If you've seen me around this forum before you probably already know about this project car. If not, here's the background: I helped my girlfriend buy a 1992 Civic sedan LX. It didn't run when we got it, but we did a VERY FULL engine tune up on it and even had to replace the computer to get it to run. Since then, we've replaced the head gasket (including exhaust and intake manifold gaskets), muffler, and most recently the coolant temperature sending unit (sends info to the temp. gauge). The temp. sender was bad (gauge read MAXED OUT all the time); now that we've gotten the new one in, it's normal.... but the bit before getting it back together wasn't normal.

My dad got the new part to me and I had to take the distributor off to just get to the unit. So I set the engine to Top Dead Center and took the distributor off just like how my Haynes manual said to. Once I got that off, I took the old one out, quickly got the new one in, and proceeded to crank on it (not knowing the threads were tapered) and snap the unit like a bolt. Since an Easy-Out didn't work (even with penetrating lubricant) we had to drill it, luckily without any real damage to the existing threads (the unit is brass and sort of disintegrated when we drilled it). We used a tap to make sure there were good threads and put another new unit in. After putting everything back together and topping off the coolant, we fired it up to find THICK WHITE SMOKE gushing out the tailpipe. And then we revved it up to about 5000rpms and it shot out a jet of coolant like a Super Soaker water gun! Before this whole "adventure", the car ran fine; no white smoke or anything.

My dad and I are worried that the head might be warped or cracked from when we put it back on after the head gasket (we also used brand new bolts with a new torque spec as described by a service bulletin). Another theory is that my dad might have accidentally drilled into the cylinder wall while drilling the broken unit out.

 

This.

 

What he said^^^^^^

 

Damn... Well, which would be worse: a hole in the block or a warped cylinder head?

 

a hole in the block

 

if it ran fine befor the drill was taken to it i would say you drilled to deep and put a hole into the intake tor exhaust runner of the head.

 

My dad pulled the head off today and saw that we did drill through one of the exhaust runners by the valves. It's not a full bore, but it's enough to create a leak. Since this is made of aluminum, it would have to be TIG welded. Would a TIG weld make the area as strong as normal or close to it?

 

as long as its a damn good weld

 

Sounds good to me. If it's easier than buying a rebuilt head or even a new head and transferring the valves and camshaft, I'll do it. If it doesn't work out, which would be the better route: rebuilt head or new head and transfer valves and camshaft?

 

We finally got a rebuilt head on the car and it's running great! But now there's a lot of coolant in the tailpipe. How can we get it out besides letting the exhaust blow it out? And tipping it on one end didn't work.