H23 cylinder wear pattern, help!

[nathan007]

Hey guys!

Was doing a leakdown test on my "new" h23, wich has been sitting for at least a year. I was losing alot of air trough cyl 2-3 and 4, by the rings. Decided to tear it down and this is what i saw:

Those 3 faulty cylinders have almost the same "damage" pattern, on the intake side in a wierd corner angle. The scratches, of scuffs, are deep enough to catch my fingernails easily. What do you think may have happened?
Exhaust side is mint on all cylinders.

 

[BlkCurrantKord]

Hard to say if you don't know the history of it but it definitely needs bored/line honed or sleeved if you can catch your fingernails on it.

 

[Slowfinger]

Yikes! Well, if you're this far into having the engine removed and disassembled, you may just want to get a new JDM. It's possible that the rings may have rusted from sitting for so long, that they grooved up the sides from the roughness of the rust. I mean unless there was debris like sand or metal from another issue, I can't think of any other possible hypothesis. How the bottom of the pan? Anything not normal?

 

[nathan007]

Well i tore down everything, and except some visual wear on the rod bearings, the thing seemed fine, very little crap in the oil pan... I checked many things except the pistons.. Well tonight i found the answer! Ringlands on 2-3-4 in the exact same area where the marks are, are cracked to the point where you can take a chunk of the piston by hand. This engine tested very well in it's compression test, but failed in the leakdown test. Man, this sucks ballz. I really wonder what was done to it in the past!!

 

[Slowfinger]

Wowzers! That sucks! Well, I guess either a rebuild or new in engine is in the horizon. Personally, I'd just get a new engine, you really have to hone down those walls to get a smooth and even finish, not to mention now the new pistons will have to be bigger, or you'll get nasty piston slap! Does the H23A have the FRM cylinder walls, because if that's the case, it will be a nightmare honing them, most shops will look the other way. As far as re-sleeving them, I always had the thought of how much it would suck if one of the sleeves loosened! Stupid Youtube videos of slipped sleeve syndrome on Landrovers got me all paranoid!

 

[nathan007]

haha yeah it sucks. I'll get news from the guy who sold me the engine in the following week. In the meanwhile i will take out the H23 i currently have in my accord. See what i can do with it (good compression but alot of metal dust in oil). Yes, h23, like h22, have FRM sleeves.

 

[BlkCurrantKord]

You could always get slightly oversized pistons if you can get the block to a machine shop to see if it can still be saved. Last I heard H23's did not have FRM sleeves.

 

[nathan007]

i can CONFIRM you that they are FRM just like a h22