don't think he was lying to me. I bought it from an elderly doctor/anesthesiologist in his 70's. He was the original owner since new (verified). He was a very sweet old gentleman, and I doubt that he wanted to rip me off. He also had a receipt for the 60k service at a local shop from last year too.

The problem, and this is the problem with buying any 2nd hand car, is that I don't know maybe if that shop ripped him off. They might have told him they changed the belt, but may not have. I was trusting the previous owner's word that the belt had been changed, so I thought nothing of it. At this point I wasn't worrying about it becuse I had a trustworthy seller, and thought the belt wouldn't have gone in a year and a half.

As for the "money $hift", I have always always always been careful not to do that. I was aware what a money $hift was (posted a link to that destroyed Acura RSX) and I have never ever ever exceeded redline in my car. Furthermore, I never let anyone else drive my car, so it would only me that could do such a thing.

The question that I do have is whether it is possible to do a money $hift without exceeding the 8k redline? I do drive the hell out of that thing, and love to get the RPM's up. What I have done a couple times is to shift down to 2nd gear @ 60 m.p.h. (2nd is good to 80), and floor it. When I did it, the rpm's @ 60 m.p.h. are about 5k, and I love how the thing becomes a rocket until the rev limiter kicks in at 80 m.p.h. Would this be considered a money $hift? Since I wasn't redlining, I thought it was ok. Now I'm worried I might of screwed it up. :confused:
 
paulviriyapan said:
The problem, and this is the problem with buying any 2nd hand car, is that I don't know maybe if that shop ripped him off.
Click to expand...
I don't know. I suppose that happens, but I would hope that it's extremely rare. Just like you, I would have accepted his assurances backed up by the receipts from the service. Why not?

paulviriyapan said:
The question that I do have is whether it is possible to do a money $hift without exceeding the 8k redline?
Click to expand...
No. A "money shift" is a downshift which causes the engine to exceed redline - and usually occurs during hard acceleration by shifting at redline accidentally into the next lower gear, instead of the next higher gear. That's not what you did.

paulviriyapan said:
What I have done a couple times is to shift down to 2nd gear @ 60 m.p.h. (2nd is good to 80), and floor it. When I did it, the rpm's @ 60 m.p.h. are about 5k, and I love how the thing becomes a rocket until the rev limiter kicks in at 80 m.p.h. Would this be considered a money $hift? Since I wasn't redlining, I thought it was ok. Now I'm worried I might of screwed it up.
Click to expand...
No need to be worried about it. You should be able to downshift into second at any speed below 80 mph. Don't worry - you didn't screw it up. Not by doing that, anyway. ;)

I'm still interested in finding out how this might have happened, and what, if anything, could have been done to prevent it. I'm sure you feel the same.
 
Warn us before posting something like that. I almost had a coronary. Hope everyone was all right.
 
I blew an engine too!

In 2000, I blew the engine on my '93 NSX during normal street driving at 4K RPM. Acura never found out why it happened. Since I had all of my maintenance records showing I followed all maintenance (including a timing belt change one month prior), Acura agreed to pay 50% of the costs to replace the engine (replace, not rebuild). Sounds good, but it cost me just under $20K after Acura made their contribution... not a good experience. I suspect the problem was due to the recent timing belt change from the Acura dealer, but I never pursued it. Even though I still love driving the car, I'm still somewhat "scared" that it could happen again since I really did nothing to cause the engine to blow in the first place. It shows in my driving too -- as I've only driven 18K (since 2000) on the new engine.

:(
 

[cut]

New engine from Acura: $30,000
New heads (pair) from Acura: $5,000
Piston: $900 each [/B]
Click to expand...



Kip Olson on this forum is selling the complete engine in his 91 with only 10,200 pampered miles as Comptech installed a 3.2L with one of a kind SC for him .... those at NSXPO saw the car. The 3.0L engine is now at Comptech.

If you need more info check here too: http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=24378&highlight=kip+olson

Kip's e-mail is [email protected]

HTH
 
I do have an engine for sale. It has 10,200 original miles. The prevoius owner (2nd) found out the car sat for a few years and took preventetive steps and installed the newer waterpump and timing belt. The engine is at Comptech and Shad could give you further info on the motor. You Can reach me at (916) 717-6090. I am in Sacramento. Thank You, Kip Olson
 
If the head is not badly damaged, the rebuilt is not too expensive. A valve job and replacing all the valves cost slightly over $1K by Comptech. At this point, might as well port and polish for additional $700.

If the cylinder wall is damaged from it could be substantially more.

The cost I got was from my recollection several months back. I could be off by a few.
 
Re: your misfortune

autobody tech said:
HEY BUDDY DONT WORRY,IM SURE THIS WILL WORK OUT BESIDES,IT COULD BE WORSE!
Click to expand...


eek2.gif
crying.gif
 
Re: your misfortune

attachment.php


Is this Steve Riter's silver NSX? I remember him showing us pics of his last NSX that rolled-over. I wonder if this is it.

Last time he heard, it was roaming around in China somewhere.
 

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