Pennzoil Ultra 5w-30---7,500 miles---92 Civic VX

[ltslimjim]

UPDATE:

Most recent report (Valvoline WB, API-SM + Lubegard's E.P. w/BIOTECH)

http://img594.imageshack.us/img594/5241/uoa5.png (image of sample)


Code:
OIL VALVOLINE conventional 5w-30(API-SM)

MILES IN USE 3,250

MILES ON UNIT 268,550

SAMPLE TAKEN 10/24/12



ALUMINUM 5

CHROMIUM 1

IRON 25

COPPER 11

LEAD 27

TIN 9

MOLYBDENUM 220

NICKEL 1

MANGANESE 1

SILVER 0

TITANIUM 0

POTASSIUM 173

BORON 31

SILICON 21

SODIUM 1005

CALCIUM 1962

MAGNESIUM 14

PHOSPHORUS 1118

ZINC 862

BARIUM 0



SUS VIS 210ºF 55.5

cSt @ 100ºC 8.92

FLASHPOINT ºF 360

FUEL% TR

ANTIFREEZE% 2.01

WATER% 0.0

INSOLUBLES% 1.0


So...it looks like I'll either tackle this with my BIL or get a friend with actual experience and that's a tech/mechanic to help with replacing the head gasket. I don't see how it can't be the head gasket area at this point.

I'm hoping this 'slow' display of coolant entry since getting UOA and owning the car at the start of 2010 mean that it's just an actual HG failure.

 

[ltslimjim]

So, block wear looks worse than the last UOA and now the bearings are starting to show wear.

I'm still hesitant to do this job myself. Yet, can't afford a traditional shop. What all would I need? I have the parts already(both manifold gaskets, head gasket, new head bolts, and dowel pin; even new coolant).

I don't have a torque wrench but could borrow or rent one. I don't have a straight edge to check the block/head for warping. Anything that can be used reliable in place of a traditional straight edge for this purpose?

 

[harry j]

I used a staight edge on mine, it looked good. In retrospect, I should have had the head shaved just to be safe.

 

[ltslimjim]

^You know, I just thought of something from this video:



...and I then remembered feeling this slimy residue under that location(passenger side of the breather box for the PCV system, just under the IM/where the head meets the block under runner #4), that the Intake Manifold's cooling passage from the head could have a gasket failure allowing for leaking into cylinder #4.

Could that be my entry? What's the best time to pull the spark plugs to look for plug wetness? I suppose at this point, enough coolant has entered to perhaps notice a difference in one cylinder to the others as far as cleanliness?

It'd be great to avoid a head gasket job.

 

[Artem]

Time to swap in a B series...

 

[ltslimjim]

^I'm in the chevyboy crowd. I like this little lean-burn. Even with coolant burning, I'm getting 40 MPG. It's possible to get 50+ easy when they behave.

So, yeah, hoping to fix it the right way. I haven't pulled the head yet, and was wondering if the intake manifold gasket could be the issue.

 

[OrdnanceMarine]

I know checking an intake manifold gasket is a pain in these engines (vs. the K series where the intake manifold is on the opposite side) but you might be on to something here. I have an aftermarket plastic intake manifold gasket and I remember being worried about the coolant leaking in to the adjacent cylinders through the intake valves when I broke the seal and the coolant drained out of the intake manifold and down the front of the engine block. I had no idea how much washed down the intake valves (never found any evidence of a problem during UOAs). A failure of this gasket would not show up in any kind of compression test.

I'm no expert on these engines but a new intake manifold gasket is cheap and removing the intake manifold shouldn't be too difficult. Make sure coolant does indeed flow through the intake manifold since I do not know for a fact that it does.

 

[Brons2]

You don't need very many tools to do this HG job. Bearing wear is increasing. Time to get r done. Do the manifold gasket while you're at it.

 

[ltslimjim]

Well, the wife is sick and I'm not feeling that great either. I'll be investigating the IM gasket, since I need practice if I'm going to do the HG job anyway.

It'd be a blessing if it were just the IM gasket. I checked the part, I have all for the HG job anyway. There is a coolant passage about 1/2 an inch away from the #4 cylinder's intake runner.

 

[OrdnanceMarine]

Originally Posted By: ltslimjim
Well, the wife is sick and I'm not feeling that great either. I'll be investigating the IM gasket, since I need practice if I'm going to do the HG job anyway.

It'd be a blessing if it were just the IM gasket. I checked the part, I have all for the HG job anyway. There is a coolant passage about 1/2 an inch away from the #4 cylinder's intake runner.


I'll pray you both feel better and you are up for the task. I'm hoping you'll take a few pictures and let us know how it goes. Looking back at those pictures of the valvetrain you've either got a head that was replaced or you've got one of the cleanest working engines from that vintage on the planet!

 

[ltslimjim]

^Ha, my friend that was going to do the headgasket job before we held off this summer said the same thing! Too clean for the miles. Thought the head was a new one. I'm hoping not, if that means the block might be warped...but I doubt it.

Compression was good. Cooling system holds pressure.

Maybe it's a new head and there is a small weep that developed?

Perhaps re-torquing the headbolts to see if any are loose might be in order? (if truly a new head)

 

[OrdnanceMarine]

Originally Posted By: ltslimjim
^Ha, my friend that was going to do the headgasket job before we held off this summer said the same thing! Too clean for the miles. Thought the head was a new one. I'm hoping not, if that means the block might be warped...but I doubt it.

Compression was good. Cooling system holds pressure.

Maybe it's a new head and there is a small weep that developed?

Perhaps re-torquing the headbolts to see if any are loose might be in order? (if truly a new head)


If it is a small weep then it is rapidly growing! I'm really interested to see what comes of this.

 

[ltslimjim]

^Yeah, I'll be taking off the IM pretty soon to replace the gasket. If it's good, I'll be pulling the head after.

I also may just check the torque on the head bolts if this truly is a new head.

 

[Lambo32123]

Reading all these responses...you're better off just replacing it with another d-series engine or finding another cylinder head. They're all OVER the place. I probably know 3 guys with them just laying around in the garage. We're all k-series guys now . Just put up a WTB ad on one of the millions of honda forums. You could probably pick up a used one for less than 300. No point in spending 1k on a headgasket replacement. Oh and btw...NEVER re-use stock head bolts if you go that route.

 

[jjcom]

From reading all of this...I think getting the coolant analyzed would be a good move. If it tests positive for combustion gases, then you know you need to do a head gasket, and if it doesn't, then you're either looking at the intake manifold gasket leaking, or the oil cooler leaking. If it tests negative, pull your spark plugs. If the one near the coolant port has lots of build up, then you know it's time to do the intake gaskets. If that plug is clean, then you're down to only one option, the oil cooler.

 

[ltslimjim]

^Well, according to EricTheCarGuy the coolant may be small enough entry to keep that 1 plug clean.

What he said, in the event of an IM leak on cylinder #4, was to primarily check for a distinction between cylinder #4 plug and the other 3 plugs.

I'm having another shop pressure test the cooling system. It costs over $100 locally to have the coolant analyzed, so I may just check the cooling system for combustion gasses with one of these testers:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypIEfSIyZDQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZmmJ7DtOM4

^I never did that test. The leak-down or the combustion leak tester.