i have a 95 stock automatic civic hatch, and ive been having problems with the radiator over the past few months, i took it up to a tires plus, they said my thermostat and radiator cap needed to be changed. So i changed it. Problems went away for about 2 weeks, and they started up again, so i figured something was wrong with the tank, fan was still running. Until today it started to shake when i started it up, so immediatly i took it back up to tires plus, and sure enough a blown head gasket and my radiator craked from the pressure of me driving it up there, they are trying to charge me $2000 to fix it. should i buy a used engine and swap it from auto to manual, for like 500 and have someone put it in?..

Even if i need to get the gasket fixed is there anyone in the Orlando area that can do it lesss than a crazy $2000??

whats your opinion

 

Why not just do the headgasket yourself? It really is not tough. I suggest buying a cheap manual (Chilton or Haynes) and doing the work yourself. And a radiator is extremely simple to replace.

 

Its acutally my girlfriends car, and i don't really feel confident takeing it apart for a head gasket, She just doesnt have the 2 gs to fix it, i know its not that hard.. i guess id have to be talked thru it or have it written out step by step.. how much would it run just buying the gasket.. they said she needed a new water pump, ithe head to be resurfaced, timing belt.. etc

 

its easy and a headgasket only cost 40 bucks and a new radiator 100 -200 tops...and your problem is solved

 

sounds to me like rape.... charging a resurface fee without even knowing the condition... like ron said do it yourself, its very very easy on that car. only bitch really is the timing belt but even so its not that bad. Id also atleast take the head to a machine shop and have the check it if can spare the extra cash.

 

would i have to sand down the head, or shave it off, Doesnt that take a machine shop to do it?

I guess what im tyring to find out is exactly everything ill need.. Do i need the new water pump like they said, do i need the new timing belt..?

 

They use a striaght edge to figure out if it is warped, there is no other way to know until the head is off. They should not even add that in unless its to let you know how much you MAY be charged. I'd take it somewhere else if you do not feel comfortable doing it yourself.

 

if you don't want to do it yourself, take it somewhere else. Obviously ripping you off. The place is called Tire Plus for Christ's sake.

Or if you have 2Gs buy another hatchback lol. Can probably find one for like 1300

 

Haha, yeah I picked up my hatch for $1500 and it passed MD inspection and emissions.

 

look dont be afraid because u might not have no mechanical skill but the single cam motor is really more simple then u think.. if i were u go buy a manual and do it yourself.. a head gasket is about $30 so u do the math on how much u save.. u could buy a tool set torque wrench new head studs and like 35 manuals and it still come out cheaper.. dont be scared get dirty