^use a Y8 head gasket, it's stronger

and to let you know, you'll burn a tiny bit of oil in VTEC. have you been engaging VTEC a lot?

when the oil level was checked, was the car level both times?


how long had the engine been sitting when you checked the oil just now?

 

So I guess you cleared up what gasket to use......I'm guessing the entire kit for y8 is fine?! I found this on EBay: cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/96-00-1-6-Honda-Civic-VTEC-D16Y5-D16Y7-D16Y8-Engine-Kit_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33620QQihZ023QQitem Z360120111933QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

It asks for size....I'm guessing at this point I need standard. Then it says Thrust Washers (if applicable), duno what that is so.....ok, don't know how or when vtec engages sad to say. All I know is there's one solenoid that just sits there unconnected (guessing due to replacing the Y7, and one cut wire right above the oil filter but none of those ever seemed to affect operation or performance. A friend of mine suggested that I should use strictly antifreeze if I decide to go ahead with the overhaul because coolant eats out stuff a lot faster. I really may sound like I have some idea of what I talk about but I don't as much as it'd seem, I just try to learn enough to give you guys info in the right direction . So anyways, if the kit in the link is fine then I can just have my cousin pick one up instead of ordering cuz it'd be a lot cheaper than having to pay the $300 than duty & freight to get it here cuz that could be about $200 extra based on the pics I'm seeing cuz we're charged by weight and or dimensions of packaging . The mounts here are about $400 too lol so I guess I'm gonna have to change those later on by myself due to lack of money and most of you would say wait but that's not much of an option, I don't like the idea of my gf from walking home from work when her mom never shows or she gets tired of waiting. For a VERY GOOD repair (not someone who just knows how to fix it, but I mean REALLY KNOWS HOW without over tightening something etc is around $1400). So by local purchase I'm looking at about $2300 for everything to be done and done RIGHT but with having the parts brought for me maybe would cost about $500 tops maybe a whole lot less which is still $1400 labor here is still around $1900, a little better I know. But I guess if I shop around I can find a good ACE Certified mechanic that's willing to charge a cheaper price right?! Oh and yes the car was leveled both times, I checked before I drained the oil (three times). Since I drained the oil the car was sitting leveled for about 2 - 3 wks before I put the oil bk in the my uncle to check out the car but then I remembered I forgot the oil pan under the car at some point and I moved a little so my mom wouldn't have such a task of parking properly when she comes over and some of the oil spilled out, didn't think it was much so I think maybe since the oil and steam are coming up from the filter box maybe that would account for some of it as well (beats me).

 

NEVER use an eBay gasket.

Don't run straight antifreeze... antifreeze doesn't cool as well as water. The reasons for the existence of antifreeze are to raise the coolant mixture's boiling point, prevent corrosion of the system, and to keep the coolant mixture from freezing.
Run like a 60/40 (60% water, 40% antifreeze) mix if you want to run more water/less antifreeze (you live in the bahamas so you'll be fine).

btw, coolant is the term for whatever you are running in the cooling system, whether it be straight water (not recommended), 50/50 mix, or 60/40 mix or anything. I think the word you meant was "water."

 

Lol actually I posted that link to ask if a kit containing all these components would be good, if you notice, I did say my cousin could get it when he goes to the US and it would make no sense ordering since duty & freight would be high based on weight and dimensions. Thank you for clearing up the antifreeze, i think he said to get a good one that's already mixed. So is a kit like that ok? I mean with all those components and a good y8 gasket kit. I think things would be a whole lot easier if my uncle would stop b.s'ing me and getting me to by an entire overhaul kit. If someone could tell me the EXACT problem that'd be great, I'm sure it can't be that bad, the car can drive but I dare not. There's just pressure building up and the oil is coming up out of the air filter box along with alot of steam. Maybe getting a short video clip or some pictures would assist so someone can actually SEE what I'm talking about?

 

oh ok

you don't need new pistons for sure, but everything else in the kit would be a good idea to replace.
before you go replacing pistons, figure out the problem.
you're also going to need new head bolts (OEM ones cannot be reused). I'd get a set of ARP head studs, because they're stronger and can be reused. If you ever have to take the head back off, you won't have to replace the studs again if you have ARPs.

and yea, a video would help. a picture speaks a thousand words. a video speaks 30,000 words per second. (@ 30FPS) lol

 

Lol ok cool, I'll borrow my mom's camera by sunday. I never bothered getting one since my gf's picture crazy lol but I bought my mom one for xmas. I kinda figured the pistons don't need replacing and I don't even know anything about cars. Like I said my uncle seems to be b.s'ing me just because he's too lazy to properly check. It's kinda his fault this happened in the first place. The car was running hot before and I got him to change the water pump after nagging him for 3 wks straight. Then after about 3 days after the change I noticed the car was still rising in temperature but not as much as before and I told him about it but all he did was b.s me for a few days and say fill the radiator lol. THEN one day I nagged him til he checked and all he did was bleed the radiator which he forgot to do when he changed the water pump to begin with. But wait, the problem just went away for about a wk & a half after that lol. Of course now I know even though it's family who I would have to say is CLAIMING to look out for me and save me money has actually COST me money so I'm not gonna even bother asking him anymore. Duno why I let them talk me into saving cuz I believe in paying to fix it right the FIRST time because like I always tell my gf, cheap isn't always the way to go.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYU8yepM6d4



There's also a muddy brown color in the radiator which originally I thought was just because it needed to be steam cleaned or rodded out (whatever it's called) but another uncle told me a few minutes ago that it could be a blown head gasket but it's been that way about a month before the other problem so any input would be great. Sorry I didn't walk through on the video but it should still be self explanitory, didn't know the camera was recording audio since when I originally did the recording there was no audio playback, turns out it was just the camera (I feel like such a camera noob lol). By the way, the hose that goes from the valve cover to the steel pipe to the other hose to the air filter box (don't ask) was broken at the tip so I cut it off and placed the hose back on reluctantly but no shops had a new hose (just to let you know to clarify all angles for accurate input). Thanks.

 

I've personally never seen that, but you have a check engine light. Retrieve the code!

I think that engine's toast. That, or a headgasket...

 

i wouldn't doubt it if the piston rings, valve seals, and head gasket were all bad.

 

So would it be better to go with an overhaul or just replace the engine? The car runs so I am skeptical of the engine being toast. The CEL is from adjusting the idle speed. Since the car is down right now I didn't bother to remove it.