93 Civic headgasket

[Umby]

I'm not as up on Hondas as other cars so I have a question. A co-worker of mine overheated her 93 Civic DX and then popped the headgasket. Obviously the head warped but are there any other common issues that come with overheating one of these cars? Warped block etc? Thanx.

[MidLifeCrisis]

Man it would take a nuclear meltdown to warp the block due to the thickness. I'm almost 100% sure you cant warp the block. Just have the machine shop machine and pressure check it and all should be well.

[DustnU]

Yeah what^^said!! They will tell you if you need machining or not I would do it anyway, buy a new HG and ROLL OUT!!!!!

[Umby]

Thanx. I figured it would be a longshot but I just wanted to make sure before I spent the time fixing the car.

[EmminoDaGreat]

Buy a precision straight edge, and check for warpage to see if you need it decked.

[HatchHero]

why did it overheat the first time? address that problem first. Fix it then throw a head gasket on it. if the plastic timing covers are melted then goddamn she cooked that motor! my sis did the same thing to her single cam because the cooling fan fuse blew and she roasted it. i replaced the fuse replaced the head gasket and when i went to torque the head back down all the head bolt threads were strippin.. i guess it got cooked so bad it soften the metal or something. ended up getting another block. overheating issues is the worst for hondas because of the aluminum casting. if im wrong plz guys shed some light

[DrCRX90]

^ i have had the same issue something with the metal they use the heat cycle is too much for it and it weakens your notalone i have had it happen to 2 ls motors but a local machine shop has inserts for the block ( kinda like a heli-coil)

[MidLifeCrisis]

^ i have had the same issue something with the metal they use the heat cycle is too much for it and it weakens your notalone i have had it happen to 2 ls motors but a local machine shop has inserts for the block ( kinda like a heli-coil)

Man thats crazy.. maybe 1 or 2 of the headgasket jobs ive done had the bolts seize up/strip out..

If you had any cracked block issues youd probably notice the coolant looking like brown pudding. The 98-02 4 cyl. Accords are notorious for this ish.

Are you fixing it or is a shop?

[HatchHero]

^ i have had the same issue something with the metal they use the heat cycle is too much for it and it weakens your notalone i have had it happen to 2 ls motors but a local machine shop has inserts for the block ( kinda like a heli-coil)



inserts will work. ive never tried them i just try to locate another block. are those heli coils solid or are they like a spring type deal? as long as they hold up to 50ftlbs do it. will save you money

[DrCRX90]

They are solid its a whole kit with a reemer, tap, and squaring plate to keep from cross threading does save money and they do work i have done it but if you do one do them ALL:goodjob:

[AnthonyF]

Man it would take a nuclear meltdown to warp the block due to the thickness. I'm almost 100% sure you cant warp the block. Just have the machine shop machine and pressure check it and all should be well.

it's hard to warp a head. Take it off, take it to a head shop to make sure it's still good. I prefer Dover. They are the bomb!

-Ant.

[ballistic08]

it's hard to warp a head. Take it off, take it to a head shop to make sure it's still good. I prefer Dover. They are the bomb!

-Ant.

I see a LOT of warped heads, but I'd definatly get it checked.

[MidLifeCrisis]

it's hard to warp a head. Take it off, take it to a head shop to make sure it's still good. I prefer Dover. They are the bomb!

-Ant.

Man i know NOTHING of machine shops in atlanta. What are some other good ones up there?

And as for helicoils, theyre not like a spring.. from what ive seen of them, you use an oversized tap and tap said hole to a larger size, and then you drive the helicoil in, and what it is.. is kinda hard to explain.. its an insert basically.. it has your original size/ thread pitch on the inside, and the outside drives down into the newly tapped hole size..

http://www.modelbouwforum.nl/forums/members/beekman-albums-diversen-picture17928-helicoil.jpg

I could be wrong in theory but ive used them a couple times..

[Patterson]

i hope you mean thread into the holes not drive them in?

[DrCRX90]

^ kinda like those but the ones that i used are solid
http://www.denlorstools.com/shop/images/Calvan_389-100_LG.jpg

[ballistic08]

The solid ones we use are called Time-serts.

[DrCRX90]

^ thank you couldnt think of the name for nothin

[MidLifeCrisis]

The solid ones we use are called Time-serts.

Damn yeah couldnt freakin remember what they were called when i was searching for them on goggle. I have a kit from the Matco truck for doing head bolts.

[ballistic08]

Damn yeah couldnt freakin remember what they were called when i was searching for them on goggle. I have a kit from the Matco truck for doing head bolts.



Yup, its a forgetable name. We only use them for spark plug repairs, and heli coils on everything else.

[HatchHero]

^ kinda like those but the ones that i used are solid
http://www.denlorstools.com/shop/images/Calvan_389-100_LG.jpg

yeah im talking about those

[HatchHero]

Damn yeah couldnt freakin remember what they were called when i was searching for them on goggle. I have a kit from the Matco truck for doing head bolts.


matco one is the sh1t!!

[Hektik]

it's hard to warp a head. Take it off, take it to a head shop to make sure it's still good. I prefer Dover. They are the bomb!

-Ant.


Its always better to have it checked and re-surfaced. Unless its already been done a few times before.lol.. then you'll just need to pick up a new head. which aren't really that expensive on here. I've found a few for around 50 bucks before..

Depending on the mileage I would go ahead and do the timing belt, tensioner and water pump.

And like someone else said. Address the overheating issue, because it would suck to replace the head gasket and resurface the head just to have it all happen again once it re-overheats.

if your in Gwinnett PM me and I can give you the number of the machine shop I've used in the past...

[ballistic08]

I work at a reputable machine shop if your interested.

[Umby]

Thanx for all the 411 guys. I will know more about the car next week. The overheating started from the radiator going south and then the cooling fan not working. She fixed those issues but not before it was too late.

[Hektik]

If the headgasket did pop. Theres a possbility of the coolant/oil mixing. Make sure to get a good flush once everything is said and done. Usually I prefer to go to a shop where they use one of those flushing machines rather than flushing it all out my self, even tho it can be more expensive. But atleast it gets everything out ..

[Umby]

I'm picking up the car tomorrow so I will know more about it after that.

Any other pitfalls I need to look out for. I've turned plenty of wrenches but this is the first time going into the guts of a Honda.

[Umby]

OK, so another question... What type of gaskets have ya'll used in the past? I'm seeing everything from Fel-Pro to eBay brands and even a TSB from Honda saying that if you've blown a gasket you need to use a different part number and different bolts. What has worked for you?