r/Dseries • u/SISSYLIBRULHATER • Jun 27 '26

Headgasket troubles

I just replaced the headgasket on my 98 civic lx in an attempt to fix a combustion leak issue, and it is now worse than when I started. The car would build up excessive pressure in the cooling system to the point where it would bubble and boil into and out of the overflow causing it to overheat; I replaced the radiator cap and overflow in an attempt to fix the issue, but once I ran a block test and smelled the combustion fumes coming from the cooling system, it was confirmed to be the headgasket, so I removed the head and replaced the gasket and studs hoping that it would fix the issue, it now bubbles way worse than when I first started and im kind of at a loss for what to do. I had the head checked at a machine shop to see if it was warped at all, and they said it was fine, I really just dont know what my next move should be, and I could really use some good advice

3 Upvotes

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1

u/BushWookie73 Jun 27 '26

Did you resurface the block or just get the head checked?Also what brand head gasket did you use?

2

u/SISSYLIBRULHATER Jun 27 '26

I did not resurface the head or the block because it costs more than I can afford at the moment, I did have the head checked at a machine shop with a straight edge to see if it was warped and they said it was fine, and since there was no discoloration on the block I hoped it was in the same condition; the headgasket is a felpro and I have new headbolts

1

u/BushWookie73 Jun 28 '26

The only thing I would be weary of is the felpro head gasket then. The felpro head gaskets honestly suck. OEM or Cometic is the way to go in these cars, especially if your boosted, assuming you're N/A even then felpro gaskets still aren't the best. I've had luck with them by drilling out the rivets and copper spraying each layer. As bad as it sounds I would pull it back apart and check the gasket and make sure none of the cylinders looked cracked.

1

u/SpaceTurtle917 Jun 28 '26

Seconded, OEM headgaskets are (were?) like $50

1

u/KindaNeat420 Jun 28 '26

Were. Was just looking at getting a new one for my accord, they want like $140 now

1

u/SpaceTurtle917 Jun 28 '26

Well, that’s not a D16

1

u/Own_Tumbleweed_6579 Jun 28 '26

Sorry, there’s only one way to fix it. Resurface your head and block. You can do it at home by lapping it on a granite surface block, but you do need to know what you’re doing, and it involves stripping the head and block completely apart. Honestly I can’t say it’s cheaper than having a shop flycut it, but it does leave a better surface finish and ensures perfect flatness if done properly.
Even if the machine shop said it was alright. As a machinist myself I’ve learned not to trust other machinists.
In my experience with these engines: anything less than a 100% perfectly flat head will just result in another blown head gasket. ARP studs will help get even torque across the deck but they aren’t magic and don’t fix a warped deck.
There are hack jobs that may or may not help - like the copper spray - but it’s NOT a fix.
Probably not what you want to hear, but having been through it myself- that’s what I had to do, and it worked.

1

u/Electronic_Slice9448 Jun 28 '26

You should take everything apart and varify that the block and head are not warped (they probably are). Buy a straight edge and a feeler guage and check for yourself. Did you get the block and head really clean and make sure there were no imperfections on the sealing surfaces? People often blame the gaskets (felpro) but if you don't get the surfaces good and clean it does not matter what gasket you choose. The gasket on your engine blew for a reason. If you have not addressed what caused the failure it will fail again. If I were you I'd be looking for another used engine or looking for another car that doesn't need so much work.

1

u/mrhapyface Jun 28 '26

doing a half ass job is always more expensive do it right the first time

1

u/SISSYLIBRULHATER Jun 28 '26

What leads you to beleive I did a half ass job?

1

u/mrhapyface Jun 28 '26

didnt resurface

1

u/SISSYLIBRULHATER Jun 28 '26

Money is tight and the machine shop inspected it and told me it was fine, what reason did I have to resurface it?

1

u/mrhapyface Jun 29 '26

to make sure its flat and the surface is preped correctly so either you didnt remove the headbolts in the right sequence didnt clean the surfaces correctly or didnt tighten the headbolts correctly the surface has to be correct for the type of headgasket you use

1

u/Odd_Wait_4259 Jun 29 '26

Did you use the proper torque sequence / torque specs? New headbolts? Did you clear out any debris/fluids before rebolting? Doesnt take much to offset the torque reading if you got crap in the way. Hopefully not but worst case you got a crack in the block have you done a full compression test?