PERSONALLY I WOULD JUST REPLACE THE HEAD GASKET. ITS ALWAYS NICE TO HAVE AND YOU DONT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IT FOR A LONG TIME. ITS PRETTY EASY IF YOU GOT A HAYES MANUAL. AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT THE CONDITION OF YOUR HEAD, VALVES AND YOUR PISTON AND CYLINDER WALLS.IF YOU DO CHOOSE DO DO IT MARK THE TIMING BELT AND THE CAM GEAR AND DONTTURN THE BOTTOM OFTHE ENGINE OVER AT ALL, KEEP TENSION ON THE TIMING BELT SO IT DOESNT DROP OFF THE TEETH ON THE BOTTOM AND YOU CAN SKIP HAVING TO RETIMEIT ALL TOGETHER. JUST MAKE SURE YOU GET IT BACK ON THE MARKSTHAT'LL SAVE YOU ALOT OF TIME AND ALOT OF HEADACES

 

do a cylinder leak down test. pull of the intake tub and open the oil cap when when you are doing it listen for leaking air. from all around the engine and check the exhaust. Thats the way you will know.

 

I agree with 95civic about doing a leak down test. If you do replace the head gasket, go rent a timing gun and set your timing properly. It takes a lot of effort to try to leave your timing completely synchronized when you remove your distributor. All that effort would take you more time than the 15 minutes it takes to set your timing with a timing gun.

 

You might not have a bad head gasket you could have bad rings. You could have a cracked head. leaking valves. So just replacing a head gasket on a hunch is not the way to go. You need to do more testing and researching.

 

While bad rings and/or valves seems an unlikely explanation for the loss of coolant, I agree that doing the leak down test you mentioned would be a good idea.

 

By the way, did you do this compression test as Forty04 recommends here:

https://www.hondacivicforum.com/arch...-386770-1.html

 

O i was just using that as an example of just because something isn't running right. Doesn't mean its that one thing. Thats all. What i just said sounds confusing