arielb1

I have a Civic 96. I was told I have a head gasket seal. Since it has 98K miles, I do not wan to replace the head gasket. Furthermore, reading through these sites, fixing the head gasket seal can create other problems.

I found a head gasket sealer out on the net as well as this site. You are suppose to drain the radiator of coolant, then pour in the liquid. Start the vechile and let it run hot. The product is suppose to seal any cracks in the head. In my case the head has a minor crack I suppose. Then drain out the sealer and put in coolant. The sealer is less than 100 dollars oppose to a head gasket repair of $700.

Now my problem for now is minor. It overheats only on hot days. But my real concern is the coolant disappearing from the reserviour. What do you think about using a block sealer?

Thank you very much

Br1anPham

HUH???

head gasket repair = less then 80 bucks if you do it yourself.

arielb1

Where do you get $80.00? That is only for the gasket set isn't? Don't you have to take it to a head shop and have it inspected and milled? I calculate at least $200. The CRC product is $24.00. The entire proceedure can be completed in a short time frame.

I am not sure which is better honestly, this is where I need help.

I am scared to use CRC as much as doing the head myself. I was told taking the head off can create more problems. A mechanic advised me to use the CRC permanent block seal. However, I am not sure what the problems can be if I use the CRC. Any use this or other block sealers for repairing a head gasket problem?

thanks all

HamsterStyle

are u sure u havea head gasket leaking? If thats the case than a sealer isn't gonna help probably. Now if you have a minor crack in the head, it might do something, But I would recommendfinding out what is going on for sure before doing anything

arielb1

Actually, I don't exactly know what is the cause of the overheating and the coolant disappearing from the reservior.

I have changed thermostat, radiator and cap, fan switch, coolant, and water pump. The radiator shop first said radiator, now they say head gasket. I don't know what to believe anymore. The problem appears to be related to the summer hot months. As of now, the reservior level has not moved. The weather here in LA is so cold that I guess the engine is not overheating so the coolant is not disappearing from the reservior.

Anyone ever used this product before? I am really leaning towards using it.

Thanks all

Turbo E

do a compression/leakdown test?

re-torque the head studs?

is your oil milky?

clumps in the coolant?

bubbles in the overflow bottle?

TurboBumblBee

go ahead and use it.. i used a product similar on my beater car that i drove around for part of the summer because it had a/c and was not going to get me pulled over and a ticket

i was in the process of moving to a new place as well as helping my mom move out of her house this summer i could not didicate a whole day to replace the headgasket, so i took about 2 hours to use the sealer stuff i got from Napa.. the doesnt overheat like it use to unless its just sitting there running for an extented amount of time but i do not have any heat at all right now and its getting cold so i may go ahead and do it the right way so i have a heat in the car for this winter

arielb1

Turbo,

Great idea! I will try to tighten down the bolts this weekend. If this works, I give you my word...I will send you a check for some money!

Yes there is bubbles in the overflow bottle. What does the bubbles mean? What else can it be?

No clumps in the coolant. Nothing in the oil.

Please advise.

Turbo E

bubbles mean blown headgasket and your cylinder compression is leaking into the coolant passages working their way to the overflow bottle. i bet when you stop sometimes you will hear "water cooler" type burbling from the overflow bottle.

let the car sit overnight to cool before torquing the head down again, and make sure you do it in the correct order and with a decent torque wrench.

MAKE SURE YOU KNOW THE PROPER TORQUE SPECS!!!!

you need to:
-replace the headgasket
-check to see if the head is warped and DECK it if necessary.

thats about it.

arielb1

Turbo,

You are correct. When I get home the reservior is bubbling. I can see inside the bottle and it gurgles and bubbles. In addition, there are little specks of black items floating inside coolant res bottle. The coolant bottle has black guck coated through out inside the bottle. I rub my finger on it and it is slimmy. I am assuming this is oil.

I just bought a brand new Sears torque clicker wrench. I will torque the heads down as you advise first. Yes, I will follow the Helms manual.

If this doesn't work, would you advise using a Block Sealer as a next step? I am now leaning towards the K&W Block Sealer brand.

Thanks for the help. I just bought this car and have been trying to solve this for months now. You are the first that has ever made sense and been able to give a real accurate diagnosis.

Ariel

Turbo E

personally i would NEVER pur any "fix it/patch/bandaid" fluids in my motor. as i am paranoid about what it will do to other components.

Also, its still a band-aid fix. its not permanent.
when you get the cash together, do it right, or you'll be back where you started.

arielb1

Thanks again Turbo.

I was in Las Vegas over the weekend. I had a great time.

It is comforting to know the problem. Now coming up with the fix is just as fun.

I have been researching the procedure for doing a head gasket replacement. The Helms book is very informative, however, it is not as clear as I would like it to be. I have plans on documenting the proceedure for other members on this site like I did for the timing belt change. The procedure I typed up has helped 10 people replace their timing belt so far. I enjoy documenting as it helps so many people.

Turbo, I am stuck on three concepts hopefully you can help me with. I have searched through the threads without luck.

First, how do I take the distributor assembly apart? It appears the dist *** is aligned and synchronized with the engine. If I take off the distributor assembly, can I just use white out marks and align it as I re-install onto the engine?

Second, the helms manual states the vtec solenoid can be a challenge to remove. It does not explain how to reinstall. Is there anything I need to be concerned about during the dismantling and installation procedure.

Third, how much should I expect the entire proceedure to cost me? How much extra if the head is warped? If the head is warped, should I just go ahead and do the band aid procedure? My concern is that the civic has 85k miles already, paying excessive cash on an engine may not be the way to go.

Last, do you have a paypal account? I would like to send a little token of my appreciation.

Ariel

Turbo E

the distrubutor should only be able to be aligned with the camshaft one way only, so you shouldn't (i've heard of people somehow forcing it in.) be able to install it wrong.(180 deg out of whack)

I don't know about the solenoid, but to my knowlege you dont have to remove it to change a HG. I know i didnt. if you do remove it, install is the reverse of removal, as they say in the manuals. again as far as i know, its held on by like 2-3 bolts only and a wire harness.

as far as cost goes, its dependant on the shop. 96 civic = D series im guessing. i changed mine with no prior experience in about 3-4 hours. so lets say a shop can do it in 1-2 hours = $100 in labour + $80 for the HG. total = $300 guesstimate.

IF a shop does it for you, they can also check to see if the mating surfaces are warped by laying a "flat edge" (glorified ruler) diagonally across the block and head. if any gaps show up that are larger than the manual specifies then the head or block need to be decked/machine to true them.

if you're lucky and didnt drive the snot outta your car and repeatedly overheat it while the HG was blown, you should be ok with just a new HG.

I recommend getting some ARP head studs to replace your used ones rather than going back to new OEMs. not much more $

although monetary compensation is not required, I wont turn down free money, lol!

my Paypal is turbo_e@tokyo.com

if i dont get anything, i wont cry

arielb1

Turbo_e

Look in your paypal account. I sent you a present.

I was looking at the distributor assembly last night. I understand that it goes in one way. Once I reinstall the distributor assembly, do I have to calibrate it with the engine? It appears the assembly goes into the head, but it can be adjusted by several degrees before it is bolted down. Do I just install it reverse and I am done...simple as that? I think I am over evaluating this procedure.

Should I purchase a head gasket set which include the exhaust, intake manifold, and head gasket? I was told to get a metal head gasket. Should I just go with OEM? I was thinking of buying this from Hondaautomotiveparts.com. I have purchased a large order from them before and had no problems.

Does the intake and exhaust manifold need to be changed? Anything else need replacing? Again, the engine has 83K miles.

Once I have the head off, I was told

1.) to scrap the matting surface with a razor being very careful not to scratch the block.
2.) take the head to a head shop for testing, cleaning, and possibly resurfacing. The money, I was told, would be well spent. It will be about $120.00
3.) During reassembly, place a small amount of sealant on the block, then place the head gasket on the block. Place another bead of sealant to top of the gasket, then place the head on the head gasket.
4.) tighten head bolts on with the torque specs based on Helms manual.

What do you think about the procedure above?

What are ARP studs and where do I buy them? Autozone?

Should I do a leakdown test to make sure it is a head gasket problem? If so, then I need to read about it.

Thanks Turbo.


Modified by arielb1 at 7:53 AM 11/3/2004


Modified by arielb1 at 8:02 AM 11/3/2004

v4lu3s

i never scrape anything since the metal head gasket rarely sticks, at most i use some carb cleaner and a rag to clean it up if it is in the car.

surfacing the head and pressure testing and hot tanking should be less than $100 at most shops.

i put the head gasket on the head and the dowels hold it in place, then place it on the block, the headgasket does NOT need sealant.

and a torque wrench is for sure your friend