bird00420

iTrader: (6)

Hey H-T, I've got a problem with my b-series swap in my '89 civic DX hatch. First off I'll start by telling you my motor setup:

1st Gen JDM B16A with 100% stock bottom end
buddy club .5mm head gasket
DH-Racing fully ported polished head (PR3) - milled .020"
DH-Racing dual springs & chromo retainers
Ferrea valves guides viton seals
typhoon ported/polished intake manifold
DH-Racing 77mm throttle body
AEM CAI
cheepo blox ceramic 2-piece header
no-name exhaust

So here's a little back-story......I had this same setup (minus the milling on the head and the head gasket) on my car for several years and for about the last year I kept having an over-heating/pressure build-up problem on my car (no smoking). So I found out the whole time this crappy single layer copper coated head gasket I put on with my built head was blown on the exhaust side and it was just pumping exhaust gases into my coolant. Long story short, about 3 months ago I had my buddy pull my head off, got the head milled .020" and put on the buddy club .5mm gasket. So when he was done the thing ripped like a champ, no pressure build-up, no over-heating.......the only thing I noticed (which this may or may not be an issue) was that when I rapped it out to about 8500/9000 in VTEC it would smoke just momentarily after I shifted (like for a couple seconds). The smoke wasn't black or blue, it was basically white. It would also smoke if I was in gear just coasting (foot off the gas) down a long down-hill stretch (like a 4 mile hill, and it wouldn't smoke while I was coasting but when I leveled out and started giving it gas again, but only for like 5~10 seconds).

So anyways, it was doing fine for like 2 months (I would just coast down these big hills in neutral so it wouldn't smoke, and if I ripped around a little bit I just didn't take it past like 8000) still running great without any issues and then one day I'm driving and I here a POP!!! Sounded like a friggin golf ball hit the underside of my car and it looked like it was smoking. So I pull over pop the hood and much to my dismay my radiator has literally BURST! There was a crack about 1/4"~3/8" wide and about 14" long along the top of my stock radiator (on the top plastic piece). So, sorry it took so long to get to my point but what would make my radiator literally burst? Before when my head gasket was bad the radiator cap would just start leaking/venting the pressure out that way. I talked to a couple of my mechanic friends and only one of them had ever seen a radiator burst like that and he said it was from a crack in the block. Oh yeah, my oil isn't milky, there was no sign of oil in my antifreeze or antifreeze in my oil. So my question is this:

Was this just some freak chance that I had a REALLY weak seam along the top of my radiator, or is it like I'm afraid of and is there a crack somewhere in my block or head?
ANY help WHATSOEVER would be GREATLY appreciated!!!

OneBadTurboCRV

Thanks for the detailed description but... the only way to test your theory would be to leak-down test the engine. A compression test would aid you as well, but a leak-down will pinpoint. Something doesn't add up with your story - mainly the white smoke and the radiator exploding. Check it out and post the results (sounds more like a cracked head to me personally).

bird00420

iTrader: (6)

Thanks for the input, I really appreciate it. Can the leak-down test be done without disassembling the motor? I haven't even done anything as far as pulling my motor apart, its basically just been parked since I've gotten it back to my house. Unfortunately I don't really have the time or money to be pulling my motor apart or even getting things checked out right now. Any ways to check for a cracked block or head without pulling the motor would be EXTREMELY helpful to me right now! Thanks again for your thoughts

4drEF

http://www.harborfreight.com/cylinde...ter-94190.html

Requires compressed air.
Some shops do the test for about the same price as the tool.

D16SiHatch

i certainly may be mistaken but i thought advance auto and/or Autozone carried leakdown testers as a part of there tool rental program.

OneBadTurboCRV

To use the tester: Connect tester to air to set it up (then disconnect it). Use regulator on tester to set needle to "0% leak-down" (typically 100psi). Turn cylinder to be tested to TDC. Block bottom end from rotating. Thread tester in spark plug hole. Hook up air to tester. Record percentage of leak down. If excessive - listen/feel for pressure leaks - it will pinpoint where the problem is. (I.e. If your coolant starts to bubble blown headgasket/ something's cracked depending on the severity of air loss.) Move on to next cylinder.

The test is ONLY done with the motor assembled - same as a compression test.

For the record while the tester above is a cheap alternative, I recomend a different one - I have known people who have got them and the quality is hit or miss. A cheap upgrade would be a Proform one or the likes.

OneBadTurboCRV

Not around me in the Midwest they don't. As far as renting specialty tools - AutoZone destroys Advance Auto regardless...