Honda certified and ASE certified technician here, a simple and basic head gasket mating surface refinishing is recommended as a bare minimum. Any reputable professional repair shop will automatically send the head off to be inspected and resurfaced, and even possibly to get a valve job. Most DIYers though, will skip this step and only replace the head gasket and call it a day without checking for warping. If you’re a DIYer, I strongly recommend that you use a precision ground straight edge and feeler gauge to check for warping on the head AND the block. If there is no warping or it’s within specifications, then most likely it will be fine with just cleaning the surfaces and putting a new gasket on it. If it is warped beyond specifications, and you still decide to not spend the time and money, well, then make sure to keep your tools handy because you’ll be doing the job again very soon. Checking for warpage is the most important part of any head gasket repair especially if the engine has been overheated.
Make sure there is no oil or coolant in the holes in the block for the head bolts. Blow out with compressed air. If oil is in there, tightening down the head bolts can crack the block.
Did you get all the air out of the cooling system? Air will cause the high idle as well as the high temp. The exhaust manifold on there has a tendency to crack around the upper O2 sensor near the head. Can seem like a gasket issue but hairline crack. Can be hard to see. Good luck.
Did my timing belt cuz the water pump was leaking, couldn't get it tensioned enough despite following 4 different youtube videos, thought I had it good enough, a few weeks later I downshifted to go around a roundabout and jumped timing. ONLY 2 teeth, but I think I smacked a valve, because now I got 50psi in the 4th cylinder, and 180 in the rest. Hoping I didn't screw up piston rings or anything so this job that you just did doesn't turn into me pulling the rest of the engine.
Most people use Zerex Blue 50/50. Ive heard stories of people having erosion caused by metallic water. Id never use water unless im in a desperate situation..if you do use water in a pinch, you might aswell run the prestone coolikg system cleaner. then drain it after.
Great video! I have a D16z6 with 245k miles in a 95 civic sedan. I plan on swapping that engine to another 95 civic but coupe. I have no heating issue but you think I should replace the head gasket or just leave it as is until I have symptoms?
Leave it as is but when you do go to do it do not I repeat do not take out the timing belt tensioner bolt it will strip it completely out if you do helicoil it. I did it on my d16z6 same as yours the ex sedan
So while your doing this, can you change out water pump and iming belt at the same time? I’m replacing all 3 plus the spark plugs. What do you recommend
The hardest part about changing the water pump, is removing the lower timing cover. It's easier in an eg and even an ek, but tougher in the ef models. But you absolutely could. After removing the lower timing cover, everything is pretty simple, just nuts and bolts. There is an o ring to keep the water pump housing from leaking, so make sure you keep an eye on that when putting it on, and you can Google/UA-cam how to put the engine back in time and properly use the tensioner. Also a very simple process on these single cam engines. If you run into any issues or have any more questions be sure to let me know! I'll try to help the best I can
Hey there, I am not in the same exact engine as this, but a 2nd gen. 1500. Do I see a red one in the pop up garage? MY one 1500 definitely has a head gasket leak, 2 low compression cylinders. Been dreading the job due to life events causing low ability to devote the time.
I see the part where you slip the belt off, instead of dismantling more and getting at the tensioner etc. On my EW 1.5 I have roughly 185k miles on it and think I ought to do the tensioner, new belt the whole 9 yards. Do you know if it is simpler to do so on that engine vs this one you demo?
Or someone poured in stop leak and plugged the radiator fins or a coolant passage. Or the fan is weak or not getting a signal but probably wouldn’t affect it at highway speeds. Or the water pump is going out.
The car has been sitting since, we've just been so busy but there will be an update video soon! Our boy speedy tuning is holding the car he's going to throw a radiator in it hopefully this week! Sorry I haven't posted but I'm about to start posting!
You needed to copper spray the head gasket for good seal. Thats only gonna last you less than a year if that. You should’ve also taken the head in to get machined and part washed to ensure a better seat on the gasket
@@jameshughes131 whats that mean? If I understand correctly the part that makes a VTech is the valve train. What does the difference in water jacket blockage do?
@@ItsSIR2YOU117 I don't know somebody was saying that the non VTEC one had blocked off holes. The gasket for the VTech in the non VTEC are different from my understanding
Its not hard. I changed mine but it is annoying everything you have to get out of your way to get to it and then put everything back. I jumped up and down like some little kid when i was done. 😂
Thank you for the feedback! Believe it or not it was the radiator! And I need that kind of input I'll be checking my music volume. I appreciate you watching!
@Only4Cylinders ay man I got my girl a 96 Del sol with the d16y8 and were having the same issue. Coolant and pressure in the coolant reservoir. I'm curious about you saying it's the radiator. I can see the cooling system is HELLA rusty and nasty. I did the thermostat on it as it was Stuck open but now it's running correct temp but doing what yours was. Any tips?
@Only4Cylinders I'm going to bring my head gasket leak detector tester tomorrow and see of I get anything with that. But I'm kinda curious to run some hard-core coolant flush (to get into the engine sleeves and clean up all the nasty shit even in the heater core.) And then swap out that radiator
@@stealthhelp I would say replace the radiator and go from there. It worked for me in my dad's crv as well. So hard to believe but it worked. It may have been a situation but it did. If you can manage doing the head gasket that was usually my answer to solve an issue like this but a radiator is an easier attempt for sure so why not start there 🤷
Just did one on mine because it blew and never got it looked at. I slapped it together and it’s perfectly fine even after a 8 hour road trip Hondas are bulletproof
You should definitely get the head skimmed if the car has overheated. If the engine has never overheated, chances are it'll be fine. Many of my mates have changed head gaskets without skimming the heads. No issues afterwards.
Honda certified and ASE certified technician here, a simple and basic head gasket mating surface refinishing is recommended as a bare minimum. Any reputable professional repair shop will automatically send the head off to be inspected and resurfaced, and even possibly to get a valve job. Most DIYers though, will skip this step and only replace the head gasket and call it a day without checking for warping. If you’re a DIYer, I strongly recommend that you use a precision ground straight edge and feeler gauge to check for warping on the head AND the block. If there is no warping or it’s within specifications, then most likely it will be fine with just cleaning the surfaces and putting a new gasket on it. If it is warped beyond specifications, and you still decide to not spend the time and money, well, then make sure to keep your tools handy because you’ll be doing the job again very soon. Checking for warpage is the most important part of any head gasket repair especially if the engine has been overheated.
THIS GUY IS RIGHT. I've seen these videos on youtube but no one checks or attempts to resurface the head.
Make sure there is no oil or coolant in the holes in the block for the head bolts. Blow out with compressed air. If oil is in there, tightening down the head bolts can crack the block.
I feel a lot more people should be told this!
I had the issue of overheating and coolant blowing out of rhe overflow it was the radiator cap.
Did you get all the air out of the cooling system? Air will cause the high idle as well as the high temp. The exhaust manifold on there has a tendency to crack around the upper O2 sensor near the head. Can seem like a gasket issue but hairline crack. Can be hard to see. Good luck.
We used a burp funnel for quite a while. And thank you for that! I really appreciate you watching.
yeah, my header manifold was cracked right on the o2 sensor
Good to know that Gates makes the OEM belts for Honda!
So what’s the update on this ?
Did my timing belt cuz the water pump was leaking, couldn't get it tensioned enough despite following 4 different youtube videos, thought I had it good enough, a few weeks later I downshifted to go around a roundabout and jumped timing. ONLY 2 teeth, but I think I smacked a valve, because now I got 50psi in the 4th cylinder, and 180 in the rest. Hoping I didn't screw up piston rings or anything so this job that you just did doesn't turn into me pulling the rest of the engine.
The d series is really eazy and my 90si is a Beasty to it yourself playa but you will need your tools!just for your car
Is it not necessary to use the blue coolant in these engines?
I use green, doesn’t matter it’s not a fancy euro car
Most people use Zerex Blue 50/50. Ive heard stories of people having erosion caused by metallic water. Id never use water unless im in a desperate situation..if you do use water in a pinch, you might aswell run the prestone coolikg system cleaner. then drain it after.
Actually after watching this all the way to the end, Don't come over. 😅 But you do get a A for effort & a fun personality lol
Can d16 head gasket work in d15?
Hey you know that 83 in your pop up tent is a little gem right should be treated way better than a parts holder 😂
Great video! I have a D16z6 with 245k miles in a 95 civic sedan. I plan on swapping that engine to another 95 civic but coupe. I have no heating issue but you think I should replace the head gasket or just leave it as is until I have symptoms?
honestly, i wouldn't fix what aint broken. you could pull your desired engine from the junkyard, and get an engine stand to (re)build it.
Leave it as is but when you do go to do it do not I repeat do not take out the timing belt tensioner bolt it will strip it completely out if you do helicoil it. I did it on my d16z6 same as yours the ex sedan
So while your doing this, can you change out water pump and iming belt at the same time? I’m replacing all 3 plus the spark plugs. What do you recommend
The hardest part about changing the water pump, is removing the lower timing cover. It's easier in an eg and even an ek, but tougher in the ef models. But you absolutely could. After removing the lower timing cover, everything is pretty simple, just nuts and bolts. There is an o ring to keep the water pump housing from leaking, so make sure you keep an eye on that when putting it on, and you can Google/UA-cam how to put the engine back in time and properly use the tensioner. Also a very simple process on these single cam engines. If you run into any issues or have any more questions be sure to let me know! I'll try to help the best I can
@@Speedytuning did u ever find the problem?
The honda civics ex or si From 96- 2000 are really easy to fix
Does the head need to be sent to a machine shop ?
You should just need to remove the head and replace the gasket from what I understand idk what you would need to machine off
@@rustyegg2383 heads get warped a lot
If you overheated your car lots of times yeah
That bracket is support for the weight of the intake , could crack without it
Hey there, I am not in the same exact engine as this, but a 2nd gen. 1500. Do I see a red one in the pop up garage? MY one 1500 definitely has a head gasket leak, 2 low compression cylinders. Been dreading the job due to life events causing low ability to devote the time.
I see the part where you slip the belt off, instead of dismantling more and getting at the tensioner etc. On my EW 1.5 I have roughly 185k miles on it and think I ought to do the tensioner, new belt the whole 9 yards. Do you know if it is simpler to do so on that engine vs this one you demo?
A nod to the man who can laugh at 22:18
Honestly great video im about to do mine
What size are the head bolts?
I have exactly the same original Honda Gates timing belt on my 94 Civic Coupe. It is still in good shape.
That's awesome! Nothing like oem Honda baby!
@@Speedytuning Exactly!
So why was it still overheating? Did you guys figure it out?
no copper spray gasket?
My Y8 hg is starting to fail in the exact same spot yours did. Hmm
Do you put oil on head gasket or put it in dry?
Lol…..u serious?
Maybe a clogged radiator.
I agree, it looks like someone put block sealant into cooling system.
What is the cylinder head torque, respectively?
15
36
49
So 15 first time then go up
Love this video.
Thank you! Really glad you found us!
Good video 👍🏾
Thank you! With this being my first time trying a how to video it means alot for you to say that!
DID YOU EVER FIX IT?,....Did the gasket fail???
Radiator was plugged
Gasket isn’t gonna fail
My guess is thermostat or air in system is why it’s overheating still
Or someone poured in stop leak and plugged the radiator fins or a coolant passage. Or the fan is weak or not getting a signal but probably wouldn’t affect it at highway speeds. Or the water pump is going out.
Or possibly the cat is clogged causing head pressure
Radiator was plugged up 😊
Thermostat or water pump
It was a clogged radiator 🎉
Thanks for skipping the most important part. Great job!
Elaborate pls i need to know this
Update video?
The car has been sitting since, we've just been so busy but there will be an update video soon! Our boy speedy tuning is holding the car he's going to throw a radiator in it hopefully this week! Sorry I haven't posted but I'm about to start posting!
@@Speedytuning what about the water inlet outlet next to the thermostat. Are we properly torque that thing down
You needed to copper spray the head gasket for good seal. Thats only gonna last you less than a year if that. You should’ve also taken the head in to get machined and part washed to ensure a better seat on the gasket
Brain exploding here, I did mine and it didn’t occur to me to just take off the head with the intake on. That’s so much easier 😂
Why are there no holes on the outside of the #4 cylinder? Weird
I'm not sure, it is kinda weird
I was wondering the same thing why would they want to restrict the coolant unevenly across the block maybe those cylinders run slightly warm or cold.
@@ItsSIR2YOU117 I think it's non VTech vs VTech?
@@jameshughes131 whats that mean? If I understand correctly the part that makes a VTech is the valve train. What does the difference in water jacket blockage do?
@@ItsSIR2YOU117 I don't know somebody was saying that the non VTEC one had blocked off holes. The gasket for the VTech in the non VTEC are different from my understanding
I swapped the headgasket on a 1999 honda cívic lx but it just cranks but doesn’t start
You might have missed something double-check wiring and things u unplugged.
@@jrburger1987could also be the timing is off, or even the distributor forced on backwards
Its not hard. I changed mine but it is annoying everything you have to get out of your way to get to it and then put everything back. I jumped up and down like some little kid when i was done. 😂
Video would be better without the music.
Thermostat could be bad. Too much music and too loud. Thanks nice informative video anyway.
Thank you for the feedback! Believe it or not it was the radiator! And I need that kind of input I'll be checking my music volume. I appreciate you watching!
@Only4Cylinders ay man I got my girl a 96 Del sol with the d16y8 and were having the same issue. Coolant and pressure in the coolant reservoir. I'm curious about you saying it's the radiator. I can see the cooling system is HELLA rusty and nasty. I did the thermostat on it as it was Stuck open but now it's running correct temp but doing what yours was. Any tips?
@Only4Cylinders I'm going to bring my head gasket leak detector tester tomorrow and see of I get anything with that. But I'm kinda curious to run some hard-core coolant flush (to get into the engine sleeves and clean up all the nasty shit even in the heater core.) And then swap out that radiator
@@stealthhelp I would say replace the radiator and go from there. It worked for me in my dad's crv as well. So hard to believe but it worked. It may have been a situation but it did. If you can manage doing the head gasket that was usually my answer to solve an issue like this but a radiator is an easier attempt for sure so why not start there 🤷
@@stealthhelp yea I think that's a great idea for sure, getting it flushed will ensure you it's clean and easy to flow
Already had a misconception or direction support, he didn’t set cams to TDC
I got a headache 6 mins into watching this. Can u just come over & I'll pay u to replace mine? 😊 I'm serious
Wrong , head needs to be inspected / resurfaced and valve seals should get replaced .
Is that why it was over heating still
Your mom needs to be inspected and resurfaced
You don’t have to it’s a recommendation
Just did one on mine because it blew and never got it looked at. I slapped it together and it’s perfectly fine even after a 8 hour road trip Hondas are bulletproof
You should definitely get the head skimmed if the car has overheated. If the engine has never overheated, chances are it'll be fine. Many of my mates have changed head gaskets without skimming the heads. No issues afterwards.
None of the pistons are steam cleaned. Head gasket was fine.
Thermostat stuck easy fix hook fans on switch also to run 24/7
Radiator was plugged