Hey guys! I read and searched through the postings to answer my question and this is what I've got.

QUESTION> After a complete rebuild of an F22A1, is it common for the oil-pressure sensor to go bad or need removal and recleaning?

INDICATIONS> Oil-pressure light started coming on. At first it was blinking erratically, then coming on everytime I braked. Would go off once I started to apply gas and take-off/accelerate.

OTHER IND> Started and drove it this morning to see if it would come one again and it wouldn't. Car completely warmed-up during both good and possible-bad condition. Oil level good (up to full hole on dipstick). Lifters adjusted to spec prior to putting into service, tapping noisily.

THOUGHTS SO FAR>
- Oil-pressure sensor possibly bad/going bad.
- Oil-pressure sensor passage possibly has a chunk of RTV or grit that broke-loose in it.
- Oil-pressure sensor electrical connector came loose and intermittently making contact.
- Engine shop did not blow-out oil passages like they said they did and possible grit/dirt breaking loose inside and causing fluctuations/possible damage to new bearings.
- Oil filter getting clogged with stuff breaking loose

THINGS I THINK I KNOW>
- Engine assembled IAW original Honda Accord shop manual AND a Haynes for backup. All torque's and procedures folloed to the "T".
- Engine cleaned in hot-dip tank at machine shop
- When I chased threads in mains and other locations, I turned block upside down on their respective sides (on rotationg stand) and flushed thoroughly with carb/choke cleaner to get loose-dirt and metal shavings out.
- New filter and oil (FRAM Silver Ultraguard filter and Castrol non-synthetic 5W-30).
- New oil-pump installed correctly.
- Oil-sump pickup tube and screen completely cleaned and sealed.

PLAN OF ACTION>
- Replace oil-pressure sensor anyway (296k on it)
- Install oil-pressure gauge to ensure if light comes on what exactly is going on inside.
- Check plug to sensor (clean, re-connect).
- Get oil/filter changed even though it only has 150 miles on rebuild (to ensure massive amounts of something aren't filling the filter and restricting the return flow.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS or IDEAS to make sure or check for full flow without removing the oil-pan and oil pump???

Appreciate your interest and assistnace. Rebuild Toyota's, Fords and Chevy's all the time and never have this problem.

 

Gasket or seal at the oil pickup tube? Don't remember exactly what's there (O-ring or gasket or what) but is it sucking air?

 

Hey Jim, thanks for the reply. Not sure yet, will have to check it out here later. Right now I have another problem that literally "popped" up this morning.
While accelerating from a stoplight I heard a muffled "pop/crunch" sound. Since then, then car has a new noise. I thought it sounded like a bearing let loose or spun and was about to go. Went over to my local oil-change place and had them change the oil (even though it had only 200miles since rebuild and new oil/filter). Took the filter over to my machine shop and they cut it open and found no chunks of bearing material, but it had a grasyish cast-iron look with no filings. It was very very fine.
Machine shop thinks my cam may have ground a lobe. What do you guys think? I may have messed-up, since as we were talking we found that I had NOT applied a ZINC start-up lube to the lobes (so they think that is what happened).
They DID say that they did blow-out the oil passages with cleaner and afterwards to get it out. But since i got this "remanufactured-head" from a guy off of ebay in southern California, and it came spray-painted with old gasket material under the paint... anything's possible at this point to me. I DID check the torque on all the bolt sholding the cam down before final install and bathed the cam with fresh oil prior to doing the timing so i 'thought' I had no metal-to-metal probs. Perhaps remaving the cam-holders in the head and applying lube to them would've alleviated this problem.
Also, perhaps since this has happened, is it possible that if i take the cam out of the head and inspect it's surfaces under the cam-holders it may show major loss of material??
I took the valve-cover off and looked at the cam lobes. No springs appear to be broken, the lobes themselves appear to have a bit of harse rub/wear to the lobes themselves and during step-up and step-down. Pads on the followers look to be there (like they didn't shear or break-off). Gonna have to take the cam out now and see what I've got. HATE to do it... means another few days down and replacement parts for an obviously stupid mistake on my part!
Anyway, that's where I am. Trying to get the fine material in the oil to settle in the oil-trough for the cam lobes to see what else I can see.
What do you think? Did I screw up a basic principal or what?
Thanks guys! Sitting here considering the least intrusive procedure to go with.
Thanks again, looking forward to your replies.
Dan

 

I think that the oil pressure is the first test I would do. You want to see the oil pressure at a minimum of 10 psi and the oil pressure should be stable.

Did you check all of the bearing clearances with plasti-gauge when you were rebuilding? Did you align the oil passage in the bearing to the hole in the crankshaft and connecting rod? I'm just trying to think of things that would cause an oil pressure problem.

 

Hey, thanks for the ideas. I did check the clearances for the rods and mains with plastigage. I did not check the head/cam since I bought it "remanufactured and assembled". Tried to get the machine shop to check it out but they were backed-up for several weeks with a trucking company's stuff so they and I visually inspected it and they agreed it was good to go. In hindsight I shoulda dissassembled it and not trusted some ebay guy's word. Read the reviews and comments, paint was the only thing others griped about.
Anyway, gonna tear the valve-train out tomorrow (something is damaged, I can hear it). Once I'm happy with all that I will reassemble and test.
I DID see another post in here for the oil-restricter prior to... I made sure mine was clean with a new o-ring. As for overdrilling the passage, I've never had a problem getting oil before with this car (and it's stock) so I did not pursue that.
HAS ANYONE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE CAMSHAFT??
Thanks! Dan

 

Okay (heh heh) check THIS out...
First I used a mechanics stethascope to try and find where any unusual noises were coming from (and difference between sounds from bearing to bearing). Did this top, bottom, middle on the front and back. = no discernable differences, but LOTS of valve clatter.
Next I removed the valve-cover and inspected cam= some pitting evident, no visable grinding/dry-start marking. Then I did the typical things to get the cam out, and started cam removal.
FOUND> driver's side engine mount failed and sheared-off, leaving the engine dangling about three inches lower on that side (hence the "pop-crunch" and 'feel' of grinding when gas or brake were applied).
- Cam the "remanufactured" head that came preassembled from an ebay seller (store with high marks and lots of sales) was not pre=lubed with zinc pre-lube, it had been painted INSIDE also and had been flaking and the flakes were traveling through the oil-passages intermittantly (probably giving me the flicker every now and then).
Also found the #2 cam-love for the #1 cylinder had a prexisting crack that was not noticed in the visual inspect. Under the cam retainers I also observed LOTS of scoring. The rocker-pads that ride the cams were EXTREMELY pitted and scored.
I took everything to the machine shop and they seemed to agree with me that all of the damage to the cam and pads appeared aged and pre-existing, verdict= get what you pay for.

Plan of action>
-going to use my old cam since it is smother and speced-out fine.
-Going to swap my old rockers&pads onto the existing head's retainers for a smoother, quieter cam that will last longer than this set-up.
-Getting new engine mount and install it (old one had 296k and failed).
-STILL going to check the oil-pressure.
-STILL replacing the oil-pressure sensor to be sure of as accurate a reading as possible.
-When re-assembling the cam and retainers I WILL be using Crane zinc cam pre-lube.
-Also got a bottle of Crane "break-in" for high-load initial start-up to make sure nothing will score.

SO what do you guys think? Recommend anything else? Can you think of anything I'm forgetting or should try?
I certainly do appreciate you inputs and don't want to make you think I'm a know-it-all (I'm NOT). Wouldn't be here if I was arrogant and not willing to listen to experienced and trained folks.
Thanks, and I'll keep an eye-out for replies.
Dan

 

Sounds like a good plan. I would adjust the valves since you are putting a new cam in there.

 

Swap rocker assemblies, but do not swap camshaft bearing caps. Those would be line-bored & matched with the head.

 

Rgr, forgot to mention that (about the caps). Thanks!

 

So here's a status of where I'm at.
I've got the valve-train rebuilt using my old head's cam and rockers (and the current head's cam-retainers).
Found the driver's side engine mount had sheared at some point after I got it back on the road. Explains the pop/grind I heard at the stoplight and the continuous grinding/groaning for the few more miles till I got it back in the garage.
Oil-pressure is well within spec. Replaced the oil-pressure sensor just in case.
Engine runs great so far. Have a few minor things to do/hunt-down.
- retime it with the light.
- Set the idle.
- Check fuel-pressure. Having a starting problem like it's not getting sufficient initial pressure. After two or three attempts it starts and runs np.
- Clear CEL for TSS/PS low-level while self-bleeding.
Once all these things have been checked and adjusted I hope I don't have any problems with the IADC or FIC. Initial cold-idle is not what it should be and must be maintained by foot/gas pedal.

ANY IDEAS? Thanks!
Dan