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Head gasket problems

PostPosted: Mon Apr 12, 2010 2:58 pm
by zrock
Just pulled the head off the 1994 civic 1.5l. Ran into a problem im not to sure if i can fix. the head bolt right above the oil presure sensor is screwed... Looks like someone done some engine work on this car with fresh pistons and lower block work and when they put things back togeater they crossed this bolt... same spot where the head gasket was leaking... I was able to take another old bolt and run it in and out a few times but dont think thier will be enough threds for tourque... Is it possible to coil this and hold or is this block screwed?

PostPosted: Mon Apr 12, 2010 3:01 pm
by forcefedEG
i would try a head stud before a helicoil, i have heard of blocks being helicoiled, but i havent heard of definate sucess with that... i have never done this and on that grounds cannot recomend it... sorry :? but i will say i have used a head stud on blocks that have had partial pulled threads...

PostPosted: Mon Apr 12, 2010 4:02 pm
by d-mon
aluminum is a 'soft' metal.
people have had success using a heli coil in honda blocks for headbolt.
did the bolt break off inside? or are the threads just screwed up.
first try running a tap to clean up the threads if the bolt is completely removed.

PostPosted: Mon Apr 12, 2010 4:31 pm
by forcefedEG
d-mon wrote:first try running a tap to clean up the threads if the bolt is completely removed.


x2 That would be the best thing to do first :thumb:

PostPosted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 2:20 pm
by zrock
I had tryed cleaning the treds but as soon as i had gotten any tourque on them the bolt would slip... No the bolt didnt brake off just pulled all the treds... Tapped and heli coiled it seems to have worked was able to tourque with success.. hopfully it holds as this engine has just been rebuilt by the looks of it guess we will find out in a few days when i finish puttin git back togeater

PostPosted: Wed Apr 28, 2010 11:49 pm
by zrock
ok got it up and running... ran like a top untill for no reason it just shut down like it ran out of fuel. i have fuel presure but no spark? When i had the head off a small spring fell out of im assuming the distributor but cannot find t hespring now or know where it went. I found another spring in my shop but have no wclue as to were it went... Still dosent explain why it fired up find and then just shut down with no spark

PostPosted: Thu Apr 29, 2010 1:48 am
by suspendedHatch
Goes in the "button" part of the distributor cap.

If you reused head bolts that have been torqued before then you're going to blow another headgasket pretty soon. They're stretch bolts. One time use and then throw away.

PostPosted: Thu Apr 29, 2010 2:35 am
by zrock
the button of the dist cap still seems to have the spring in it. When i seen this spring pop out i had the head on the workbench with the rotor still atached. Left teh dist cap in the car. Is their a spring in the coil someware?

No used all new head bolts...

PostPosted: Thu Apr 29, 2010 2:42 am
by zrock
by the way any tips for getting that stupid screw off the Rotor? Iv turned for all im worth and im going to end up stripping the screw

PostPosted: Thu Apr 29, 2010 12:52 pm
by teal_dx
First, spray it with some PB Blaster & let it soak a while. Then grab the outer edge of the screw head with some vise grips. clamp them down good before turning. :thumb:

PostPosted: Thu Apr 29, 2010 2:55 pm
by zrock
ya got it soaking.. Didnt think u could get vice grips in that tinny spot... I was thinking of just drilling and cleaning up the treds and butting a bolt in their instead of a screw.. Gonna go pick up a new dist cap and rotor, and coil. think i may have blew the coil up without that little spring in their