Thom <thomcasey@gmail.com> wrote in
news:9f330651-771b-40e4-a269-a6dd531eb514@i29g2000prf.googlegroups.com:

> On Dec 9, 10:02 am, Tegger <teg...@tegger.c0m> wrote:
>> Thom <thomca...@gmail.com> wrote in news:2ed62107-2bd2-47d3-8c0d-
>> a7210a721...@j44g2000hsj.googlegroups.com:
>>
>>
>>
>> > Cap and rotor were way old, I assume. Before I bought it. We were
>> > testing the spark on #2 cylinder, when we removed the wire, the car
>> > quit. Either we smoked the distributor, or it doed right there.
>> > We replaced it, and it is back to running bad, but it is running.
>> > We have tested the spark on all the cylinders, it is nice and
>> > strong, but number 2 cylinder is real weak. A compression test has
>> > revealed low to no compression on that cylinder. Looks like we
>> > burned a valve or something.
>>
>> Before you condemn the valves, check their clearances. You might get
>> lucky and the valve is simply being held open and not yet burnt.
>>
>
> I thought these enginse were interference engines. Wouldn't the
> piston slap the valve it it were being held open?
>



They /are/ interference engines.

But when I say "held open", I mean by one or two thousandths of an inch.
That's more than enough to cause poor compression and valve burning with no
danger at all of the piston hitting the valve.

Pistons whack the valves when the timing belt breaks, not when the valve
clearances are off.

--
Tegger

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/