Honda Car Forum

Hi,

My 1991 Honda Civic (234,000) started running foul the other day. I took
out all the plugs and cylinder 1 and 2 plugs were soaked with oil - I
noticed a greenish color and sure enough - there is antifreeze in my oil.

Cylinders 3 and 4 are both "dry".

Can anybody offer any guesses as to whether these symptoms point to the head
gasket? I really hate to get rid of this car - just put a new alternator
and battery in it and overall it serves me well.... BUT - I can't afford to
keep dumping money into her if it's something serious.

Any help or suggestions are appriciated.

Jerry

There probably isn't a more obvious hint towards a bad head gasket.

CaptainKrunch


"Jerry" <jerryg_no_spam@ptd.net> wrote in message
news:geKdnS0ZFsmzkOXdUSdV9g@ptd.net...
> Hi,
>
> My 1991 Honda Civic (234,000) started running foul the other day. I took
> out all the plugs and cylinder 1 and 2 plugs were soaked with oil - I
> noticed a greenish color and sure enough - there is antifreeze in my oil.
>
> Cylinders 3 and 4 are both "dry".
>
> Can anybody offer any guesses as to whether these symptoms point to the
head
> gasket? I really hate to get rid of this car - just put a new alternator
> and battery in it and overall it serves me well.... BUT - I can't afford
to
> keep dumping money into her if it's something serious.
>
> Any help or suggestions are appriciated.
>
> Jerry
>
>

Thanks Captain,

I kinda figured - i've read enough in these newsgroups to lean that way but
I'm not smart enough to come up with any other possibilities.

I appreciate your response.

Jerry

"CaptainKrunch" <nobody@nothing.com> wrote in message
news:LeqdnQPh27hOkOXdRVn-tA@comcast.com...
> There probably isn't a more obvious hint towards a bad head gasket.
>
> CaptainKrunch
>
>
> "Jerry" <jerryg_no_spam@ptd.net> wrote in message
> news:geKdnS0ZFsmzkOXdUSdV9g@ptd.net...
> > Hi,
> >
> > My 1991 Honda Civic (234,000) started running foul the other day. I
took
> > out all the plugs and cylinder 1 and 2 plugs were soaked with oil - I
> > noticed a greenish color and sure enough - there is antifreeze in my
oil.
> >
> > Cylinders 3 and 4 are both "dry".
> >
> > Can anybody offer any guesses as to whether these symptoms point to the
> head
> > gasket? I really hate to get rid of this car - just put a new
alternator
> > and battery in it and overall it serves me well.... BUT - I can't afford
> to
> > keep dumping money into her if it's something serious.
> >
> > Any help or suggestions are appriciated.
> >
> > Jerry
> >
> >
>
>

Jerry wrote:
>
> Thanks Captain,
>
> I kinda figured - i've read enough in these newsgroups to lean that way
> but I'm not smart enough to come up with any other possibilities.
>

Other possibilities - Sometimes the aluminum castings, e.g., block and
cylinder head, can get pinhole leaks in them due to corrosion. I had this
happen to me on the intake manifold in a '78 Accord. It allowed coolant
into the cylinder and simulated a blown head gasket (white antifreeze
smoke). In your case with antifreeze in the oil, a blown head gasket would
be easier to replace.

Eric

Check out Steelseal, I have used it and it worked on my car. It's a
liquid you put in the coolant then run the engine, per instructions,
and there is a good chance you may fix the problem.

http://www.steelseal.com/eng/home.html

It is my understanding that Steelseal, at engine operating
temperature, when it comes in contact with air (at cracked block or
blown head gasket) reacts to become steel or something like steel.

If it dosen't work, you are only out $50 to $60 and you can flush it
out and spend $1000 or more.



On Sun, 11 Apr 2004 03:40:01 -0700, Eric <say.no@spam.now> wrote:

>Jerry wrote:
>>
>> Thanks Captain,
>>
>> I kinda figured - i've read enough in these newsgroups to lean that way
>> but I'm not smart enough to come up with any other possibilities.
>>
>
>Other possibilities - Sometimes the aluminum castings, e.g., block and
>cylinder head, can get pinhole leaks in them due to corrosion. I had this
>happen to me on the intake manifold in a '78 Accord. It allowed coolant
>into the cylinder and simulated a blown head gasket (white antifreeze
>smoke). In your case with antifreeze in the oil, a blown head gasket would
>be easier to replace.
>
>Eric

Hey... I like that and will give it a try - Thanks.

If it doesn't work - I won't be spending any money to fix it - it just isn't
worth it. Even if I could do it myself, it's not worth the time so she'll
get ebayed. In this case it's a shame. I love the car - it just feels
great and still handles really really well. The engine is noisy and is
probably ready to die. Unfortunately, no car repair seems to come in under
$500 anymore. Probably would be cheaper to buy a used engine and have
somebody slap it in. Less technical anyway.

I'll consider SteelSeal - thanks
Jerry



"Charlie S" <chasa@rcn.com> wrote in message
news:ft7k705gh786u0r06p8nuj3eoi3bunq3e3@4ax.com...
> Check out Steelseal, I have used it and it worked on my car. It's a
> liquid you put in the coolant then run the engine, per instructions,
> and there is a good chance you may fix the problem.
>
> http://www.steelseal.com/eng/home.html
>
> It is my understanding that Steelseal, at engine operating
> temperature, when it comes in contact with air (at cracked block or
> blown head gasket) reacts to become steel or something like steel.
>
> If it dosen't work, you are only out $50 to $60 and you can flush it
> out and spend $1000 or more.
>
>
>
> On Sun, 11 Apr 2004 03:40:01 -0700, Eric <say.no@spam.now> wrote:
>
> >Jerry wrote:
> >>
> >> Thanks Captain,
> >>
> >> I kinda figured - i've read enough in these newsgroups to lean that way
> >> but I'm not smart enough to come up with any other possibilities.
> >>
> >
> >Other possibilities - Sometimes the aluminum castings, e.g., block and
> >cylinder head, can get pinhole leaks in them due to corrosion. I had
this
> >happen to me on the intake manifold in a '78 Accord. It allowed coolant
> >into the cylinder and simulated a blown head gasket (white antifreeze
> >smoke). In your case with antifreeze in the oil, a blown head gasket
would
> >be easier to replace.
> >
> >Eric
>

Jerry, My car had oil in the coolant and coolant in the oil and there
was a tick-tick sound from the engine. After I installed the
Steelseal, there was no oil in the coolant, no coolant in the oil and
the tick-tick sound stopped.
You have to follow follow instructions 100% or more. I put cardboard
in front of the radiator and watched the temperature guage and tried
to get it to above normal operating temperature.

On Mon, 12 Apr 2004 10:47:21 -0400, "Jerry" <jerryg_no_spam@ptd.net>
wrote:

>Hey... I like that and will give it a try - Thanks.
>
>If it doesn't work - I won't be spending any money to fix it - it just isn't
>worth it. Even if I could do it myself, it's not worth the time so she'll
>get ebayed. In this case it's a shame. I love the car - it just feels
>great and still handles really really well. The engine is noisy and is
>probably ready to die. Unfortunately, no car repair seems to come in under
>$500 anymore. Probably would be cheaper to buy a used engine and have
>somebody slap it in. Less technical anyway.
>
>I'll consider SteelSeal - thanks
>Jerry
>
>
>
>"Charlie S" <chasa@rcn.com> wrote in message
>news:ft7k705gh786u0r06p8nuj3eoi3bunq3e3@4ax.com.. .
>> Check out Steelseal, I have used it and it worked on my car. It's a
>> liquid you put in the coolant then run the engine, per instructions,
>> and there is a good chance you may fix the problem.
>>
>> http://www.steelseal.com/eng/home.html
>>
>> It is my understanding that Steelseal, at engine operating
>> temperature, when it comes in contact with air (at cracked block or
>> blown head gasket) reacts to become steel or something like steel.
>>
>> If it dosen't work, you are only out $50 to $60 and you can flush it
>> out and spend $1000 or more.
>>
>>
>>
>> On Sun, 11 Apr 2004 03:40:01 -0700, Eric <say.no@spam.now> wrote:
>>
>> >Jerry wrote:
>> >>
>> >> Thanks Captain,
>> >>
>> >> I kinda figured - i've read enough in these newsgroups to lean that way
>> >> but I'm not smart enough to come up with any other possibilities.
>> >>
>> >
>> >Other possibilities - Sometimes the aluminum castings, e.g., block and
>> >cylinder head, can get pinhole leaks in them due to corrosion. I had
>this
>> >happen to me on the intake manifold in a '78 Accord. It allowed coolant
>> >into the cylinder and simulated a blown head gasket (white antifreeze
>> >smoke). In your case with antifreeze in the oil, a blown head gasket
>would
>> >be easier to replace.
>> >
>> >Eric
>>
>

It is probably a head gasket.
It should eventually spread to the other cylinders.
"Jerry" <jerryg_no_spam@ptd.net> wrote in message
news:geKdnS0ZFsmzkOXdUSdV9g@ptd.net...
> Hi,
>
> My 1991 Honda Civic (234,000) started running foul the other day. I took
> out all the plugs and cylinder 1 and 2 plugs were soaked with oil - I
> noticed a greenish color and sure enough - there is antifreeze in my oil.
>
> Cylinders 3 and 4 are both "dry".
>
> Can anybody offer any guesses as to whether these symptoms point to the
head
> gasket? I really hate to get rid of this car - just put a new alternator
> and battery in it and overall it serves me well.... BUT - I can't afford
to
> keep dumping money into her if it's something serious.
>
> Any help or suggestions are appriciated.
>
> Jerry
>
>