5k Rev Limit, Misfiring, Backfiring = wtf?

[maan1986]

Sup everyone,

I'm kind of a new member here. I just signed up but I've been "lurking" around the site for a while now lol. I usually check out accordtuner.com but I heard good things about cb7tuner.com also, so I thought I'd check it out.

Here goes:

Right now I'm working on a auto to manual swap in my other car, an Acura Integra. My dad has this 91' Honda Accord EX that he isnt using at all, its a lil beat up but in overall good condition. I've been using it as my daily for the past month, and have been trying to fix all the problems with it to make it into a nice ride.

The main problem I'm focusing on right now is a problem with the engine. A few years ago my father had the timing belt changed at this shitty (excuse the language) shop....he took it that morning running perfectly smooth and brought it back that afternoon running like a total piece of shit. He took it back to the shop and they refused that they had done anything wrong....since then that shop has closed and my father has just dealt with it the way it was. Anyways, the engine misfires........when its climbing up in revs it like misses.....it kind of stumbles....and for some reason the engine will only go up to 5000 rpm........and when you let off the gas at that "rev limit" it backfires..... if you keep the gas down, the rpms begin to go down......it will pull all the way to 5k then just stop pulling.....and even if the gas is down or whatever the revs will fall....

I played around with the electronic timing by turning the distributor, and advancing and retarding all the way didnt help......it has to be something else......what i think, is that they may be off by a tooth on the cam gear.......if it was off anymore, that would cause bent valves and mettalic sound and the engine probably wouldnt even run.....but being off 1 tooth id imagine it would still run, but real shitty.......as it is right now....haha

any ideas?

some other problems.....

the two rear windows dont roll up or down, sometimes when they do they jerk and get stuck, cv joints are fucked, needs alignment, tie rod ends, needs new brake rotors, pads, master cylinder, needs tires, wheels need balancing.....oi

we'll see how it goes down......

and i took out the intake resonator.......damn that thing is loud...louder than my teg w/ exhaust and intake.....lol

I appreciate any responses,

thanks

Maan

[BustedLX]

Well by what you described I'd venture to guess the cam is off timing. By maybe a tooth or more. I've seen them off quite a bit before. It's not healthy for the engine to be driving with a miss like that for a long period of time.

I would put #1 at TDC and check all you alignment marks. See what it comes up with. If everything is ok diagnose the ignition system and last the fuel.

[xplode]

take it to a dealer and let them checek it out. cant be cheap on taht type of problem.

[aero]

its the distributor. Get a reman from Autozone and be on your way. Took me a year to track it down to that. But 99% sure its the same thing. I had like a 4k limit though... it sucked, trying to pass cars w/ a 4k limit, hearing it backfire and pop... no good.

[BustedLX]

Originally posted by aero3685
its the distributor. Get a reman from Autozone and be on your way. Took me a year to track it down to that. But 99% sure its the same thing. I had like a 4k limit though... it sucked, trying to pass cars w/ a 4k limit, hearing it backfire and pop... no good.

How can you be so sure it's the distributor? The 4K rpm limit you described in your problem is easy to explain. If the ECU detects something abnormal it goes into a type of "safe-mode" if you will. In this mode the rev limit is set to 4K rpm to help avoid engine damage. You problem was probably a crank angle sensor in the distributor that went or was going bad.

His problem is different though, he says the engine doesn't rev past 5K which suggest a timing issue, probably like fizzbob7 said the cam is probably retarded to much. I know I've seen the same problem happen. He also said it developed after he had the vehicles timing belt serviced. So although there could be an issue with his distributor it's unlikely.

Most times you'll see that if a problem develops in your engine immediately or shortly there after doing somthing to the engine. What you just did probably caused it. Coincedences in engine work aren't common although they do happen.

[maan1986]

retarded cam.....sounds good.......i had a feeling that the cam might be off a few teeth but i wasnt too sure...i dont think its the distributor because the ecu isnt throwing any codes.....I'll check the tdc marks soon and see if everything lines up...

oh and i checked the oil, its good, and i already put in a dizzy cap, rotor, plug wires and new plugs...


thanks for the info

[aero]

mine did the same thing, it would get up that high, then felt like it was mis-firing or backfiring... and would not get any power. If you kept on it, it made this kinda popping sound from under the hood.

[maan1986]

well, mine misfires through out the whole rev range...also when i hit 5k it just dies...no popping no nothing the revs just go down.......the popping your describing sounds like gasoline entering the engine and burning when it leaves the cylinder because there was no spark because the dizzy was going.......i'm really convicnced that the cam gear is off, but I'll keep the dizzy in mind.

[aero]

BTW... my ecu never threw any codes