Hey guys. Just bought a 93 Honda Accord with the F22A1 motor and the previous owner was incompetent in upkeep on the car. Just recently the car started to reach pretty high temp on the gauge. Thankfully I was only about half a mile from the house when it happened. I parked it and popped the hood. I noticed coolant all on the underside of the hood. At closer inspection I noticed it had sprayed out of what appears to be where the head gasket is. It blew out near the fuel rail. I talked with my trusted mechanic and he said it's most likely a bad gasket. He quoted me a price for him to replace it and it's far outside of my budget and I'm being forced to buy the gasket. Coolant. And engine oil and will have to replace it in my yard. I know that once I get the head off that it'll need to be shaved. My only problem is I only know enough about cars to get myself into trouble. Is there a detailed step by step guide with pictures somewhere out there? If so could you guys be so kind as to link it in a reply? I have limited time (until monday morning) to get this done so any and all help would be greatly appreciated.

 

I would fill up your coolant system and put a pressure test on it to see exactly where the leak is. Sounds more like it might be a hole in a hose or a leak in the intake manifold gasket. A leaking head gasket doesn't usually spray coolant everywhere under the hood, unless it completely blew out.

Can you see the exact area where the gasket is blown out?

Did you see any white smoke coming from your exhaust before you stopped the engine?

 

I'll post some pictures in the morning that show the location I'm referring to, sorry about the wacked out replies, the app freaking sucks so I was forced to use my browser instead. As far as white smoke, only from under the hood where the coolant got onto the block and it was burned off.

 

There's some pictures. Not sure how well they came out but I hope it helps. For the most part even though mechanically I'm a newb. I'm pretty sure it's the gasket. My biggest issue is I need to be able to do the work myself off of a guide. With pictures and torque values as well if such a thing exists.

 

Well if you want to go ahead and do the work there are complete PDF files with step by step and tq specs available online.

Due to legal reasons we are not allowed to share copy-written material on these forums.

So I sent you a PM.

Hope that helps

 

Cheers. Perhaps we could get on Skype and you could help me if I needed the help? I'm between a rock and a hard place and I'm not trying to lose my job or my paycheck lol

 

You can't just replace the gasket and expect it to cure the issue. When the head gasket leaks it's because either the head is warped or the head and block are warped. Keep this in mind. At the very least you need a good used head but it would be best to get a jdm used engine.

 

As I said. I'm in a money squeeze and also already mentioned that I know I'll have to get the head shaved if it's not too badly warped. Not interested in an engine swap either since I can't afford another motor

 

Then it'll be hit or miss for how long it holds up for. At the very least, milling the head will help.