Honda Car Forum

The head gasket is bad in my Honda and we just got the parts today and we were gonna change it this coming up weekend. My boyfriend and his dad are pretty good with cars but Im still kinda iffy about letting them change it. Is it easy to change and I should trust them to do it or is it hard and should be taking to a shop to get changed?!if anyone knows like all the steps on how to change it as well, then that would be nice to know too :]]] Thanks!p.s.The full make and everything of it is a 1995 Honda Civic dx. 1.5 sohc.

they should have no problem, the only time personally i think when head gaskets suck to install is on v6's and v8's because they're harder to get to, on the civic's, accord's, integra's, etc.. it's simple just make sure when they go to put everything back together, especially the head and valve cover that they don't overtighten the bolts, me and my ricer buddies have snapped quite a few valve cover bolts because they seem to be so brittle. but as far as your question goes, don't worry about them messing up, if they really do know basic mechanic skills. if not, then stay away.

Not too hard as long as they are somewhat mechanically inclined.Be sure to torque in accordance to the manual. Verify timing belt timing over and over before reassembly.Do not keep nuts and bolts anywhere near the timing belt area if the top cover is removed - I dropped a bolt into mine.Easy tip: unbolt and leave the intake manifold IN PLACE. this will save a bit of time disconnecting and reconnecting everything on it.Replace water pump, cam seal, timing belt along with headgasket. If over 200k, replace front crank seal too.Get the FULL headgasket kit that includes valve stem seals and other gaskets. Stem seals are a common wear item on the Hondas and replaceing them now will save a future repair.After all said and done, you should have a motor good for another 150k miles.Note: WHY is the headgasket bad? If it overheated, you probably have a warped cylinder head that will need to be machined back down. This can cost $100-200.