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Hey All!

I have a 2002 Honda Civic ex and I want to swap the engine out for something that won't have a common head gasket issue. I don't care about horsepower or extra hp, I just want my baby
to make it past 300K miles! She's almost to 200K and I just want her to have a nice life. She's paid for already too. Please help. Thank you!

 
Rep Power: 125

You’re best off just staying with the d-series that’s in it. My old 7th gen (now my little brother’s) has over 200k miles on it now and I’ve never had to do the head gasket. I bought it at roughly 140k miles and I don’t think it was something that was replaced recently.

The only other option really is to K-swap, which would cost you about $3000 to do yourself.

 
Rep Power: 223

Stay stock and just keep watching the coolant levels and temp gauge. If you start having issues get the head gasket replaced and keep on going. Even if you pay someone to do the head gasket you're talking about $1k, much cheaper than a swap. My head gasket was replaced around 170k miles, took it to 250k before K swapping. Besides burning some oil there wasn't anything wrong with the stock engine.

 
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I got the Head Gasket changed a year ago. I posted another thread where I took a video of how it sounds. Someone told me there may be an air bubble in the system and the water pump on it may not be the right model. I'm not sure where to get a Honda version water pump.

 
Rep Power: 125

Gates is the OEM for Honda timing belts and water pumps. You can get an entire kit from Napa for around $100.

 
Rep Power: 517

Link?
Any Honda dealership.

 
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And Thank you!

 
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i only heard what sounded like someone whistled very briefly, twice.
Also, no image in the video, it was black.

 
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Yea that was the sound. It sound like someone is whistling, but it is coming from the engine.
And it doesn't do it all the time, mostly when I'm slowing down or idling. Even then, it's intermittent.

 
Rep Power: 517

I suspect the whistle would be caused by a vacuum leak, though that's just a hunch based only on the sound clip.
Tracking down the source may be a trick. Would help a lot if you can make it make the noise yourself, or the noise becomes predictable or more frequent.

How to find the noise? Maybe a length of hose or tubing held to your ear.... probe around with the free end like a stethoscope,,,,,,where is the noise the loudest, pinpoint the origin or source

Chunk of old garden hose, maybe heater hose if you got some laying around (i have car parts laying around lol), something like that with a good size inside diameter
(narrow tubing like small vacuum hose seems to muffle or deaden some sounds, experiment)


Real quick and obscure checks, maybe:
Does the noise stop if you remove the oil cap?
Does the noise stop if you (SAFELY) loosen the radiator cap? (to relieve pressure in the radiator)

 
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Can a vacuum leak cause overheating?
Also, the whistle sound seems to come it when the fans turn on.
I can't seem to make it happen, it kinda does it randomly. But if I catch the sound again, I will try to work on it. Imma post a picture of a hose on my engine because it has a slit in it and I don't know what the hose is called or what it is even for.

 
Rep Power: 517

Imma say no not in your case, but if you're talking to other car people some racers may tell you that running too lean can make an engine overheat. That's true but does not apply to your situation. Clue. If the noise changes or quits as a direct result of when you relieve pressure on the cooling system, it could be coming from the water pump shaft seal.

 
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I don't see Gates on the Napa.com website.

 
Rep Power: 125

It’s “Napa” brand but it’s all Gates. As someone who exclusively purchases timing belt + tensioner kits from Napa, I can vouch for it.

Just look it up.

 
Rep Power: 517

That reminds me...Dealer timing belt on the shelf has a gates logo on it.
Didn't have a new pump to check, but i doubt gates made it.
gates.com ?

 
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Idk if this little hose has anything to do with Overheating or aire getting in my system I dont know what it it calles or where to look for another, but it has a small slit on the underside of the hose.

 
Rep Power: 517

Vent tube, goes to air filter box so PCV system can draw in fresh filtered air.
Atmospheric pressure so its not a manifold vacuum leak, but if it were missing completely you might hear sounds from the throttle area. Just how big is the slit?