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[SIZE="2"]hey guys my names is Omar and i have a question for the experts

my car 2002 honda civic dx manual was overheathing and the mechanic told me is the head gasket he want to charge me $800 for repair the heads gasket but searching online i found the whole motor for about $300 the normal base and $450 vtec each motor with about 40,000 and 60,000 miles BTW he charge $600 for swap the engine,, i ask him if i get the vtec i gonna feel any diferencee (more fast and better response ) and he said no is no gonna make any change cuz my car won"t have the vtec computer and the sensor so he said is gona be the same no diference but i dont know anything about cars please guys i want a second opinion plz guy help me with this desition thak u guys

BTW i live in danbury ct if somebody from the forum leave close and knows how to swap the engine for cheap contact me plz
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Hold on hold on, you went from overheating to new head gasket to new motor?! First if it is your head gasket which is very possible, you can replace it for the price of the part and about an hour to actually do it. Its a very easy job. First you need to make sure that is the problem, have you ruled out thermostat, coolant level/flush/replacement, water pump? If your head gasket is the issue there is a DIY on this site. You do not need a new motor! 800 dollars for a gasket? That's amazing.

 
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thank u for u opinion and yes already change the termostath but no the water pump and the issue here i dont know anything about cars im a computer IT for that everybody take advance of me the mechanic said he is chargin me $800 cuz he need to bring the head and check is fine everything fine to make sure is only the gasket and question how can i check in the heads to know if is only the gasket o is something else wrong with the head like to be replace it

thanks

 
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All he has to do is take a level to the head and block to make sure theyre not warped, which can happen when an engine is overheated for extended periods of time. I know you said you know nothing about cars, I will say a head gasket is extremely easy on these cars, you dont even have to pull the rocker assembly off, but since you shouldnt try it yourself if youve never touched your car, Ive seen $800 for a head gasket before, but that was on something that was actually hard to do a head gasket on... Getting another engine, while seeming like a better option, can really not be, especially a junkyard engine thats been sitting for a while.

You should check a few things first before you COMPLETELY write off it being a head gasket, i know you replaced the thermostat, but is the exhaust white (not just when its cold)?

Are you losing any antifreeze?

If so, look for coolant leaks, the water pump (or pump gasket) may have blown.

If you still havent answered yes to these questions start it up (monitoring it not to overheat) and feel the upper radiator hose and see if it ever gets warm before it overheats. If it doesnt it could be your water pump.

You should check your radiator hoses by feeling them and seeing if any of them are cracked, wouldnt be the first time someone looked them over and all it was, was a $10 hose.

And a more obvious question: did you check the coolant level?

Is the radiator cap good?

Losing oil?

Oil milky colored?

I know these are a lot of questions and you can ask me on how to check some of these things if you dont know how, but its important to properly diagnose a problem before trying to remedy the problem.

 
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yea one of the easiest ways to check if its the head gasket is take off the oil cap and see if there is any milky color on the cap or if the oil smells real strong like gas....if the car blows white smoke(after if warms up to operating temp)....those are signs if the gasket is really blown bad....you may still have a small whole but the chances of the head and block being warped are alot less....also do a coolant flush...make sure the radiator is not clogged or anything....if you do decide to replace the head gasket i would do the water pump and timing belt at the same time...but if you dont know about cars i would def NOT diy....or get a friend who has some experience as it is quick if you know what your doing but can take hrs if you dont

 
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antifreezee is fine and the coolan level is ok and yes my car has white smoke coming out of the pipe what i see the other day too is the antifreeze is not circulating through the engine and with the radiator cap open and the engine on i see some bubbles coming from inside the radiator

BTW there is picture of my car


thanks

 
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Yeah, its a HG, its always good to just be sure before you do something expensive.

But I would start calling shops and find the best deal, I say dont get a junkyard motor, you never know what youre getting into with one of those unless you rebuild it. The gasket is $35, and a valve cover gasket is $7, but labor is ridiculous. Sometimes it sucks having to pay someone else to do something for you.

 
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yessss im lossing oil an the upper hose is always with high pressure look like is gonna explode thanks

 
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that sounds to me like you have air bubbles in your system and you need to bleed it....open the rad cap...run the car with the heat on till you see all of the bubbles go away. also make sure the rad is not clogged.

 
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It takes a lot longer than an hour to change the head gasket in your driveway, especially the first time. IMO. Don't go expecting it to be a gravy job. If your over a certain number of miles it's also a good idea to change your timing belt, which makes the job even more complex. If the antifreeze is not circulating you could also have a water pump issue.

 
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The bubbles are probably the lost compression from wherever the leak is, the white smoke is the antifreeze being drawn in during the intake stroke, and the bubbles being from the compression stroke.

To be absolutely sure would require a simple compression check.

 
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anyone close to connecticut who want to make $400 cash just for change the head gasket i paid parts and anything else that money only for the labor

i have car garage but no tools so if somebody want to do it let me know o if dont like my money offert tell me how much any of u can charge to do it..... anyone close

 
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You say the coolant level is okay... is the overflow full to the top ? Way past the max line?

 
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i live about 20min away in ny....one of my friends always does side jobs with motor swaps turbo kits all that good stuff.... i will have him pm you if he is interested in doing that

 
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yess is overflow the deposit is almost full always

 
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ok let me know if u friend wanna come and see the car and fir how much $

 
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last question motor Vtec is gonna make my car more fast thanks

 
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Its not gonna make it noticeably faster, and to control it is gonna cost more too, unless you plan on getting serious with working on your civic, then its definitely not worth it.

 
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I gotta 2002 dx w/ d17a2 Ex vtec swap... I had issues w/the heads & decided to upgrade to vtec... I bought a well kept engine for 600 +50 tax & Had my uncle swap it, he's a mechanic.. The only major bill besides engine was the $400 apex neo Vtec Controller & $100 installation. I used same ECU & engine harnest. I feel the pull ALOT, my gas suffers a lil but now I'm saving for a K-Swap...

 
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The difference between the d17a1 and d17a2 is only 12hp, don't swap the motor you won't feel any significant difference. The only reason to consider installing a new motor when you have an issue like a head gasket is if you have an engine with extremely high miles.