69 replies to this topic

[Tim]

While driving home, I hear a godawful clatter after accelerating up to merge in traffic.

That clatter was the head gasket blowing out, and subsequently losing compression in two cylinders.

I limped it home at 30 mph, and now it resides at my friend's commercial garage.

My question is...

Does anyone recommend one head gasket kit or another? A little background...

D16, ported/polished head (don't know if it has been milled) Jackson .395 cams, 20k on motor (but raced like hell by previous owner) and was using royal purple oil when the gasket gave out.

I inexplicably thought I had lost a motor mount because of the shaking, but no luck.

Has anyone had luck milling the head down? And what gasket kit did you use? Thinking I'm gonna go with a stock acura kit....

Have I killed it? The temp stayed steady, and no smoke or other ill behavior, just that awful clatter and shake...

Needless to say, I am SICK...

[funkmaster]

I did a HG on my d16a1 a long while back.
Its not that hard, I used all OEM honda/acura parts.
Cost me about $400 i think by the time i had the head tanked/milled.

[staticchmbr]

i have been using copper spray on the headgaskets to prevent them from blowing out

[jsgprod]

Just my opinion on this but...head gaskets don't clatter, engine internals do.

This is not to say that you may very well have a blown head gasket but the loss in compression (in the two cylinders you mention) could be something a lot more serious than just a blown head gasket.

Hoping you don't have any major damage in your engine but...

Jay

[Tim]

Just my opinion on this but...head gaskets don't clatter, engine internals do.

This is not to say that you may very well have a blown head gasket but the loss in compression (in the two cylinders you mention) could be something a lot more serious than just a blown head gasket.

Hoping you don't have any major damage in your engine but...

Jay

Certainly no mechanic myself, just what my friend told me. Driving home that day, as I let off the gas, no noise. Apply gas slightly, a tick tick tick...

apply more gas, tick tick tick became bang bang bang.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure something gave out big time.

So sickening. Guess it was just time for it to die. I've only put 5k on this car since I owned it, and gotta tell ya, it's been in the shop more than not. My miata I got for 1500 bucks has given me little trouble, other than a faulty slave cylinder.

May be posting "For Sale" soon of some great parts.. Koni double adjustables, bored throttle body, DC header, Jackson cams

[badpenny]

Gantface and I are very familiar with that sound, or how that sound reads. I have to agree with jsgprod, It may be a bit more serious than a headgasket failure.

[staticchmbr]

i got that same clatter/shaking when my d16a1 threw some rod bearings.. i almost got stuck somewhere, but drove it anyways.. take off the valve cover and look for metal shavings or and damage in the head.

i also had a similar incident when my civic si sucked in the metal cap to my aftermarket air intake filter... my motor tore it to bits, but it was sitting in lumps on the top of my pistons. luckily the only damage was to the spark plugs

[jsgprod]

May be posting "For Sale" soon of some great parts.. Koni double adjustables, bored throttle body, DC header, Jackson cams

IF you decide to go that route, could you keep me in mind on those? I could use some of those parts in one of the race cars.

Also, not that Kentucky is exactly 'close by' but I did recently get a damn good deal on three Integra engines. Two of which have had the heads removed, cleaned and surfaced with freshly done valve jobs. They're still in the bags from the shop and shiney new. The bottom ends on these are all out of the weather and one of them is in DAMN good condition. I was amazed at how clean the inside of it was and there's absolutely no trace of a ridge at the top of the cylinders. Which usually indicates very low mileage or extremely good maintenance...usually both for engines as old as these are.

If you need it of course.
Jay

[Tim]

See, I was HOPING that the sound was just the rattle of the motor from two cylinders not producing, i.e. unbalanced. If I took my foot off the gas and the engine was just cruising, no noise.

If it is something very serious, I'll be opting out of this. I'm just not wealthy enough to keep it up, and not mechanically inclined enough to do my own work.

Just sickening.

Thanks for the input from everyone. Know more later.

P.S. Valve cover gasket came off, my mechanic said nothing about finding anything. Just said the gasket was blown out. I dunno.

[Tim]

Thanks a bunch, Jay!

Of course I'll hit you up if and when. Stupid, I know, but I would take great solace in knowing someone else was "keeping the dream alive".

I just took this car out last week, and the guy who built it ground up did a HELLUVA JOB! I have NEVER had any chassis flex, never lost traction in a curve, it just STICKS AND GOES!

Some type of non-polyurethane bushings (got the kit to change out, my mechanic said it was a step backwards. Sent em back). 6k in the motor ALONE. Those unbelieveable konis (and man, they are sweet) LXi fifth gear, lightened flywheel, DC headers, you name it. Alpine alarm, remote start. The list goes on and on.

Oh, and have a brand new IN THE BOX Nitrous Express wet shot 75 hp nitrous kit, with tank heater.

Bought a set of those dizzy springs from scott, extra dizzy, and new shifter bushings (which it didn't need)

I don't want to sell....kinda like that "never pass this way again" feeling, but we shall know more.

You guys are the best.

[1986_crx_si]

Tim,

I hope you end up being able to fix this! It's always a sad moment when one of these glorious cars dies and is turned to scrap metal. If not, please stick around and chat! Advise and opinions are never wasted in my mind.

If you have to part it out I would be more than happy to help take some of those parts off your hands! It will take a few months for me to get some finances together! I would love the lightened flywheel and the headers just from reading your post. Please keep me in mind as well !

Thanks mate, and good luck!
-Aaron

[Maine_Honda_Racer]

Ouch, very sorry to hear that. Your luck and frustration sounds about as good as mine! I hope for your sake its just the head gasket, but I agree with these guys that it sounds more serious. Let us know!

[Tim]

Well, a bit of news.....

I went to my buddies' shop tonight, and personally examined the dipstick.

No watery foam. None.

And the radiator looked low, but otherwise normal.

I'm really clinging to head gasket, but we'll see. Hopefully by tuesday.

It's extra crappy, cause the weather is breaking, fall is upon us, and that is my FAVORITE time to go country cruisin'...window down, vintage Van Halen on the tape deck (rockin' that shit still!) and heat on your feat, and petal to the metal. Safely, of course, whilst obeying all traffic laws.

[Maine_Honda_Racer]

Yeah fall is here too, and my CRX is down with a blown clutch. Have to wait on the company to warranty it. DOubt I will get it back before end of fall. May be picking up a winter beater soon though.

[VaporParanoia]

Thanks a bunch, Jay!

Of course I'll hit you up if and when. Stupid, I know, but I would take great solace in knowing someone else was "keeping the dream alive".

I just took this car out last week, and the guy who built it ground up did a HELLUVA JOB! I have NEVER had any chassis flex, never lost traction in a curve, it just STICKS AND GOES!

Some type of non-polyurethane bushings (got the kit to change out, my mechanic said it was a step backwards. Sent em back). 6k in the motor ALONE. Those unbelieveable konis (and man, they are sweet) LXi fifth gear, lightened flywheel, DC headers, you name it. Alpine alarm, remote start. The list goes on and on.

Oh, and have a brand new IN THE BOX Nitrous Express wet shot 75 hp nitrous kit, with tank heater.

Bought a set of those dizzy springs from scott, extra dizzy, and new shifter bushings (which it didn't need)

I don't want to sell....kinda like that "never pass this way again" feeling, but we shall know more.

You guys are the best.

if you have all of this done why don't you just fix the motor or get a different motor? I say this because you are obviously invested in this car and whatever you get for selling things will be less now that its been used, why don't you look into fixing the motor? The cost of replacing or fixing the motor would come close to the money lost in the process of selling a shell and a bunch of quality parts.