I just did an engine swap in a 92 civic LX (d15b7). and we were letting it run. after about 10 minutes i noticed several small puddles of oil underneath the car. The oil level was still just slightly under the max line...but i wiped everything down, and let it run again...and you could see it dripping. It looks like its coming right out of the headgasket. Is this possible or should i check for something else? Theres like 140,000 on the motor.

Thanks.

 

Clean up all the oil with 2+2 (or carb cleaner) and wipe the engine dry. Start it and find your leak. It might just be the valve cover gasket and that's a brazilian times easier to fix.

 

no, its definetly not the valve cover gasket. that would be easy to see.

i wiped all the oil down and started it, and started reving the motor up. i could see it spewing out the back of the head gasket...near where the oil jet is in the middle of the block.

its definetly the head gasket...i called up Ray Laks honda...the dealership near us...and they said that there is an updated gasket it lists for $78. Supposively they had problems with head gaskets on civic from 90-93 and there is an updated one.

thanks for your help.

 

$78! Crap I hope my $17 Stone gasket will be good enough, I'll be doing the same job this weekend. Although I'm regasketing my engine before I install it.

Anyone else ever hear of this gasket problem?

 

It's news to me. That doesn't mean it's impossible, though. Just make sure all the oil and coolant lines land in the right spots, check the surfaces with a straight-edge at several angles to ensure it's flat, clean the head and block surfaces with denatured alcohol, and you should be fine.

When I worked at an auto shop (out of complete boredom), I pulled the head off a nissan 240 that was leaking from the head gasket, and there was a human hair between the gasket and the block. It leaked like crazy. That's all it takes. The surfaces have to be flat and clean.

There's not a whole lot you can do if you get a bad gasket aside from figuring out that's it's bad before you find out the hard way. I doubt 95civiclx's problem was ever apparent before the leak, and that sucks.

 

I'm half way done with the replacement on mine. I did notice that the haed gasket that was on there (I'm assuming original-135,000), was leaking oil at the same spot. Although this engine had no problems running or dripping oil, just seeping from there. The head bolt that goes through there was a tiny bit looser than the other ones. I'll see how the cheap gasket holds up after I get it going again.

One question: Is there supposed to be an o-ring around the oil restricter? It looks like there is a recess around it, but I didn't see one.

 

my original HG has been leaking for the last 2 years, but it doesnt leave any spots on the ground, I dont worry about it at all. I just clean it up with simple green every now and then. If you decide to change the gasket I recommend you use the oem part.

 

300ZX 2+2? RX-7 2+2? What? :chuckles: