1999 Civic blown head gasket

On Jul 1, 11:30*pm, jim beam > wrote:

> yes. *i'd do jdm or domestic [low mileage] used, NOT rebuilt. *rebuilt
> is only ok is you don't care or if you know a /REALLY/ fastidiously anal
> builder, but they're rarer than rocking horse ****. *typical rebuilds
> rarely last anywhere near as long as the original engine. *lots of
> technical reasons that i cant' be bothered to list right now.

the proverbial urban legend that putting a rebuilt head on an old
engine will make the bottom end go, because the increase of pressure
back to spec is too much for it. my theory, based on seeing a couple
of rebuilt heads, is that they come with so much scrap metal and
shrapnel in the cooling and oiling passages that it clogs the oil
passages in the crank. (one of these did indeed end up with a thrown
rod shortly afterwards)

when i needed a rebuilt head, i eventually went with one rebuilt from
PAECO in birmingham alabama, btw, which was clean enough to eat off
of. they're not at all cheap, though; their main market is SCCA
racers. looking at their website now, i don't see head rebuilding, but
for anyone who wants to go that route, i'd advise at least asking them.

On Jul 1, 8:05*pm, BT > wrote:
> On Jul 1, 2:10*pm, BT > wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > Car: 1999 Honda Civic CX (Hatchback)
> > Miles: 242,000
> > Location: Southern California
>
> > Symptoms: Sweet smell when I started the car Monday morning. Thought
> > my daughter had dropped some candy or something and ignored it.
> > Tuesday afternoon, while driving up a hill at ~50mph, I noticed the
> > engine temp gauge needle rising pretty quickly. It got about 3/4 of
> > the way to the top while I was looking. I was in the process of
> > slowing down to make a left turn, so took my foot off the gas and the
> > needle went down as well. Made it back home driving very slowly, and
> > the needle never went above the halfway point (but it was still above
> > where it normally rests). When I got home, checked the oil level
> > (fine), coolant (near max) and if the rad fan was obstructed in some
> > way (it was fine). Drove normally to the dealership after about 2
> > hours, and the temp gauge needle was at it's usual spot just about the
> > 3/8 mark.
>
> > Dealer diagnosis: Don't know why it over-heated, but the head gasket
> > is blown. They plan to replace the head gasket, get the head checked
> > and machined and put it all back together again.
>
> > Questions: *What are the likely reasons for having a blown head
> > gasket? Is it just age as the service person suggested? If they don't
> > fix the underlying reason, how likely is it to happen again? And how
> > long for it to happen?
>
> > Is it worth looking at putting in a replacement engine? I don't
> > particularly care for speed/hp as long as it's smog-legal in
> > California. But it would be nice to have something better than the
> > stock CX engine Are there any recommendations for mechanics in the
> > San Diego area who could do something like this? If I decide not to
> > take up the dealer's offer, will it be safe to drive the car to a new
> > mechanic?
>
> > Thanks very much for the help.
> > BT
>
> Update: Honda Temecula wants $1700 to fix the head gasket. Is that
> reasonable?? A replacement engine is looking more attractive now...
> BT- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

for that kinda bucks i'd go with a low mileage junkyard engine.
swapping an engine is a no-brains affair, compared to the things that
could go wrong with the head gasket fix, sometimes not until quite a
while later when you can't collect on the warranty. even a warped head
will seal with a new gasket, for a while......

On Jul 1, 8:05*pm, BT > wrote:
> On Jul 1, 2:10*pm, BT > wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > Car: 1999 Honda Civic CX (Hatchback)
> > Miles: 242,000
> > Location: Southern California
>
> > Symptoms: Sweet smell when I started the car Monday morning. Thought
> > my daughter had dropped some candy or something and ignored it.
> > Tuesday afternoon, while driving up a hill at ~50mph, I noticed the
> > engine temp gauge needle rising pretty quickly. It got about 3/4 of
> > the way to the top while I was looking. I was in the process of
> > slowing down to make a left turn, so took my foot off the gas and the
> > needle went down as well. Made it back home driving very slowly, and
> > the needle never went above the halfway point (but it was still above
> > where it normally rests). When I got home, checked the oil level
> > (fine), coolant (near max) and if the rad fan was obstructed in some
> > way (it was fine). Drove normally to the dealership after about 2
> > hours, and the temp gauge needle was at it's usual spot just about the
> > 3/8 mark.
>
> > Dealer diagnosis: Don't know why it over-heated, but the head gasket
> > is blown. They plan to replace the head gasket, get the head checked
> > and machined and put it all back together again.
>
> > Questions: *What are the likely reasons for having a blown head
> > gasket? Is it just age as the service person suggested? If they don't
> > fix the underlying reason, how likely is it to happen again? And how
> > long for it to happen?
>
> > Is it worth looking at putting in a replacement engine? I don't
> > particularly care for speed/hp as long as it's smog-legal in
> > California. But it would be nice to have something better than the
> > stock CX engine Are there any recommendations for mechanics in the
> > San Diego area who could do something like this? If I decide not to
> > take up the dealer's offer, will it be safe to drive the car to a new
> > mechanic?
>
> > Thanks very much for the help.
> > BT
>
> Update: Honda Temecula wants $1700 to fix the head gasket. Is that
> reasonable?? A replacement engine is looking more attractive now...
> BT- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

PS last time i got a quote from a dealer for a head gasket, they told
me $3K. even $1700 is too much, unless they do some head work at the
same time. anyway, that's why my civic now has a used B16 engine.

On Jul 3, 10:08*pm, Grumpy AuContraire >
wrote:
> BT wrote:
> > On Jul 2, 7:29 pm, Grumpy AuContraire >
> > wrote:
>
> >>Two items that were not covered in this discussion...
>
> >>1. Is this the original radiator, if not - How many miles since the
> >>replacement?
>
> >>2. You checked the coolant level in the overflow tank but did you check
> >>the radiator itself?
>
> >>JT
>
> > Original radiator. And still in good condition according to the
> > dealer. All hoses are fine too. Their hypothesis is that the
> > thermostat went bad.
>
> > I did not check the coolant level in the radiator. But because of the
> > sweet smell the day before, I am pretty sure the gasket was gone
> > before I noticed the overheating.
>
> > Does that change anything?
>
> In my experience, any radiator after 150K is usually plugged or well on
> its way.
>
> JT- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

my popped gasket got started when my civic was new; it had a tendency
to heat up since day 1, i assumed it was because the tiny radiator was
so minimal. after a few years when it couldn't even deliver that level
of cooling, i swapped it out, and was astounded that the new one never
overheated. shortly thereafter, my head gasket paid the price of those
few years of my assuming that the original factory radiator wouldn't
have birth defects.
on a humorous note, i just replaced the replacement radiator after
like 15 years, due to a big leak; it turned out that despite its
really ragged appearance, it was still intact, and the leak was coming
from the innocent looking heater hose which had split down the bottom
side. haha.