itslogz

Car is a 95 DX all stock d15b7 with a pretty good handful of miles on it now, not rebuilt from what I know.



One night was driving home and noticed the gauge slightly over where it should be, figured hey its probably the headgasket due to the mileage and if i can just get it home ill be alright to work on it having another vehicle to drive. I knew there was no leaks and everything was kosher from just doing the waterpump and timing belt not long before.


I get the car home and turn it off, smoke goin everywhere and coolant all under the hood. Radiator was leaking all around the edge of the top end tank so i assumed its just the radiator and ill be good after that.


I got a new radiator, installed it and drove it for a bit with no issues. Driving tonight and I noticed a coolant smell, so i check to make sure things are still alright, and the reservoir hose coming off the radiator is blown off and coolant is everywhere. Not being at home when I checked, i had to just push the hose back on and try to get home. Not happening, overheating way worse and came off once more. Car is currently parked at a friends house.


I did not notice oil in the coolant or coolant in the oil at the last oil change and the radiator replacement, however its a possibility now that the issue has came up, being in the oil anyway.


Ive done headgaskets before but it was always just a very obvious overheating and coolant in oil and oil filled in the reservoir ordeal, not just blowing the hose off at the radiator.






Do I have to bust this engine apart or is there any other cause for this? Its obvious something is being way over pressurized and I cant think of another reason, however ive never heard of this.


Thanks for any insight.

strategy400

Probably when you drove it with the temp elevated the headgasket let loose maybe some warpage occured allowing combustion gasses to leak into the cooling system which forces the coolant out the easiest path (the radiator cap into the reservoir system).

Get a block tester from NAPA ($50) and check for exhaust gasses in the radiator. You could just refill the radiator, warm up to operating temp (fan comes on) and leave the cap off and visually inspect for bubbles coming out the radiator neck.

Don't jump to conclusions but my guess is headgasket is done and there may be warpage that needs to be corrected before a new gasket will seal properly again. If the engine is high mileage you might was well pull it for a rebuild or swap in another motor. A good shop will deck the block and mill the head perfectly flat again so your gasket will last.

You could try a thermostat but a block tester will tell you for sure.

motegicivic

Sound like it is under a lot of pressure.

Could be air, but that seems like a lot of pressure.

Block test it first.

How long did you drive it hot? Was the gauge pegged in the red?

itslogz

Those two responses looked like ones who thought I could possibly be one of those idiots who drive it around in the red and doesnt care lol Nah, nothing like that. It never even got close to going over 3/4 on the gauge before it was parked or turned off immediately. If there is warpage it wouldnt be from the overheating because it never got far enough to cause anything like that im sure, however I wouldnt do a headgasket without getting things straight first anyway.

HondaPartsHero

Did you replace the radiator cap as well?

adriano7910

the most realistic issue sounds like your thermostat could be stuck closed.

exb18c1

does the fan come on?do you have the heat inside the car?

itslogz

Did not replace the radiator cap.


Had heat until it had blew off without me knowing and lost enough coolant for the heat to be almost non existant, i didnt smell coolant or anything or see a leak to alert me to the situation or anything until the heat started going away.


Ive got the head off right now, got it all apart replacing valve seals as well while im at it, since the engine is at 210k without anything being done that i know of, its all in good measure either way. The headgasket was a cheap fel pro POS, and it had a crack through it a good bit so even if it wasnt causing this issue then it definitely needed doing. Dont know what jackleg before me did that, i havent had the car for a long time. I did notice when draining the coolant the gold flake looking crap in the coolant so it looks like some idiot threw a can of fix-a-headgasket in a can in there possibly. Who knows, im fixing it the right way now


Waiting on my oem parts right now. Replacing the thermostat while its all apart anyway, so there shouldnt be a issue after all this.



Even though im deep into the headgasket job, i just tested the thermostat in some boiling water. It was functioning properly.

HondaPartsHero

I'd test or replace the radiator cap. If its bad it'll cause the fluid to shoot into the overflow at lower pressure as well.

motegicivic

Check the head, either straight edge it take it to a shop, if there is a gasket in there now chances are it overheated or blew before.

jollygr33n

How high are the miles?? If it's not over heating quickly and the issues are all with the coolant a head gasket might be a stretch. Just because the thermostat opens in boiling water doesn't mean it couldn't have been stuck closed. This combined with old hoses and rad cap might have been your only issues. I'd check compression w/ the engine warm and again cold.

HondaPartsHero

That's why I was asking about the radiator cap, a bad cap will cause it to boil over into the reservoir as well.

motegicivic

True, I had an OEM cap 2 years old fail, the inner gasket fell out, hard to notice until you compared with a new cap.

itslogz

As many miles as it had, and as bad as it looked when i removed the head and seen the old headgasket and all, im still very happy to be getting it all renewed and done the right way. head is apart now and dropping it off to be resurfaced and hot tanked monday, replacing anything to do with it. My plan was to just replace the headgasket nad resurface if it turned out to not be within spec, but usually the way i am is i'll plan something like that and then end up doing way more than needed just so there isnt any issues down the road.


Ill get a new radiator cap as well. As much as ive done so far thinking it was the issue, i definintely do not want to see it was just the radiator cap lmao So ill replace it all at the same time, so i have no idea what it was so i dont feel like a jackass. hahahha

Even though it was due for sure. Everything was a mess removing it and the headgasket had a long crack forming down the length of it right alongside the cylinders.




Is there a way to "test" a radiator cap?

motegicivic

If it was cracked then it was time anyway.

Nobody123

Most if not all auto parts stores will sell a radiator cap test kit. It's basically a pressure pump that you hook up to the radiator cap to test the vent pressure capacity.

Maybe your local gas station can test the cap for you cheaply or free?

HondaPartsHero

Yeah I bought a whole cooling system pressure test kit from harbor freight and it has the cap tester too but most parts stores have a kit you can rent.

itslogz

Just to update for the archiveZz.


Fixed the problem, obviously, in the mix of a complete head rebuild (All OEM honda, headgasket as well) .004 off the head and hottanked. New oem thermostat and denso cap.



Alls good now lol It was due for all of it anyway. 211k miles with no signs of the headgasket not being original or any parts removed, at that. Im thinking it was the thermostat though after all the trouble, but the headgasket would have been a issue before too long anyway, so im happy its all done since its my DD. Thanks guys.