Hello,

I'm trying to convince myself if I should change the head gasket on my '01 Civic.

It started with the overflow, filling, and overfilling. So I replaced the rad cap, after a few weeks of driving. Same thing.

I pulled the plugs and saw no signs of coolant in the cylinders. I put a pressure checker on the cooling system and it holds steady pressure. I did a static and dynamic test, both showed no signs of a leak.

There are no visible signs of coolant in the oil.

I filled the rad to the top, and a few bubbles would show when warm and revved. So I did a combustion leak chemical test, and it shows positive for combustion gasses in the coolant. So I think at this point the leak is fairly small.

We've been driving the car and it runs and drives just fine. It never runs hot, and the heat always works.

Other then combustion gasses getting into the cooling system, is there any negative effects this leak could pose?

Should I fix it immediately? Or could I drive it like this for eternity?

It's got 225k miles on it, but it still runs and drives great so I want to keep it going.

Thanks

 

It's only going to get worse. Might as well replace it before it potentially causes damage.

I would also inspect the head while it's off. Check for cracks and/or warpage.

 

There's some excellent info on doing a head gasket change in this FAQ..

http://www.civicforums.com/forums/36...arts-list.html

 

That link is bad. When clicked, it says "Page not found."

There should be an L and the end, instead of .htm it should be .html

 

Damn link

Fixed

 

If you have a positive chemical test, replace the headgasket. The cylinders will introduce combustion gases into the coolant, eventually causing an air pocket to develop and create an overheat situation. Replace the gasket and bolts, I would highly advise replacing the water pump and timing belt while your in there.

 

Do this, but also resurface the head. Most likely this is your problem... a warped head that needs resurfacing.

 

Thanks for all the advice.

I think I'll keep an eye on it for a little while longer, and see if it if it gets worse.

When I do tear into it, I think I'll replace a the head with a re-manufactured.

 

I replaced the head with a remanded from Advanced auto parts. With a 20% discount code, I got it at a fair price.

Seems to be running just fine. I replaced the timing belt, which only had about 30k miles on it, but it's cheap. Also replaced the original t belt tensioner. The egr ports in the injector place was completely blocked, so that go cleaned out too.

It's ready to go another 200k miles.