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Engine Block Damage Repairable or Not??? See pics on thread
Hello All,
I've been following a DIY thread on this site to replace the head gasket and timing belt on my '01 Honda Civic Coupe EX. Along with the help of YouTube videos, and the repair manual it has been going well. However, I encountered an issue that I cannot find an answer to online, or by asking my mechanically gifted friends/family. I am wondering if the damage on the block is repairable, or if I'm SOL and need a new engine. See the picture below and note the pit which formed in between the cylinder sleeves where the head gasket failed. Is the aluminum in between cylinder sleeves a critical sealing surface, or does the seal occur between the steel cylinder wall and the gasket? Also, is this repairable with an aluminum filler? Any guidance would be greatly appreciated! I plan to ask the machine shop on Monday their opinion, but would like to avoid doing unnecessary work over the weekend if someone here has encountered the same problem. Thanks in advance!
Pitting occurred exactly where the head gasket failed, and only on the aluminum portion in between the cylinder sleeves. It seems the cylinder sleeves are slightly raised above the aluminum block in most places
Head gasket failure Overall picture of block for reference
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Re: Engine Block Damage Repairable or Not??? See pics on thread
Block is going to need to come out and get decked.
Probably cheaper to get a used engine, but you'll want to replace some parts before you put the engine in the car
Re: Engine Block Damage Repairable or Not??? See pics on thread
Originally Posted by Colin42
Block is going to need to come out and get decked.
Probably cheaper to get a used engine, but you'll want to replace some parts before you put the engine in the car
Thank you for the response! What are the additional parts you suggest replacing when putting in a used engine? So far I've only purchased your typical timing belt and HG replacement parts (water pump, tensioner, thermostat, belts and HG rebuild kit etc...). Or perhaps you could point me toward a relevant thread on this site? I'll do a quick search myself once I finish this post. My experience working on cars is minimal, so this was already a large undertaking for me, but the Civic has been a great car so I wanted to keep it around. Just not sure how much money and time I'm willing to throw at it at this point. Is an engine swap significantly more difficult/expensive to perform?
Re: Engine Block Damage Repairable or Not??? See pics on thread
What does the corresponding place on the head look like? If it has a similar erosion, then yea I would replace with a JDM.
Parts to replace on a “new to you” used engine would be everything you can take off your old engine, plus the front / rear main oil seals. Would also be a great time to replace the oil pump o-ring which makes replacing the front seal trivial.
And definitely replace the head gasket on the new engine.
Re: Engine Block Damage Repairable or Not??? See pics on thread
Originally Posted by Slumpertcivic
What does the corresponding place on the head look like? If it has a similar erosion, then yea I would replace with a JDM.
Parts to replace on a “new to you” used engine would be everything you can take off your old engine, plus the front / rear main oil seals. Would also be a great time to replace the oil pump o-ring which makes replacing the front seal trivial.
And definitely replace the head gasket on the new engine.
OK thank you for clarifying. The head did not have any damage that I could see at that location. Is using JB Weld (or similar) to fill that pit on the block a stupid idea? I'd really like to avoid the used engine route, and the additional work that comes with it. I'm wondering if the bore sleeves provide enough of a surface for a good seal with the head gasket, or if the area in between sleeves is also critical?
Re: Engine Block Damage Repairable or Not??? See pics on thread
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Originally Posted by LewdaChriis
I'm wondering if the bore sleeves provide enough of a surface for a good seal with the head gasket, or if the area in between sleeves is also critical?
It would not be crazy to try to fix this. JB weld makes a extreme heat (not the high heat, EXTREME heat) product that could fill the void, it’s not structural metal at that point.
Defiantly would suggest taking head it to a machine shop and have it inspected / flattened.
Once it’s all back together, if it “fails” again you already know the symptoms and can plan for the engine replacement.
