Hello, I have a 95 civic thats getting oil in the water, 1 cylinder is dropping out at idle at times, car is now beginning to die at stop signs. Head gasket? Can I replace the head gasket and be done with it??? Or is it more involved? Temp guage is starting to fluctuate above the normal slighly over 1/4. One time it went full hot then shot back down slowly. I keep having to add antifreeze but that could be because it keeps blowing off the overflow hose. (hose has no clamp on it, very loose) so when the pressure builds up, it pops a quick burst of overflow out the cap. Is there anything special to these motors that I need to know like head bolts use only once or maybe .........head has to be milled upon gasket replace? Id like to know what to expect before I tear it apart. Also the heat is getting intermittent. Gotta rev it to get coolant flow through heater core at times. I just replaced heater core last year. car has 155000 on it(assuming the motor is original). Manual trans......was automatic. Cracked head? Any no no's I should know about? I could just drop a motor in it one of those used ones I guess but if this is fixable then fix it. Previous owner had some kind of stop leak in it. not sure what kind.....maybe it was for this problem...dunno. I do know I replaced the radiator because the top tank was cracked .............no antifreeze??? Im in ohio. The trans had rust stains on top of it so yeah, neglected coolant. I should check the spark plugs, and do a compression check too. Also I paid 200 for the car because the owner didnt install the timimg belt correctly(flipped over bottom pully timing belt guide washer) Car ran ok after I threw on a good belt.

 

Yep. Sounds like a head gasket. You'll need to replace the head gasket and most likely all your coolant hoses if there is a good amount of oil in the coolant. The oil will start to deteriorate the rubber hoses and cause them weaken and leak. So thermostat, coolant hoses, be sure to flush the radiator out good too before installing the new hoses, headgasket and might as well do a valve cover gasket, water pump (prolly the cause of your having to rev it to get heat) and plugs while your there.
Check the head for any warping too. The overheating my have warped the head or block and damaged it. If its good and straight you'll only have to clean both the head and block surfaces where the new gasket will be. Head bolts are not torque to yield so you can re-use them.

 

I replaced the water pump when I did the T belt when I got the car. Pump from advanced auto, new. Thats only 10,000 miles ago. If the block does turn out to be warped, its done? Previous owner said he did a head gasket on it. I think due to his incompetance, it just might be warped. When I take the head off, plan on a valve job? Dunno how much that will cost. Hoses are new too. Oil was noticed about 2 months ago so dont think hoses are bad. What does it do if the head is cracked? Or is that a lot worse symtom that would not allow me to drive it? Contemplating on whether to tear it apart now or wait. Once its torn apart, its not movable. Yes I have the space outside, but Im not gonna put my vintage 64 vw bus and 66 vw bug outside in the snow just to tear this thing apart and find out its not fixable right away for one reason or another.

 

Well if the block is warped then I'd say the motor is done. Swap a new (used) one in there and be done with it. If just the head is warped you can get it machined. A valve job is not necessary but I'd install new valve seals while im in there. If the head is cracked just replace it.But you could be lucky and he may have just installed the head gasket incorrectly and all you'll have to do is put a new one on.

 

I would lean toward replacing the whole engine. Neither the head or the bottom half withstands driving while overheated at all. If you can find a local used one with a guarantee, it would be time and money ahead to just replace it rather than fiddle with the old one which is likely completely toast.

 

Yeah thats just it. The whole dam thing is aluminum. Not sure how much a long block costs. I quit driving it for now. Yes you could be right. Previous owner is a complete idiot. Now is it possable that the temp sensor was just right in the middle of an air hot pocket, and the engine really didnt get hot?

 

Mmmm. Hot Pocket. haha j/k Well does it run ok now? No smoke, using coolant or leaks?

 

Well yes it does still run. not perfect every time it drops to idle. Sometimes it will die. Not sure if the 195 degree thermostat hurt it or not. Do they tend to run horrible when the head or block is warped?

 

I'm pretty sure the stock thermostat is 195 degree. Do you have any unusual smoke from the tailpipe? Also try disconnecting the fuel injectors one at a time while it is idling to detect a dead cylinder.