Rep Power: 0

Hello all, first post here so thanks for help.

My 02 EX (D17A2 engine) was leaking coolant recently from above the crankshaft, on the firewall side. It was like a steady stream which I could see and it was dripping down and coming off the oil pan.

I tried to read a bit in the forum. I just did a compression test and my cylinders are all good. Did it hot and cylinders are all over 200.

I don’t think it’s a head gasket. Both fans are hot wired to run whenever key is on (jumped the coolant temperature sensor). I’ve previously replaced one of those fans, and the coolant bypass hose behind the engine (PITA).

I also replaced the radiator cap (OEM??) about 6 months ago when dealing with the other cooling issues. It passed a cooling system pressure test at that time.

It overheats every day now and will go through a gallon of coolant for every 100 miles. My question is, should I go through all these diagnostic tests??? Or just assume it is water pump? I strangely have not seen it leaking like it was at idle that one day for a few weeks now.

Thanks in advance

Edit:
I should also add the cap to the radiator overflow container was missing this morning. I have a habit of opening the radiator hot with a shop rag when it’s been overheating and I’m feeling impatient stuck on the side of the road, that forces the coolant out into that container and it’s possible it was blown off yesterday when doing this. Or it’s possible it did that on its own…. Which would be a bad sign…

 
Rep Power: 126

Coolant forcing out of the overflow reservoir is actually indicative of a blown head gasket. The overheating caused by a potentially leaking water pump may have caused that.

 
Rep Power: 225

Verify water pump is actually leaking. If it is that will need fixed before verifying the head gasket is okay. Or, just do the head gasket, timing belt, and water pump all at the same time.

 
Rep Power: 368

moreover, immediately stop using the car and start getting the parts needed. that compression test? Could soon not be relevant soon if you keep overheating

If you going to do water pump, just do the timing belt and headgasket at once, you not wanna do it twice
you can do the air pressure test, but who knows when it will fail? (not if, it's a when)

 
Rep Power: 0

What exactly do you mean air pressure test?

Thank you for the replies guys. How can I be sure it is the water pump? I read about weep holes and seeing if coolant is leaking out of the timing cover but I couldn’t find any more information about them online, like pics of where exactly to look.

Does my cylinder compression test rule out blown head gasket?

Also car is really not worth sh** it has 240k on it and awful peeling paint job and trans is flaring between gears. Probably worth $600 now and $2000 if I repaired it. Trying to weigh what I should do. The timing belt was replaced less than 50k ago so don’t know that I would do that. I know water pump is labor intensive, is it really that worth doing head gasket while you’re doing just the water pump???

 
Rep Power: 368

video on the first post... Is this the "compression test" you are referring to?
https://www.civicforums.com/forums/3...reference.html

Remove timing belt covers and check the water pump

we said that because we did not know you had done it. How did the water pump looked at that time?

Well, you did timing belt, it is labor intensive.
Now you have suspicions that water pump is leaking, so that same job will need to be done.
if the pressure test in the video of the link I posted fails, you do it now while half the job is done (water pump), or you can do the headgasket labor intensive job again
you can destroy the engine when it overheats and drop the value of the car even further, you know...

 
Rep Power: 225

If I were a betting man, I'd say it needs a headgasket on top of the water pump fix. I would hate to see you only replace the water pump/timing belt only to have to take it back off to do the head (if you chose to do so).

 
Rep Power: 0

Thank you all for the replies again. No I was not aware of that type of compression test I just used the gauge you rent from AutoZone and screw into spark plug holes, turn the key and see cylinder compression from cranking.

I also did not do the water pump/timing belt job, it was done at a shop by a previous owner, the paperwork showed they replaced the pump. I guess the timing belt/water pump has to be removed when doing head gasket?

I guess I will see if I can do that test with the air compressor. I guess I could check if pump is leaking also by removing timing cover to if it’s not too hard. I may also just buy an exhaust gas detector kit for the coolant.

Thanks again guys

 
Rep Power: 368

the test is done using a shop air, so 150 PSI
Timing belt need to come off the camshaft, to do headgasket, but the water pump is behind the timing belt, so...

 
Rep Power: 225

I don't think these testers give reliable results for failed head gaskets on the 7th gens.

 
Rep Power: 368

yep, wasting money on exhaust gases test
that video is from a guy that works all day on hondas and that is the sureway he found to detect gasket failures, other methods did not give a good result on these 7th gen D17 engines

 
Rep Power: 0

Okay thank you all. It sounds like since I will have to remove the timing belt either way to fix what is most likely my problem (HG or pump), it’s best to test first for HG with pressure test, then proceed from there. Thank you guys so much

 
Rep Power: 223

Might be better to just dump a used engine+trans into it.

 
Rep Power: 0

So how hard is it to do the head gasket and the water pump?

I consider myself a pretty good shade tree mechanic. I have replaced valve covers and gaskets and followed torque procedures on such, replaced various sensors, torqued air intake plenums and such, nearly completely disassembled wire harnesses and cooling system, alternators, etc….

But I’ve never messed with valves whatsoever or anything under the head.

Again car is worth almost nothing, shoulda paid like $1200 (though I paid more), trans flares between gears, terrible chipping paint job, front suspension worn out, AC doesn’t work, and has 245k on it.

Shoot me straight should I even mess with this?? I am not really into the “I gain value from learning how to do something” idea any longer

 
Rep Power: 225

If you've done a timing belt, you can likely do a head gasket without much issue. Neither the timing belt/pump or head gasket are really that difficult, but it is easy to do it incorrectly. And if done incorrectly would mean redoing it with all new parts, or possibly a new engine.

 
Rep Power: 0

I’ve never done a timing belt

 
Rep Power: 368

Well, depends if you head is warped and need to go to a machine shop, the tools that you don't have, and if your camshaft/crankshaft sensors do not fail afterwards (they tend to to it)
crankshaft tool (can be borrowed in a autozone), high torque and low torque (water pump - my pump bolts did stretch when using a high torque one...), maybe a crow's foot, etc, etc

https://www.civicforums.com/forums/1...elt-diy-2.html

 
Rep Power: 223

Not too hard to do.
head will need to be checked at a machine shop.
Use oem parts. Get a torque wrench that will do like 0-100ftlbs