I found a 1991 Honda Civic on Craigslist for $350 that needs a little TLC. I am not a mechanic, but I can follow instructions fine. Using a maintenance manual, I've successfully changed the timing belt, water pump, brakes and bearings in my old 85 Honda Accord. I assume I could do the same for a head gasket. Please correct me if you think I don't know what I'd be getting myself into.
My problem is knowing if the head gasket really is the problem, or if it is too risky of a gamble to buy this car. This is what the person selling the car has to say about it in the ad:
%26quot;runs good but needs a head gasket because there is white smoke coming out the exhaust (no oil and water mix I can see though). Passed Colorado emissions this year before the gasket blew. 200k miles, almost new tires, pretty good interior and good body.%26quot;
So here are my questions:
1. How likely is it that the problem really is a cracked head gasket?
2. What do I look for to confirm or uncomfirm this diagnosis?
3. If the head gasket really is cracked or blown, is it likely that it has caused other engine damage? 4. Is there anything I should look for assuming something else might be the cause?White smoke - how likely is it that the problem is a cracked head gasket?Because there is no way to determine the nature of the cause of the leak, it require disassembly and evaluation. You can determine which cylinder it is leaking into by removing the spark plugs and pressurising the cooling system. the fluid will seep into the cylinder within a few minutes and then you can crank the engine and observe which cylinder throws the fluid out of the spark plug hole. Now is it a bad head gasket, cracked head or warped head that requires resurfacing? Once the head is off, straight edge the surface with a known true straight edge= machine flat stock bar of steel. If the surface exceeds .006 of true flat, it needs to be resurfaced. The cylinder that threw the fluid is now of great concern, check that cylinder head area for cracks and distortions. Remember, this is a high mileage engine and when you put it back together, adjusting the valves is very important. Good Luck
You want to know if it is safe to drive it 10 miles. Lets say you have a savable condition now, question is will you still have it in ten more miles. Your gambling, how lucky do you feel?White smoke - how likely is it that the problem is a cracked head gasket?well I had the same problem in a honda that i bought. The oil and coolant were mixing and my mechanic went to autozone and bought this sealant in a silver bottle it cost about 30.00 and I havent had a problem since that has been almost a year ago. He flushed all the fluids in my car and shes been great!White smoke - how likely is it that the problem is a cracked head gasket?smarter never to buy a used car that cant drive or needs work since you never know what it might need so that 350 buck car might cost you 3000 to repair smarter to keep looking wouldnt buy it but you can smell coolant or oil an dknow which it is right away still not a great deal would pass on it they should pay you to take itWhite smoke - how likely is it that the problem is a cracked head gasket?White smoke, head gasket. Do a compression test on all cylinders and you'll see a big difference on a couple of them. Overheating problems could be, hoses, radiator, valves.White smoke - how likely is it that the problem is a cracked head gasket?If you can see the car when the engine is cold, you can confidence test it yourself in a minute or so.
Remove the pressure cap and start the engine. Put the palm of your hand over the radiator neck where the cap was and pinch closed the hose going to the reservoir. If you feel steadily rising pressure within 3-5 seconds the head gasket is bad... the quicker you feel the pressure the worse it is. If there is no identifiable pressure rise in 5 seconds the white smoke is not from a bad head gasket or cracked head. I have never known this test to give false results when coolant/combustion chamber failure (the most common type of head gasket failure) is suspected.White smoke - how likely is it that the problem is a cracked head gasket?look the simplest way is to stand near the exhaust,if you get a sweet smell,or taste on your lips its antifreeze.if there is no antifreeze in it, then it wont be sweet.as for head gasket, its a crap shoot wether its block,head or gasket,or something simpler like a water line running thru the intakeaftermarket for honda is plentiful and cheap these days.you can buy a new tranny for less than having 1 rebuilt if you know where to look.White smoke - how likely is it that the problem is a cracked head gasket?The car definitely has a serious problem, but determining if it's a head gasket will require disassembly. But there are a couple tests you can do to verify that the head and/or gasket are the problem. You could do a compression test on all cylinders and compair your results. Standard is 10% difference, any more or less indicates a problem. You can also do a cylinder lean down test or a coolant system pressure test, to see how fast pressure bleeds off. This can tell you how bad the problem is. The faster it bleeds down the worse the condition. It sounds like most of the leakage is into the cylinders not the crank case. You may foul a spark plug or two, and the coolant can damage the packing inside the catalytic converter. If you do decide to take on this project, take your time, mark your connections, and do not reuse those head bolts. New bolts will need to be purchased and installed to do this job correctly. Hope this helps, ChrisWhite smoke - how likely is it that the problem is a cracked head gasket?It is probably safe to drive the ten miles to a mechanic.
1. It very well could be a blown head gasket. It could also be a fuel problem.
2. A compression test will tell you if one (or more) cylinder has less compression than the others, After the compression test, a leak down test will tell you if the cylinders are holding compression, and if not where they are leaking. If the leak can be heard in the exhaust pipe or intake, it's the valves. If it can be heard in the crankcase, it's the rings. If it can be heard bubbling into the coolant, it's a blown gasket or cracked head/block.
Another test is a combustion gas check on the radiator. It uses a clear tube fitted into the radiator
cap and the air over the coolant is bubbled through a test fluid. If the fluid turns color, then combustion gas is leaking into the coolant, indicating a blown head gasket.
3. If it is a head gasket, and there is no oil in the coolant, or coolant in the oil, it probably hasn't caused other damage. This is a high mileage engine, and you can expect more work than just the gasket. Look at a used engine, they are sometimes cheaper than rebuilding an engine.
As for other causes, check the fuel system, it could be the cause of the white smoke, but since it passed emissions, I doubt it.
