I think that my headgasket is blown. I have a 92 civic dx w/d15b7 engine.
I have been having cooling system problems for a while now and I just havent found anything yet. My car is displacing the coolant from the radiator into the overflow bottle. The coolant wont go back into the radiator once it cools off though. I started my car and took the radiator cap off. NO BUBBLES. I shut it off, disabled the ignition and cranked it over for a while, NO BUBBLES. I changed my radiator cap and t-stat. NO CHANGE. I completely flushed my cooling system and radiator. NO CHANGE. I did notice though, when I have my car running with my radiator cap off and I rev the engine coolant comes up and out of my radiator. Is this normal for a honda or what. I know that in most all cars that when you rev the engine with the cap off that the coolant level goes down.
I think im gonna pull the head tomorrow. Im just about at wits end and Im almost positive that it has to be the head gasket.

cooling system problems


[Modified by hondafrk, 6:14 AM 6/30/2002]

 

bump

 

do a compression check

 

I did and compression readings are all ok 195-198-196-195
You can still have good compression readings with a slightly cracked headgasket.

 

You could have good compression readings with a complete blown out headgasket.. not the correct way to determine headgasket failure..

 

yeah this sounds like youve a small compression to coolant leak. i just had one and had to change the hg and machine the head a bittle (.006). check the deck, peep the head for str8ness (machine if needed) and change that HGasket, spray it with HYLOMAR by permatex tho, not copper spray. AEBS recommends it...i use it andf it is ill, compensates for any imperfections in mating surfaces try to use a tri-metal honda HGasket if possible, not some sh1tty material piece.


[Modified by builthatch, 1:08 PM 6/30/2002]

 

I just changed my head gasket yesterday. It only took me 2.5 hrs. Damn am I fast or what. I havent had a chance to drive it much but I took it for about an 11 mile drive and everthing seems ok now. The coolant level actually went down in the overflow bottle over the period of the test drive. No leaks!!!! I'm assuming that there were still a few little air pockets in the system and they worked their way out. Today I will drive about 40 miles and see how it goes.



[Modified by hondafrk, 1:11 PM 7/1/2002]