Rep Power: 175

Didn't have much time but went out and played with the car for a little bit. Did a leak down test and all cylinders were 15% or less, that's the good news. Did a pressure test an all cylinders and they seemed ok. Did it again and let each cylinder sit for about 15 minutes. All were good except cylinder #4 had a slow leak into the radiator. So it pretty much confirms head gasket is going to be changed again. I appreciate everybody's comments and advice. Car will have to last until Christmas when I am off for 10 days. I will make sure I get the OEM HG this time and I will changed out the water passage while I am at it. It is running ok and it is a slow leak so I will just top it off in the morning and try to use it just for my son to go to work.

Ed

 
Rep Power: 366

Mine lasted for months after diagnosis, you caught it early too, so you likely safe.

Ok, case solved, discuss to your hearts content

 
Rep Power: 366

Just additional datapoint, but I drove from Quebec to TN, 1200 miles, after months that I diagnosed the gasket, and it was still not overheating. You going to be safe

 
Rep Power: 517

As long as the radiator is kept full.

 
Rep Power: 127

So, for the rest of us who tend to panic at any sign of oil in the coolant, or the mere mention of a headgasket, and quickly hide our head in a bucket of oily rags... at what point does it become imperative to pull the head and do the job?

 
Rep Power: 127

@ezone: Is the current OEM headgasket, or gasket set, significantly different from the factory original?

 
Rep Power: 517

99% only seep from the combustion chamber into the cooling system. Fluids don't mix and you don't lose compression.........Maybe AFTER it's been allowed to overheat bad enough to warp the head and become a disaster, but not initially.

Come to think of it, I haven't even seen one flame cut the gasket, head, or block so far. Lucky, I guess?

The Honda part number suggests there have been revisions.

 
Rep Power: 517

The leak typically begins as a teensy little breach in the fire ring. Not the oil passages.



Different engine is different.

This isn't your other motor, the rules everyone is used to don't always have to apply.



Any change is a change. Supplier or improvement are still changes. I have no way of knowing what the changes were, all I see is the part number has apparently changed since introduction.
I don't know.....I use factory with no problems that I'm aware of.

Apparently for Scout1 it isn't Felpro.

 
Rep Power: 366

the first time it overheats is the cut line. better do it before it does, and when it does, quick action (stop, park and let it cool.)

 
Rep Power: 517

All cars have 4 wheels, therefore they are all the same.


Everyone with a shoebox full of tools has the exact same abilities and talents.
If I speak louder and slower you will understand better.

Wait, that's all management thinking.





If the images don't show up here, click this link:
https://medium.com/swlh/the-zombie-m...71d#.7jvb2p6pu


Looks like they didn't show up here.. Damn. Click the link.

 
Rep Power: 366

Amen to y'all
(Darn, multiquote missed PMI post...)

So, the lingering question from scout1 seem to be the tty bolts?

 
Rep Power: 517

I've never found any but I didn't go further than the Honda parts catalog, It's entirely possible some other manufacturer uses a similar size but I have not pursued that avenue.

I believe Kinakoes contacted ARP and did some other searching without success, before he left the forum.

 
Rep Power: 175

Wow 4 pages. Didn't mean to take up everybody's time but discussion is good. I have started to plan my course of action and have checked at the dealer for the OEM gaskets and can have them in a day. Price of the OEM head gasket is $44.70 but will get it anyway. I just want to do this right and make it last this time. I did everything I could to do it by the book last time. Had the head professionally redone. I checked and cleaned the surface of the block and found no issues. Used a Felpro gasket set which I thought was good but will not use this time. Cleaned the head bolts and holes. Put oil on threads and torqued according to torque spec and pattern from the manual. I did not put any kind of sealer on the gasket and as far as I know I put the gasket on right side up. I can't remember but I think it was marked this side up but will double check that when I take it apart. The only thing is I have a cheap torque wrench. That is the only thing I think may be the problem. This time I will borrow a better one and compare it to mine and see if mine is off. Thanks again and I will report back when I tear into this job.

Ed

 
Rep Power: 127

So do I, it is one of the new-ish Sears wrenches that nobody seems to like. However, I did an informal comparison with an older and more expensive SK Tools wrench, and it was right on, except at the very low end of the scale, and even there it was still within spec.

 
Rep Power: 0

Okay so i have an 03 honda civic lx 1.7, i just replaced the head gasket, and had the cylinder head reman, put it all back together and replaced the coolant temp sensor, and the t-stat, and the fan switch, also the water pump and belt were put new as the head was off. Ive done all this and the car still overheats, ive notice that even though i just replaced the fan switch in idle the cycle fine, but i text drive it and come to a stop and let it idle again the fans wont turn on anymore and the car will overheat again, also ive tried bypassing the fans and drive it like that, the car was still overheating, im a complete loss, and very frustrated please help.

 
Rep Power: 118

 
Rep Power: 0

I took the rad out and had it check it wasnt plugged nor cracked and i cleaned the condenser

 
Rep Power: 0

 
Rep Power: 221

use an oem honda gasket, DO NOT use an aftermarket gasket
make sure you get the head checked by a machine shop to make sure its not warped
make your you bleed the cooling system properly afterwards

 
Rep Power: 0

 
Rep Power: 0

[QUOTE=PMI;4699680]Any idea why so many engines need a headgasket?

The last car (diff make) I had that had headgasket issues, first overheated which was caused by sludge and poor oil circulation. This in turn was the result of a sub-par crankcase venting component, a $5 one-way valve. End result was first a bad turbo, and later, bad headgasket.

So, more than likely, there will be an underlying cause. Deck gets warped eady bad engine design,,

 
Rep Power: 0

Deck get warped easy bad engine design no meat around the cylinders