Ooh, pretty white smoke, and lots of it.

[4DoorAccordDX]

Yeah, I think it's my head gasket. So, now what do I do? I was lookin through my Haynes book, and it looks like I am gonna have to tear the whole friggin engine apart just to get the head off. To say I am pissed would be the understatement of the year. Ok guys, your turn. What do i do? How do I do it? What is my checking account going to look like after I'm done? I am playin with the idea of just tearin the engine out and rebuilding it, but I'm not sure finances will alow that. I figured a crate motor would last more than one year. Ok, enough from me, now its your turn.

2-Knee

[Elijah]

Just get a new motor from the reckers

[k-roy]

Check you oil and coolant. If there is oil in the coolant or coolant in the oil then its definitly a blown gasket.

Chances are you don't need a rebuild. Stock blocks go over 200,000 miles without a problem all the time. If you replace just the head gasket it can be done in a weekend for around $100.

The process is pretty straitforeward. Rip of the intake and exaughst manifolds, take off the accesories, remove the timing belt (if you don't replace the belt then you are stupid), then the head pulls right off. Clean it up and bolt it all back together. You should go ahead and replace the water pump while you are at it, I just did mine and it cost me $26, check the howto section for my most recent post there.


http://www.pauldesign.ru/honda/shopmanual.html <---Download the manual from there.

[4DoorAccordDX]

Yeah, there is a little bit of the white milky stuff startin to show up. It just happened and I hardly ran it after it started smokin. From my Haybes, it saying I have to take off pretty much everything just to change the head. (p/s pump, ac pump, alternator, etc, etc...) Maybe I am just reading it wrong. I'll download that manual and see if I can figure things out. Does anyone have a complete how-to on how to replace a head gasket?

2-Knee

[Nuffice]

Constant White Smoke = Coolant.
Fix it quick, before you warp the head.

[SteveDX89]

I don't see why you'd have to pull the a/c compressor, p/s pump, and alternator. That stuff is all bolted to the block. I think this is something you would want to do yourself. The cost savings is ridiculous. I've seen some threads that say a head gasket job is up to $800. Kroy did it for $26. I think I'd rather take the time out of my schedule and do it myself for that kind of savings. Good luck.

[k-roy]

I don't see why you'd have to pull the a/c compressor, p/s pump, and alternator. That stuff is all bolted to the block. I think this is something you would want to do yourself. The cost savings is ridiculous. I've seen some threads that say a head gasket job is up to $800. Kroy did it for $26. I think I'd rather take the time out of my schedule and do it myself for that kind of savings. Good luck.

I did the water pump for $26, not the head gasket. Its a good thing to do at the same time. Thats just my personal opinion.

You can get a new OEM head gasket and a timing belt for around $100

Im not 100% sure if all the accesories need to be removed, I don't have A/C or P/S. Those two pumps may need to be removed to get access to the tining belt cover, once again I am not 100% on that.
The Alternator and water pump are not in the way. All you need to do is remove the belt for those so you can remove the crank pully.

Just get a new motor from the reckers

Thats taking a big risk, something could be wrong with it. I am 99% sure his block is fine so there is no need to pull it out. Besides thats 10x the work as a head gasket.

[shepherd79]

you can get headgasket set on ebay for $55.
it would take you about 2 days if you are not in a hurry.

[AccordEpicenter]

get a honda headgasket (aftermarkets are questionable quality)... i can do that job in probably 1.5 hours if everything else is ok... Get yourself a haynes or some kind of manual and a torque wrench. The only things you need to do are unbolt the intake manifold from the bracket underneath the car and remove the head bolts and Timing belt and downpipe and you can lift the head up and make sure its clean and remove the old headgasket, clean the surfaces, put in a new one and put it back together, assuming the head isnt warped due to overheating etc

[4DoorAccordDX]

Is there a way I can do this without taking all the hoses and stuff off my carb? Any way to remove the head without removing the intake manifold? I don't think there is, but if anyone knows some tricks that would save me the hassle of dealing with all those friggin hoses, I would greatly appreciate it. Kroy, why do I need to remove the crank pulley? I haven't really looked things over yet, so I am not sure what all has to be removed. Also, since I am gonna be in there, how can I remove the AC? It doesn't work and the belt squeals. Ok, that's it for now.

2-Knee

[johnwc723]

okay, i have never done it but i know how our engine operates... the reason why you are going to need to remove the crank pully is that its very hard to take off your timing belt (if not impossible) without taking off the lower cover and de-tensioing it (the only way you can take off the cover is by removing the pulley!) you arent going to need to remove the A/C at all, all you have to do is take the belt off of it, which is the easiest thing you will ever do. The only difference that taking off the ac will do is make your car that much lighter, simply having a belt going to the a/c makes NO difference at all because it has a clutch, i can almost blow on the a/c pulley and make it turn as long as the clutch isnt engauged. if you are thinking of removing the a/c system you will have to take out the compressor, condensor and all that stuff (if it is to make any difference in less wieght)

also i dont think you can remove the head without at least moving the intake manifold, i mean the intake manifold is bolted onto the head!!! i guess you dont have to take it out but you will still have to unbolt it from there... im not sure i think someone did it witout taking it off

look in the manual and see how its connected! (i have always wanted to take off my head just for fun and see if my pistons and combustion chamber is all CARBONED up and maybe even do a little borein')

[johnwc723]

also if your belt squeals just remove it from there yes... you arent going to see a difference in performance unless you remove everything, the manual tells how to remove a/c im sure its rediclously easy, but you will get some a/c oil drippin on you and will have to de-bolt various hoses
also do you know why its not wokrin? see if its got any charge left in it, if the belt is borken or something than it wont work, i woudl hate to see you take out a fully charged (would be) workin a/c unit!