Why Is the D17 The Worst D Series Ever Made? Blown Engine Teardown

[@84gssteve]

Lived the exact same scenario with my daughters 04' Civic, and you definitely hit all the points on the mark with this engine. Got 240K miles out of the old one with a head gasket done at 210K miles. She didn't check her oil and the oil pump/pan started to leak slightly, which lead to a shattered #4 rod. Luckily, about $200 got me a 160K mile shortblock from a PickNPull, pulled the 50lb block with my bare hands, resealed everything, dropped the new block in, swapped the old head on with 2 new intake valves and she's ready for another 200K miles.

[@dirtfarmer7472]

Do you think that she learned anything

[@chiplangowski3298]

@@dirtfarmer7472 - She learned that she can when she breaks her car, her dad will bail her out and fix it. The best option in cases like this is guiding them through the repair while they do all the work themselves. They will learn valuable skills and an appreciation for preventive maintenance.

[@robertcochran7103]

You are a really great Dad to help your daughter with this and get her on the road again. Replacing a short block is no easy task. I imagine your daughter had a job and a family like all the rest of us. Thank you for helping her out.

[@84gssteve]

Thankyou. The reality is most people don't learn, when it's a topic that doesn't interest them. And I get it, most people aren't mechanics, aren't gearheads and just want to get back to what they want. Life is busy and we can easily put thousands of miles on our cars without realizing it because we are too busy working/living. As the only mechanic in my family, I've spent my whole life making sure none of us have to incur the full costs of vehicle repair. I'm not "bailing anyone out".....I'm using my skills and knowledge to help the people that matter to me. Shes studying to be a marine biologist, my mom was a hair stylist, sisters are nurses..... I don't expect her or them to be faultless in regard to auto maintenace.

[@dirtfarmer7472]

@@84gssteve I agree with you we all need to know enough just not everything

[@jacobrzeszewski6527]

You really gotta love how the EGR is so bad that it actually tries to delete itself over time.

[@jaredbawden6707]

I actually had a similar thing with my Subaru EJ255. This just has a pump to all the exhaust ports in the head, which operates on cold starts. These were completely blocked, and the car had done only 182,000km (or about 120,000 miles)

[@shakenfake]

One thing I regret doing is not looking at my EGR on my Silverado when I removed it. '99 5.3

[@guywithjeep]

The 01 and 02 d17 didn't have EGR

[@presinald]

@@guywithjeepit varies by model, I have a 01 2 door EX (D17A2 VTEC) and it has the EGR.

[@FutureDreamZz]

@@jaredbawden6707what should I do to unblock it?

[@kahnwolfe9548]

Best part of these teardowns is always the special care given to those "good parts" that everyone so wants saved. You know. Those rubber hoses and water pumps. Those parts that certain members of the community so desperately want.

[@UncleKennysPlace]

We had a guy that would go through our dumpster and snag used Honda gaskets, back in the day. Including the head gaskets that were part of a recall.

[@silveriojohan]

2005 Honda Civic going strong with 426k original miles, here in Toronto, I am the 5th owner, drives wonderful, rust but no issues.

[@jdub976]

I remember driving a civic home from the auction with 1 of these and it had 210 on it. I could not believe how perfect it ran with that mileage. They were great engines.

[@batbrains187]

🔥❤️‍🔥 my 03 Civic d17a1 has 325,499 miles and never changed anything but the fluids. Runs better than ever.❤️‍🔥🔥

[@ch1959]

He's a little harsh on these in the video, imo. The D17's are great motors. Mine has been good to me too, sitting at 240k.

[@itswais77]

No head gasket or piston rings replaced?

[@JA-rc4uy]

I have two 2001 civic ex, 5 speed manual, 2 door coupes, I’m the original owner of both. 287,563 miles on one as I write this comment. That one is a daily driven, 120+ miles a day on the highway. The only major fix was when a clutch was needed at a little over 200k miles, and even that is a normal wear item. Other than that, original head gasket with no leaks, original piston rings, I’ve had to remove the EGR system twice and clean out the ports. It burns a little oil now but no smoke out the tail pipe and it’s only half quart between oil changes. The other one has 167,391 miles and only needs a driver side ball joint. 😅

[@509brown]

We're starting to host teardown parties where friends come over and we watch your videos. Everyone leans forward and there's a hush in the room when its dipstick time, followed by cheering when the deed is done! 😄

[@ZachGoethel]

Lmao count me in

[@TonicofSonic]

Count me in.

[@ctbale1]

For me the best part of these videos is the history lesson at the beginning. Seriously. Dang good information

[@IKnewMickey]

I feel like we hung out this week with so many videos. 😂

[@DOUBLEDTRAVEL]

​@willyberg123hi my name's dayne and I'm an I do cars addict.

[@n1f1sniper]

I have an 02 civic that has been turned into a "farm car". It has been beat on so much, overheated a handful of times, and hits the limiter on the regular. I keep oil, and coolant in it, and haven't overheated it yet after fixing the fans. It runs so smoothly, so quietly, like a sowing machine. Ironically out of my 5 vehicles I have, this one has been the most reliable. Only ever "breaking" twice. It needed a starter, and the fuel pressure regulator fell off the pump which was fixed for free with a zip tie.

[@dougrobinson8602]

VTEC engines need to be revved. Let that solenoid do it's job! I wonder how many Hondas go years without seeing the rev limiter? If ever, that is.

[@theprobeius]

After listening to lots of head bolts on this channel I'm beginning to wonder if the creaky door sounds in horror movies are actually just remixed head bolts loosening out of an engine.

[@HamRadio200]

I think you nailed it. Good maintenance, but low oil level and high revs killed it. That piston looked like it was accidentally installed backwards, so It may be a case where this engine was rebuilt and reassembled improperly.

[@Onewheelordeal]

Clearances in these engines are such that there are cut outs that would physically prevent backwards installation

[@NotxOmnis]

what do you mean, the rod cap literally came off. nothing holding the piston from rotating in place

[@rickybellamy8191]

Spot on! Did my first head gasket on our 2003 Civic EX at 277k miles. The car will use oil as you approach 200k. Right now the car is sitting at 316,086 miles. Great cars!

[@jonathanmendoza7032]

I'm at 336 k Miles

[@rickybellamy8191]

@@jonathanmendoza7032 nice!

[@noneyabusiness368]

​ Same here still has the original factory clutch too

[@stephenkramme7063]

The reason for the disintegration of the lower timing belt cover and all that crud on the block in that area 10:48 is the worn oil pump housing o-ring. It is visible at 21:32 at about the eleven o'clock position. When that o-ring contracts from age it allows oil to exit, attracting all manner of road grime. It also lubricates the timing belt. This leak is often misdiagnosed as a leaking crank seal. This engine also requires a fair amount of patience and technique to remove all the air from the cooling system whenever the coolant is changed.

[@hdfxrs9121]

Oh man, I just remarked on that and then saw your comment. Yes, you are correct about that stupid little O-ring.

[@jfulton1795]

I have oil everywhere on that side, and I do believe it's from that seal. But at 180,000 miles I don't know if I should keep the OEM oil pump and just replace the seal or replace the whole pump. Any thoughts?

[@hdfxrs9121]

@@jfulton1795 Pump rarely goes bad. Just replace the O-ring. If you're close to when your timing belt is to be replaced, do it then. To replace that O-ring means a timing belt service and removing the oil pan and oil pump.

[@andic6676]

Does this affect the D16 engine? Is the O ring available as a spare?

[@greengoblin99999]

As someone who absolutely loves these videos, i always look forward to these videos.

[@lizkrinsky5209]

Yes! Really well done and sooo informative.

[@m1stertwo]

dang…..the last min deets on that sweet blk sedan behind u

[@williampope3531]

Looks like a well maintained Civic that was bought new and then given to Junior when he/she became driving age. Junior had a heavy foot and one too many times hammering the throttle to the floor killed it.

[@BradCollison-k5w]

Uncle Rodney came knocking! I’m still laughing at that line.

[@mtut]

He still gets no respect. He went to his doctor, Dr. Vinnie Boombatz, saying he's afraid his wife has a venereal disease. The doctor gave himself a penicillin shot. No respect! Told the doctor, I'm feeling suicidal. The doctor told him from now on he pays in advance. *Adjusts necktie*

[@MotorheadATX]

Mine just hit 300,000 miles and still daily driving it. I did the head gasket, clutch, water pump, timing belt, and the input shaft bearing, did all the work myself at 247,000 miles. Still going strong.

[@runningawayvagabond5876]

I drive a Civic and am a maintenance freak because of video's like this. And you're absolutely correct - no one checks their oil levels anymore which is a real head scratcher since all manufacturers are going with extended drain intervals. Much higher likelihood of burning off a bit of oil between changes. Personally do it on the 1st of the month every month so I don't forget. Because I change my oil so often my oil never darkens and Honda uses an orange tip on their dipsticks, I hope there is a special place in hell for whoever came up with that idea. Trying to read honey coloured oil on orange? Dumbest idea ever.

[@jake6483]

What oil do you use? Just out of curiosity

[@Slaktrax]

It's more to do with the soft tension piston rings they started using in the quest for lower internal friction. This is what causes oil consumption problems and they've made the rings more thin (narrower) which adds to the problem as well as narrower oil control rings too that gum up much more easily. But agreed, extended oil change intervals allow sludge to slowly bulid up inside the engine. When the oil is no longer clear and honey colored it needs to be changed.

[@CptSideSlider]

Oh good! I'm not the only one with hatred in my heart for the muppet who had the orange dipstick idea.

[@dougrobinson8602]

I'm pretty old. Let's just leave it at that. I worked at a gas station, and we always checked the oil on every car. For regular customers, we kept mental notes on oil levels, so we could often tell the customer if they were having oil consumption issues. Now that nearly everyone fuels themselves, I doubt many people ever check their oil. I make it a habit to check it every other tank, and a couple times a week on my BMW, because you just check oil level on the Idrive screen. Car manufacturers' oil change interval recommendations are a joke. Don't wait for the car to beg you for fresh oil. Just do it every 5,000 miles.

[@Slaktrax]

@@dougrobinson8602 Yup. Cheaper than a replacement engine.

[@chowchow2386]

My '04 Civic had that engine in it, I got near 400,000km on it. Only reason i scrapped car was due to a failed transmission (2nd time) and main wiring harness was developing shorts. Engine still ran great, started on 1st turn every time. Even had decent compression still, about 110 each cylinder.

[@braydonrose1887]

This brings me back a few years. I had an 05 EX civic with a 5 speed manual. The engine gave up at 216k miles but not quite as bad as that. It spun either the cylinder 1 or 4 rod bearing and I rebuilt it before really knowing anything about cars and engines. Then it spun the other rod bearing about 6k miles after I rebuilt it. Thank you for the great video as always.

[@johncooper4637]

I will bet you did not get the oil passages in the cam and the crankshaft cleaned out. That often calls for a machine shop to use EDM to remove the hardened plugs.

[@braydonrose1887]

@johncooper4637 I didn't touch the head. I just bored it a few thousandths over and had the crank ground down a few thousandths and I put oversized pistons and bearings in

[@XNusemX]

Im driving an 03 civic ex, same gen just couple years older. What would you recommend to keep it goin strong?

[@braydonrose1887]

@@XNusemX make sure you have proper fluid levels and do regular oil changes every 3 to 5k miles

[@SPAZTICCYTOPLASM]

I think the low oil theory has some merit, but i've seen these engines fail first hand in the same ways or similar, i think it's a design flaw. I'm an engine shop in Toronto and i've seen my share of D series engines (usually guys who want them rebuilt and don't know the costs associated). In my opinion the issue with these engines is the rods. I've measured the rods on these and they're always ovaled out up and down even on lower mileage engines. These engines also have a lot of rod bearing failures and i think it's for the same reasons. These engines are a substantially under square design, that means the stroke is MUCH longer than the bore, under square designs are great for torque but the piston velocity puts a lot of stress revving on the rods, but these things have a redline of 7000 or so. The diffrence in bore to stroke's huge it's 75 mm × 94.4 mm (2.95 in × 3.72 in) that's a 1.26 stroke to bore ratio, again great for a high torque lower revving engine, but throw in the redline at 7k and it's not so great. Comparing it to other engines: 1zz-fe 79 mm × 91.5 mm (3.11 in × 3.60 in) under square but much closer ratio 1.15 and lower redline at 6500 B20: 84 mm × 89 mm (3.31 in × 3.50 in) under square but almost square at 1.06 ratio and lower redline 6800 R20 that replaced the D series: 81 mm × 96.9 mm (3.19 in × 3.81 in) ratio of 1.19 and redline 7100 I think -and this is an educated guess not really a tested thing- the D17s massively under square design puts a lot of stress on already very weak economy rods at high rpm and it's rev limiter is set way too high for what it should be, and it's oiling and clearances are just not able to cope. I think overtime and with RPM these rods like to deforms which means even if you have good oil pressure you have tight and open spots in the rods and a loss of total lubrication that's just based on measuring them, i don't think that's what happened here specifically but it maybe related. I honestly don't believe this engine was ran low on oil. The rod bearings on these engines are a common thing to go if they've seen RPMs and i think that's rod deformation related. Another thing specifically the rod bolts are known to be a weak point on these engines, and that's my guess for what happened here. I've personally seen these guys launch rods at parking lot meets where someone thinks their 1.7 and drilled muffler sounds good. The way that rod bolt stretched into a bullet is fairly common, and typically (if someone wants these done properly) you gotta get the ARP replacements and resize the rods (not generally done or worthwhile).

[@xddstudiosbywr3cked845]

so, if one wants to run these at high rpm, they should get a different engine instead? or is there a way to make them withstand high rpm?

[@AB-nu5we]

Just knead some Raman into some JB Weld and that block hole is patched.

[@Angryeddie14]

As an owner of a 05 civic I have been eagerly waiting for this engine 😊

[@killroy3607]

04 sedan 5 speed👍👍✌️

[@danielsifuentes6132]

2003 EX here.

[@killroy3607]

@@danielsifuentes6132 04 ex

[@CarsandCoding]

05 225k miles, original head gasket!

[@andic6676]

O2 EU8 here!

[@rjechols2059]

Back when I worked at the Honda dealership there was a lady with a seventh gen civic (non vtec), I remember her specifically for 2 good reasons- 1. That civic was always out of oil even after only 3000 miles and 2. She had a blowie so any time I pulled her ticket I had to go out to the lobby to grab her to get her to start her car 😂

[@alanbradford3130]

I don't have any experience with the previous gen (2000 and older) engines, but my experience with the D series engine has been good, as long as you aren't looking for any kind of performance. I fixed up one of these cars as a COVID project and gained respect after doing a lot of work on the car. The engine was reliable despite being mistreated by its previous owner. even in with over 200k+ miles the engine ran flawlessly. I think these are good engines (as long as you aren't looking for any performance) will last a long time and be reliable. Maybe the pre 2001 civics had better engines, but when compared to other cars they are still very good.

[@markr.1984]

Install a turbo kit, there's your performance. Just kidding....😆

[@alanbradford3130]

@@markr.1984 - from what I understand, you cannot "tune" a D series engine, and putting a turbo on the engine would not get much of a horsepower increase.

[@dougrobinson8602]

Hmmm. I didn't know Honda had cylinder deactivation in the early 2000's. Very impressive!

[@tal_os8148]

I know this is gonna sound very "erm, ackshully" but the accord hybrid v6 actually had cylinder deactivation in the early 2000s (it sucked lol)

[@crazzywolfie]

got a 04 civic and am constantly making sure the coolant is topped up on it since replacing the head gasket would likely cost more than the vehicle is worth. best thing i have done is buy one of them radiator caps with the lever to release the pressure. if i release the pressure while the engine is hot when i am done driving it generally sucks most of the coolant back into the engine. it is definitely much easier than pumping the coolant from the over flow into a jug just so i can put it back in the rad again which is what i had been doing for a bit.

[@The513Warning]

I remember those days lol. Before I did my head gasket, I had a whole routine of taking a transfer pump and hand pumping the coolant from the reservoir back into the radiator. I recommend replacing the gasket. You'll get your money's worth out the car in the long run. What we consider "worth it" is different to every person, and it's not always monetary. Even if you do it yourself, it's not a difficult job and these engines are great for learning to work on cars.

[@crazzywolfie]

@@The513Warning it also needs a bunch of other stuff including a wheel bearing, lower control arm bushing, and a alternator if i attempt to remove or adjust the belt since the bolts will likely snap off inside it since i live in the last of salt and sand. the head gasket the honda guys recommend is $100 on its own and if you ad in the cost of all the other parts you should replace it is at least $1000 in parts. like i said i have found the radiator cap that you can release the pressure has helped a lot. been driving the vehicle for nearly 3 years with a bad head gasket.

[@The513Warning]

@@crazzywolfie You can drive with a ripped lower control arm bushing just fine. Both of mine are completely ripped. They're on my list of things to replace, but they're not urgent. Worst case scenario, you get some steering wheel drift or shaking when braking. Honda sells the compliance bushings separately for $25. The challenge would be to get the old one out. Wheel bearings are also pretty cheap. You can get front KOYO bearings (an OEM supplier for Honda and a few Japanese cars) from NAPA for about $50. Take the spindle off and have a machine shop press it in for you for cheap. The rear bearings are stupid easy to replace too. I believe that the adjuster (butterfly bolt) and lock bolt for the alternator and A/C belt are aluminum. I live in an area where we get a lot of salt and even at the junkyard, those particular bolts are never rusty. It'll get kinda hard to remove due to different metals and constantly heating and cooling, but it usually comes out fine.

[@stevenrice47]

I love the fast speech cuts. "That's one of the best inspection port we ever had. I can see inside the all the way from here." 😅🤣

[@Cartier_specialist]

I still see quite a few late 80s and early 90s Honda Accords on the road. Pretty remarkable really.

[@mercedes-amgforlife3237]

Saturday night favorite

[@evanholman4876]

a youtube channel that is super chill, makes me giggle, has a host whos voice is soothing enough to fall asleep to AND helps me learn more about cars? this is the perfect youtube channel

[@666cemetaryslut]

I've tried to fall asleep to this channel but the sped up impact gun montages always wake me up.

[@billb3444]

I rebuilt my daughter 05 and when removing the head ended up with two rubber O rings! Looked everywhere, even bought old dealer parts books and very little information. Only place they could have come from was either side of the oil restrictor in between the block and head. The O rings are different sizes so put one either side of the removable restrictor, they fitted, and put it all back together. Engine still running 10k later. Great video. Thanks

[@FutureDreamZz]

Wish I had a dad to help me with stuff like this! Good job bill

[@tannercopeland7139]

I have a suggestion! I would love to see you tear apart a 5S-FE engine from a 3rd or 4th gen Camry! They're bulletproof until they're not, I wanna see how bad someone can mangle one of those things.

[@seethesky28]

I would have never thought I'd see this engine on this channel & here it is!

[@jacekgoda2731]

Im a newcomer here and i absolutely love your teardown videos, i've been chainwatching them for around 2 weeks now. I love them not only for the engine content or the comedy content but also for no commercials (except for advertising your business which is ok) and stating it plain (at least in some of the vids) that you're making money out of it. In my country plenty of those mechanics who run a youtube channel and claim to do it for the people start sneaking in some more or less related advertising, from fuel/oil additives or car care products (which is quite related), car liability insurance (which is sort of related, but already pisses off a bit, if you see it every week) to some completely unrelated shops, discount providers or other penis enlargement treatments. By the same time they also have a crowdfunding platform. So im really glad that i've found a better channel, im definitely staying here for good. If i may suggest one thing: IMO the water pump toss would get even more rad if you tossed it carelessly behind your back, like the swedish chef from muppet show. I'd really love to see that. So, once again: thanks for your videos, keep up the good work and have a nice day :)

[@michaelwhitney7959]

I am a large wholesaler of used auto parts for Eastern Europe. Currently we have a critical shortage of water pumps. I would like to pay you top dollar for all your used water pumps. Hopefully you have been saving them!

[@johnb1658]

When I get old and retire I just wanna hang out here and take engines apart! I never get tired of watching these!

[@liver.flush.maestro]

One thing that comes to mind about the piston turning is that because of VTEC, some valves don't open fully and thus create asymmetry, and perhaps the piston hit an open valve on only one side, and since the valves are at an angle, they bend and sent the piston in a spin... Also if you look carefully at 16:42 there is only one valve bent, the 3 others seat correctly, supporting this theory 🙂

[@Stevethemiller]

Do you think that would break the connecting rod though? I think it would damage the valve and top of piston yes. But twist a rod and turn the piston 180 degrees on the dot is a little suspicious and there's not a lot of damage to the head. Could it have been assembled wrong? Idk much on v tech Hondas. Just curious

[@mtbridingog9083]

A bent valve won’t cause a piston to spin in the bore .. a broken valve maybe but not a bent valve .. it’s not possible unless the connecting rod was already separated from the piston wrist pin .

[@Stevethemiller]

@@mtbridingog9083 exactly man! I think the piston and rod where assembled incorrectly and put in the block backwards it explains why just that rod gave way and that it was almost perfectly 180° the opposite direction from the rest. It'll still run with a back ward piston! The question is for how long..?? Or the rod broke first which had the right amount force to rotate the piston when the two peaces hit each other again but the hole in the block says other whys cause that rod left the building probably ended up a couple counties down yonder. Over there 👉👆👇👈

[@PistonAvatarGuy]

They all open, it's just that one intake valve opens more than the other when the engine isn't running on the mid lobe (or the larger lobe, in this case). If one valve remained closed, fuel would pool in the port.

[@liver.flush.maestro]

@@mtbridingog9083 Which seems to be the the case here. (i.e. broken connecting rod)

[@its_cj_fyi]

Been watching you now for quite a while while going to sleep and I heard you say you like to read positive comments on one of these… I’ve only personally tore down 1 engine completely (that I blew up) but ever since I tore down my 3.8 i’ve really enjoyed watching you do it the professional way! It really helps me know useless information like what engines have what flaws but it is still very interesting to me at least! 🤣 Maybe one day if you get the opportunity you could tear down a Honda 2.0t from the tenth generation models? I’ve seen lots and lots of 1.5 teardowns but it seems since the 2.0 is so much more reliable not a single person has recorded an actual teardown lile you do. That’s my current engine so i’d love to how they hold up to high mileage or what some common flaws might be. Thanks for making these videos!!!

[@SinfulGamer]

Three videos in a week? you rock Eric!

[@The3chordwonder]

I have to wonder with how clean it was and with no scoring or anything, if the engine wasn't rebuilt, but the assembler put in #2 backwards from the start. I don't know Honda engines enough, but for others, it would affect the rod being too loose on either the front or back, and the other direction being clamped too tight. And that would explain the heat build up in just one crank throw. If not that, then a single-cylinder detonation comes to mind, but I still don't think it could spin a piston.

[@d47000]

Eric, great video as always. Your auction E61 video you did a while back got me looking for one of my own, and I stumbled upon a $1900 2009 535i Touring with a "blown head gasket" which is now my daily driver (it wasn't the head gasket, obviously). Took it on a 2,000 mile road trip a couple months back and it was a champ. Lovely car so far, and I'm thrilled to have saved a nice car from being junked over a few hundred dollars worth of repairs.

[@localcrew]

I agree. Low oil then instantaneous starvation. Really surprised that only the one journal was smoked. I got nothing on the 180.

[@noneyabusiness368]

BS 01 EX civic 339000 miles on it burning a bit of oil due to needing stwm seals but apart from that practically zero issues. What you have there is a an abused engine that wasn't looked after.

[@Dave414-j8l]

I have had two civics with this engine. The first one went 327,000 miles and the head gasket started to give. The second one did the same but at around 180,000 miles. I paid a Honda dealer 2500.00 to perform a head gasket replacement. That was 60,000 miles ago. They did a great job. My crv with 240,000 miles burns oil. However, I can go 5,000 miles between oil changes and the oil level doesn’t budge on the dipstick for my civic. This engine has a head gasket weakness but it’s still a really good engine.

[@corporal381]

Says a lot about Honda that your complaint isn’t that they are bad, it’s that they aren’t excellent. It’s impressive you still get 200k out of the bad engine.

[@PistonAvatarGuy]

It was definitely time for Honda to retire the D-series by the time the D17 came out, but my ex had one that I maintained from 100k miles to 240k+ miles, and it showed absolutely no sign of being worn out. It didn't burn oil, but it did have a coolant leak at the back of the head, I suspect a new gasket at the water passage (as Honda calls it) would have solved the issue, but we split up and it was no longer my problem.

[@94XJ]

I really like that crankcase ventilation! Who needs all those fancy hoses and stuff when you can just put a hole in the block? Brilliant.

[@justnerdlife]

I always get a good chuckle from your humor on these videos. That, plus the fact that I learn something every time, is pretty great. Thank you for taking the time to make these!

[@alexandercortez4106]

Great teardown Eric, still look forward to these every Saturday! Just putting it out there again, I'd love to see a 3RZ teardown to compliment the old 5VZ you tore down, that video was how I found your channel.

[@jimrossabrena7955]

I have a 99' Taco with the 2RZ. I recently did a valve adjustment on it (279k). Motor is really clean inside. I'm curious to see what a blown up one looks like. Two failures I can think of are the head gasket failing or the chain stretching and snapping.

[@SheenylHassan]

I recently lost my 05 Civic with a manual trans with a D17a2 to a blown head gasket at almost 191k. I bought it at 130k and it was almost as if at every 6k miles there was something that i had to shove my hand shoulder deep to fix something. After getting stranded for the 15th time I just bought a 2012 Tacoma. I loved my Civic but I'm glad its dead. It was a great first car. I'm gonna miss the almost non-existent Vtec.

[@spaight711]

I loved my ‘04 civic. Engine went 235K with absolute neglect.

[@davidg3944]

I just saw the video title again and FINALLY got the joke! I can't believe it took two weeks, especially as I've worked in Astrophysics tech support. Argh...

[@joelveilleux98]

Mine did the exact same thing at 350000km hitting rev limiter its whole life. It spun a rod bearing at redline. Could not kill this motor. D17's were tough compared to a lot of other engines.

[@V24LON]

The best thing was the gorgeous E34 at the end of the video. Love it.

[@mikikum1]

Man, that E34 behind you is the best part of the video 😍😍😍

[@Mittencarpentry]

Always enjoy a good Sandler reference.

[@austincjett]

I'd like to see if the drilled oil holes in the crankshaft line up properly and if it's plugged up. In the past I've seen oil filters come apart and the debris plugging up oil galleys.

[@michaelturner9673]

Amazing how you put out so many videos. Love it.

[@tommydmot7725]

Really appreciate the muze reference in the title! It would be nice to see a duramax again on the channel but keep up the good work 👏

[@henkm9905]

I have been waiting for this engine. Thanks, Eric!

[@spenserchalkley7013]

D17s had a well known issue where the head studs would pull out of the block and cause the cylinder head to lift up if overheated even the littlest bit. The factory head studs are very weak. This issue can be fixed 100% by installing ARP head studs on the engine. Once that is done, the head lifting up will never happen if god forbid it ever overheats again. I’d say it’s worth the money and extra insurance to bulletproof your D17 by doing this. It’s a great engine despite this issue, just an extremely underpowered one.

[@johnnieguitar5724]

Another informative video of a popular engine Eric¡ Thanks! I enjoy your humour and the sped-up unbolting to reduce the length of the vid. The main reason I watch is to find out how and where these engines failed, and why. Please keep on telling us about common expensive engine problems with these examples, and about how many miles well-maintained engines should last. I value you your comments highly. I want to help my nieces buy good used cars that will last several years without problems, and knowing that Toyotas and Hondas are a good bet, I really want to know what is which later model engines are prone to failure. :) ps I'm SO glad I purchased a ten year old 2004 E-54 platform BMW 330i Cabriolet with the smooth running M54 engine. People I know that bought newer model Beemers have engine problems that I hope I will never have with my well-maintained vehicle. :)

[@HomelabExtreme]

The uneven wear on the two main bearings by the fubar cylinder tells me that the crank is bent, which is to be expected with it being that hot and taking such a hit. The limited wear on the cam could very well be from bearing debris. So i'm not quite sure it is oil starvation that killed this engine. Some engine bearings disintegrate when getting old, with the babbitt coming apart, this could be that; it is quite hard to catch, because when the bearing starts coming apart, chunks will quickly get pinched by the crank and remaining bearing, causing extreme friction leading to complete bearing failure very fast.

[@jblyon2]

Admit it, the real reason you dislike this engine is because there's no dipstick tube to fight with.

[@nancy4don]

I bet that the car came from the factory with cylinder #2 installed 180º wrong. Probably at the point where the connecting rod and wrist pin went together with it. Great video as always. Hey, how about a 1MZ-FE Toyota engine? Going to revive my '01 Sienna soon, needs rear head gasket/work. Have a great week!

[@averyalexander2303]

That's what I was thinking too because it seems very unlikely that the piston just happened to turn exactly 180 degrees when the rod broke. Honda engines usually don't have those kinds of assembly errors from the factory, but that's clearly a possibility in this case.

[@jaredbawden6707]

Agreed. Cannot see how this could happen any other way. I wonder if this contributed to the failure somehow too.

[@bernhardm9475]

I agree. The 180 degree install issue may have given the bearing shell an early chance to spin as the forces of rotation were counter to the design. And given the right circumstances the bearing spun leading to overheating and destruction.@@jaredbawden6707

[@nagyzoo85]

29:50 What a beauty in the background!

[@staychilledout1700]

"Thats a nice... solid...water pump" *YEET* Proud owner of 05 civic EX SE 😈

[@kevincurry4735]

Watching Eric is a pathway some would consider to be… unnaturally funny.

[@andresquinonezramirez9373]

That's what I been doing maintenance on my car oil changes services anything that is required to keep a car running and engine healthy and strong.

[@sithus1966]

My 2005 Civic went 225,000 before the clutch went out. The engine was still running like a top and it was getting me 32 mpg average a year. I sold the car and the person that bought it fixed the transmission and it's still out there running.

[@computerdoctor1]

My ‘01’s clutch failed after 20k miles of limping along on a bad headgasket. I donated the car to charity where it received a used engine and transmission. I found the car on FB marketplace 3 years later and couldn’t resist meeting up with the seller to test-drive my old car.

[@impalabrad4445]

I had two ‘01, five speed civics as work cars. First one blew a hole in piston 2 at 300k and my 2nd one started having multiple cam sensor failures at 240k. Was told that the head wears out and allows too much cam movement. I bought the cheapest sensors in bulk off amazon, kept the top timing cover off, carried a 10mm wrench and changed the sensor every 1,000 miles or whenever it would throw the code and go in limp mode. Junked it at 260k miles. Ran great otherwise

[@Techcensorshipbot]

Don’t forget to season your crankshafts.

[@garylarson6386]

such a character !!! gave my auto tools to my friend open the hood just alien I am 74 and my 1970 hemi cuda was simple

[@Musclecar1972]

Im with you, the old muscle cars were a hell of a lot more fun to work on, I’m almost 75, and still have one left, just finishing up a 5 year frame off, I pick up the hood on our new PU, and wonder, where the hell is the motor? 😳🤔🤦‍♂️

[@garylarson6386]

I am74 i traded my68 superbee for the hemi cuda carbs and a dist were so easy@@Musclecar1972

[@Belair007]

Keep the good work going love the videos great job

[@vbtbmrt4394]

If the engines were bad and the automatic transmission were worse. lucky they were a Honda easy to work on. This video explained why when I bought my car it had brand new head.

[@mikewilson631]

Because of the highly localised damage, I think it's more likely that one of the rod bolts failed in some way. Likely at high RPM/effort, the damage then happened so quickly and terminally it did not have time to travel to other parts of the engine.

[@brarautorepairs]

We got the ungodly Civic Si which was "sporty" with 127 hp. The base engine has 115 hp. The extra 12 horsepower came from using a slightly larger cam profile that drove all the intake cams. At lower rpm, only half the valves are used. Thr VTEC crossover was pretty much non-existent because it happens at 2300 rpm. The entire benefits of the economy cam was pretty useless other than helping take off in the automatic version. The longer stroke over the D16 did make better low end power. The 0-60 times didn't improve because of the extra weight the larger cars added but the drivability was better in city. People have made 200 wheel horsepower on these engines N/A so they aren't terrible

[@MichaelJordan-jv6ic]

You can use that inspection port as an extra oil fill port as well!

[@KentuckyColonel]

31:40 Well heck, if you can't play B-Ball then that potential side-gig as an Adam Sandler body double is a big no-go!! .. No offense meant, but I HAD to say it! lolol,

[@aarongriffith8918]

I owned a 2004 Civic EX from new until 2012 and put about 100K on it. I maintained it meticulously yet it started intermittently loosing coolant and overheating and I deduced it was a head gasket and got rid of the car. My parents had an 87 accord while I was growing up we put 430K on it before we sold it - with the original engine and transmission, and I myself have owned 3 other hondas, a 2013 CRV, 2013 civic, and a 2020 CRV - our 2004 was by far the worst of any of them with a lot of little things (for a honda) to go wrong with it. HVAC controls, Airbag faults, lastly the head gasket etc.

[@Flies2FLL]

I like every Honda with two wheels. I like the Honda Kick-N-Go with three wheels. I don't like ANY Honda with four wheels! But Erik....I like every Porsche 928 no matter how many wheels it has~! Great video!

[@Todd_S]

I had that engine in my 2004 Civic. Very reliable!

[@mcburcke]

That should be the motto of this channel: "Its time for some carnage!"

[@billholt174]

I'd surmise that the 180-degree turn of the piston was just a chance alignment at the abrupt end of that brief but devastatingly powerful failure. Look at the rod damage. Until the rod completely severed, the piston was probably forced into a progressive twist with every stroke until it met its final resting place.

[@cam32112]

I love all these videos. Gramps in a rocking chair admiring the "owner installed" inspection port made me LOL! Please keep this added content up Eric!

[@BillinSD]

Have you tried a black light for the oil pan exploration? Just a random idea, the dark room bright light effect was cool

[@billyj.williams2341]

FYI, that crankshaft is forged steel. I suspect it got run low on oil, spun the bearing and they just kept driving it... I bet it was still running on 3 cyls.

[@montecorbit8280]

At 2:51 "Needs to be machined condition...." You mean, "pristine, needs to be machined condition...."

[@kanukistani2984]

Lol I had one of these motors on an '05 civic. Funny about the head gasket - mine blew out at 170,000 miles. It was on a road trip. fortunately it was a small leak, and it was coolant into the cylinder (and not into the oil). I managed to limp the car back home with regular injections of coolant. Replaced the blown gasket. Drove it for another 100,000 miles after that without issues. Other than the gasket, the motor is solid. Transmission went the whole distance too with just regular servicing. That loose exhaust heat shield - apparently that was another issue with these motors. Mine cracked and started rattling. The dealer just removed the thing and the car ran fine after that (why did they put those in anyway?).

[@weekendwarriorweldingdiypr4604]

World series or malice in the combustion palace? Clearly, there's a highlight reel for baseball that I can watch later.

[@Seethenhagen]

I drove 50k miles with a blown headgasket in my 04 Civic, but now its in the scrapyard. In retrospect, I'm kinda glad that someone pulled out in front of me and totaled my Civic.

[@donw3912]

Another great video Eric. I do love the back story on the individual engine..what you do know of it as well as the engine family history...excellent info to have. As for this poor thing...for such a small engine that's a monster sized inspection port!! I haven't seen a crank as deeply beat as that one though...that took a helluva beating for sure!! Another Saturday night of engine destruction and education...thanks Eric:-) One other thing...when you were cracking the cam cap bolts...the creaking reminded me of a haunted house..LOL Happy Halloween to one and all🙂

[@daewooparts]

That little Honda engine failure reminds me of the little Daewoo Lanos engine failure that my cousin did to a prototype Daewoo vehicle that he borrowed & blew up the engine catastrophically when he decided to red line it during a street race 🏁, I was picking up engine parts on the side of the road halfway from the 1/4 mile drag ,they was chunkage everywhere & rods was pushed completely thru the block & sheetmetal as well, it literally went out in a bang 💥,ended up reselling the vehicle for export, minus its engine & hood ,wish I kept the exploded block for a good laugh

[@brianallen9810]

03:16 It's fine just a little J B Weld and it'll be like new and since it's got one less cylinder it'll get better gas mileage. Great video.

[@mahcooharper9577]

Another great video, thankyou Eric. I've been up for 25 hours but just saw that you uploaded your weekly teardown and stayed up half an hour to watch. Worth it as usual. Never seen a piston do a 180 in the bore. Good effort! Keep it up :)

[@n10cities]

Wow! Blowing head gaskets like a 6.0 liter Powerstroke Diesel (non-bulletproofed)!

[@BITTYBOY121]

And I always thought that Honda engines were bullet proof ! Love the BMW E34 at 29:52 Years ago I used to have a 1988 535i sport auto with the 3.4 (3430cc) 12 valve straight 6 engine in it and loved that thing !

[@CaptainSpadaro]

My shop has an 05 LX sedan as a loaner car/parts runner car and the engine was replaced earlier this year because of HGF. Unfortunately, we bought a replacement engine from a yard that doesn't check their engines AT ALL beyond making sure they start (and even then I think that might be being generous). The new one seems to have oil leaks from multiple places, including the valve cover and possibly the head gasket itself. I went to change the oil ~3,000 miles after the engine replacement and was horrified to discover that the dipstick was dry and the engine was leaking oil from several places; how the oil pressure light never came on I do not know. Brought it to managements attention but they're more or less done putting money into the car. I've degreased it once to try and see where the leaks are coming from but if the HG is leaking there ain't shit that'll be done.