Metalzone

So my car over heats.

Not the thermostat
Not the Fans/Cooling Fan switch
Not the water pump
Not the radiator
No leaks
Not the radiator cap

Whenever i fill up my radiator with coolant, and go for a drive, i need to refill it again because the coolant is gone? there are no leaks so idk what the problem is.

The engine oil shows NO signs of head gasket problem.
There is no white smoke coming out of the exhaust either.

Basically, the engine builds pressure and sends it to the radiator, and then into the reservoir.. which then overflows and spills everywhere!

Is it the head gasket?


I also did a dry compression test and my readings were:
Cyl1:125 Cyl2:130 Cyl3:130 Cyl4:140

(sorry for the grammar, I'm writing this in a hurry)

PLEASE somebody help

Matt_75

Yes, it's your head gasket. Get it replaced ASAP. Reserve tank overflowing is the tell tale sign. Good luck.

sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

see first post for testing methods.

https://www.civicforums.com/forums/3...reference.html

Sheirstles

Did you clean the excess oil out of the impulse line, fuel pump, breather tube, air filter, and air cleaner? When the gasket blows, oil ends up everywhere usually.

Matt_75

Not on this vehicle. Oil and coolant never mix on this engine when the head gasket is blown unless somebody completely destroys the engine.

mikey1

yes.....

the combustion gases in the cylinder are getting pushed into the cooling system through the head gasket, this causes air to be in your cooling system, when this air is in the cooling system our coolant gets pushed into the overflow bottle,

Metalzone

Thanks guys! Indeed it was the head gasket.
Hopefully this helps people who are encountering the same symptoms/issues.

I ended up buying a D17A engine with roughly 45k.

mikey1

how can you be sure your "new" engine does not have the same issue?

if not, it probably will very soon, i hope you are getting a good warranty with it.....i think you would be better off fixing the one you have

ezone

Put a head gasket in this engine while it's out of the car. It's easier than doing it in the car IMO.


I've done plenty of these leaking head gaskets with very low miles.

Racechaser

I hate to piggyback threads but I rented compression tester (OEM BRAND I think) from Autozone, and the adapter needed a 13/16" socket to tighten adapter. Needless to say the socket wont fit in the spark plug tube.

Is there a tester you use that either the hose tightens and seals easier or the adaptercan be installed with a standard 5/8 spark plug socket.

I too have a blown headgasket I believe but want to verify it.

ezone

Baaahahaha!



Go back and see if they have the smaller size whip for the tester you got.

Or....buy a comp tester from Sears if you really need to do this test.


I rarely ever do a compression test, it doesn't net the results I need to see when trying to prove a blown head gasket on a 1.7 engine.
Compression will still be perfect even with a blown head gasket on most of these, unless it's been overheated so bad it warped the head.

Racechaser

I have at LEAST 2 others that are buried in a box or loaned out to somebody so I hated to buy another one if I didn't have to.

It is good to know that it may not read very far off unless its really bad. I'm sure its blown but this was a learning opportunity for my 16 year old son whom I bought the car for.

I bought it knowing it likely had a blown HG, as the previous owner cited the symptoms. It ran hot, added water and started going again and later down the road his daughter said white smoke started coming out of tail pipe and then seconds later it quit running all together and wouldn't start.

When you say "shorter" whip, are you talking about the threads being 3-5 total vs. the 10 -15 of the longer version?

Thanks

ezone

Oooh. Ran overheated til it quit??? Now it can fill a cylinder with water? That's not good at all.

I might expect a warped head at the very least. Possible rings collapsed too. I didn't know it was this bad.
I meant one that will fit in your application since that 13/16" doesn't. One that has a 5/8" hex adapter, or just has the threaded end built in as part of the hose.


My Sears tester has the dual threads on the end of the hose, I have never needed to use the spark plug adapter that came with the kit.





I also have a Snap On compression tester kit too, it is my first choice at work.

Racechaser

Yeah I bought a used engine from a reputable yard that has 75,000 miles on it that had been wrecked in the side.

Putting it in his car after I change belt and pump and I'm taking his engine out of the car and having head worked and looking at cylinder wear and replacing head gasket and timing set and then putting it in another civic I bought for me that had blown head gasket. LOL I'm a glutton for punishment but I figured it was good use of his motor. Plus as mentioned before it is much easier on a stand than in the car.