So I was like browsing NAPA Online, looking for the head gasket kit for my Civic (in case I have to). Here's what I got.

The GENUINE © ® (TM) HONDA gasket kit is $219.99
The NAPA kit that "Contains Nitroseal Head Gasket" is $124.00
The NAPA kit that does not contain Nitroseal is $159.00

Do you know of the difference between these?

P.S. Also, I am losing coolant again. I am sure it is not a hose leak this time. All hoses are new, radiator is new, thermostat is new, radiator cap is newer than new. After ~200 miles of driving, I open the radiator cap when the engine is COLD (like in the morning) and I get a "psssch" of air rushing in. I have to fill the radiator 16oz. about.

 

dont know about the nitro, but you should see a milky (white) substance on the dipstick

 

So far, my dippy is clean, well, except for the dirtied in less than 2000 miles oil.

 

Is it leaking at all? I just replaced a head gasket on a 89 civic I just bought because the previous owner said that he was loosing coolant and steaming white from under the hood. I found out that I replaced the head gasket (probably for nothing but 185k on the car, it was probably going to blow soon anyways) and I came to find out that after replacing the head gasket, the car was shooting water everywhere from around the timing belt cover. Have you checked your water pump? Theres a weep hole that is designed to leak when the water pump goes bad. When the bearings are shot, the water pump gear/rod will get lose and allow coolant to come from the weep hole.

You may not see an immediate leak because on my car, the water pump is behined the timing belt cover and all of the water was sitting in the bottom cover and you actually had to pry back a little bit to release the water and see that there was a leak. Just my 2 cents!

 

does not appear to be the head gasket then.
what model, year, and how many miles

 

93 EG8, D15B7, almost 147,000 miles, NO leak from the water pump. Timing belt and pump changed at 130,000. Only started "using" coolant this month. Before, it would not use anything, and when the hose would leak then collant would disapear, now coolant disappears, but it retains pressure. It has positive pressure like this morning, when I opened it and air went into the overfill tank. Every other time I had a leak I would open the cap uneventfully and either the coolant was full or it was empty. Coolant in the overfill tank does not refill the radiator. Additional coolant (up to 16 oz per 200 miles) is needed to refill.

Again, new parts:

ALL new hoses (because they were breaking), radiator (was rusty and corroded inside), thermostat (regular maintenance), radiator cap (because I broke the last one), water pump (130,000 miles, regular maintenance).

 

guess it is a little bit and being burnt off - so does not show in the oil.
i buy the head gasket at autozone for bout 20 bucks.
a la carte is a lot less

 

True yes they have just the gasket at NAPA too for like $25 or so. However, what if the other gaskets on the way to the head gasket don't come quietly?

 

there are those spark plug tube seals - well if they leak then will need to be replaced; but it not, then should be ok.
same with the valve cover gasket (IMHO)
but then camshaft seal - does it leak; when was it changed. if never, then would be a good idea since you are in there

 

Well, my radiator failed. It started puking coolant last week out of the bottom seal between the plastic and aluminium. I got a warranty replacement, but what did the dude say? On the back of the warranty paper it says that seal fails if there is too much PSI, caused by either a leaking head gasket or a fan that fails to turn on. My question being, doesn't that defeat the purpose of the radiator cap, which is designed to releve PSI into the overfill tank if it exceeds the rated PSI on the cap?

Anyways, I drove a lot today, so tomorrow morning I will open the cap again and see if it goes psssch or not. I think it will, though.