timing issue - ignition?

[ash7]

I recently recieved my head back from the machine shop with my new Supertech valves installed with Viton stem seals. Bought a new timing belt, put it on along with a new water pump, front main seal and cam seals.

I'm having the weirdest problem however, when my car is cold (overnight, or bringing it home from work at the end of the day) it runs like a dream. Quick, responsive on the throttle and performs well.

However, after a few minutes of running the engine looses power and bogs down, occasionally stalls itself out. It is responsive at anything over 3200rpm when it gets like this, but gets worse the longer i drive it. Noticing how this issue seems to correspond in relation to the engine temp. I'm assuming it most likely has something to do with the ignition system.

- I made 100% sure that the timing is dead on correct, and the belt has the correct tension on it. And rechecked it while on my way home from work today (pulled over in a gas station, busted out the small tool kit i have in my car and went to town.)

- Distributor is in the EXACT same position it was in when i removed it. (marked the location with a scribe before removal)

- Spark plugs are not fouled out, brand new Densos went in this head as well.

- Correct stock fuel pressure (45psi)

CEL puts up a code of 23 (VSS, which has been there for a while. Still working on the S2k cluster conversion)

I'm almost at a loss. I do not have a ignition light handy however, so i cannot verify spark is occuring at exactly cylinder TDC.

Ideas? :)
-jonathan

[Papa_Smurf]

hrm....

trade ya for my ZC?

[Benefit]

just throwing this out there...thermostat / cts ??

[jbhondatech]

The TW sensor can cause major drivability problems and not throw a code. It is a cheep fix. The TW is on the distributor side of the head and has a two pin connector. The original sensor is white the updated sensor is black you can get one from the dealer or a honda shop.

[ash7]

I am not running a thermostat, my stock radiator can barely keep up with the high. compression of this engine as it is.

I will look into the TW sensor tonight. Also, i noticed today that the single pin water temp sensor next to the TW sensor wire is broken. Would this sensor being offline cause this type of issue? I believe it is the one that tells the ecu how to adjust timing.

correct? thanks for the tips guys :)

-jonathan

[jbhondatech]

that only runs the temp guage

[ash7]

i switched connectors between my vtec oil p gauge and the TW sensor to see if that was the issue - temp gauge lit all the way up as a result.

I'll fix the wire tonight and post results.

-jonathan

[Benefit]

so it runs ****ty when the temp gauge goes up huh

[ash7]

pretty much, never gets even close to overheating though.

-jonathan

[-S Double C-]

im in the dark on that one john i dont know what it could be...check all the coolant sensors. I got a timing light if you need to check your timing. Just hit me up G.

[Vteckidd]

i ran 12.5:1 on my lsvtec with a 15 year old CRX SI radiator an never had a cooling problem.

if it runs fine when its cold, it could be IAT sensor or IAC.

is your car TUNED?

[ash7]

no mike, my car isn't tuned yet. Im still waiting on my obd conversion harness from Rywire. I'm running at stock PR3 ecu, which ran the car just fine before all this. :) I have a CromePro chipped P28 and new dist. waiting to be put in when it gets here.

How would the IAC cause this issue? :) Wouldn't the IAT toss up a code if it was malfuntioning?

I'll give you a call tomm sean. I really want to check the ignition timing.
-jonathan

-jonathan

[EmminoDaGreat]

Sometimes IAT's can "work" but not throw codes, i have seen countless on the dyno reading "-xx degrees" on the laptops. or "200+ degrees" when that is obviously wrong. Also running no thermostat can sometimes make a car overheat worse than one with a thermostat just because the fluid doesnt stay in the radiator long enough to cool. Try a low temp one.