another odd overheating problem...with other issues

ok...i've got an 89 civic hatch 1.5. it started overheating yesterday, but when it hit 3/4 of the way up on the gauge, it shut off. i let it cool for about 20 mins and tried to start it but had a hell of a time. got it someplace where i could work on it, and now it won't start back up at all. getting spark and fuel, haven't checked the ECU yet tho. changed the cap and rotor just to be sure and still nothing. I will say retarding the dizzy seemed to help a little, but not much. (cam timing???)

but for the overheating, i pulled the thermostat and it was stuck open! no leaks around the water pump that i've noticed yet and no hoses leaking.

if the cam jumps time, how far would it have to jump before the valvetrain makes contact with the pistons? could the cam jumping time have something to do with it overheating?

Wow i dont know what to say about your starting problem... But definitely change your thermostat, easy to do and cheap. Double check and make sure you have no leaks and that the coolant level stays the same. As for your starting problem.. so you say its cranking? Im not quite sure since your getting both spark and fuel.. could be timing like you said. Hope this helps.

just went back to it, finally got it started but it runs like @$$. sounds like it's only hitting on 3 cylinders. also white puffs out the tail with each combustion, and a little louder than it should be. definately bad head gasket. but with the stat stuck open, what could cause it to heat like that?? i'd like to find out before putting a new head on it so it doesn't happen again...

Air in the cooling sytem, for sure! Itll put the water pump ina bubble and youll get no flow! The head gasket is mixing coolant into the cyclinders, and air, fuel and oil into the coolant!

Coolant could have fouled a plug, or more than one as well..and even if the plug still works, itll run like dog poo.

could also be the water pump
when was the last time you did the timing belt?
you over heated it warped the head and now you have a blown head gasket...
might as well get the head resurfaced a new timing belt and water pump (which your supposed to do with the timing belt).

at work now. took the head to a machine shop and they said it's warped like a sumanubich!! good thing i had a spare. just bought the car used for 300. dude didn't know what he had. ran fine for a week, then plooey!! everything goes. guess i'll be changing heads in the parking lot tonight. anyone around the ellenwood/stockbridge, ga area care to lend a helping hand??

at work now. took the head to a machine shop and they said it's warped like a sumanubich!! good thing i had a spare. just bought the car used for 300. dude didn't know what he had. ran fine for a week, then plooey!! everything goes. guess i'll be changing heads in the parking lot tonight. anyone around the ellenwood/stockbridge, ga area care to lend a helping hand??

make sure the block and head's mating surfaces are both completey dry and free of oil. Use a can of brake cleaner to get those surfaces dry. This is probably the MOST important thing...make SURE that all of the holes in the block for the head bolts are DRY and free of debris. If you get coolant or oil in there, you won't get proper torque readings when you torque the head and you can even crack your block by torquing the bolts down w/ liquid in the holes. The best way to clean it is to spray brake cleaner in the holes, then use compressed air to blow out all the debris/oil/coolant/brake cleaner. I wouldn't do it any other way. But if you have to, you can use a rag in try to get it in there. Just do your best not to get ANYTHING in those holes. Drain all of your oil and coolant so that when you lift the head, it doesn't all come pouring out into the cylinders and bolt holes. If you are reusing the head bolts, make sure that the threads are lubed w/ oil prior to torquing them down.

to keep this thread going...

so i take the head to the machine shop to have it resurfaced and pressure tested. the tell me the head checks out fine, no warpage, no cracks and they resurface it. i get everything back together, new timing belt, new water pump, new seals, gaskets, everything. i even straight edged the block to make sure there was no warpage there. nice and smooth. cleaned it up, got all the debris i could out of the bolt holes and oil ports.
so we turn the key and it's a little hard to start, but it cranks up.....and blowing white smoke out the tailpipe. we let it idle for about 15 mins, never heats past mid way. shut it off for 15 mins for a freak rainstorm. when we try it again, there's white smoke pouring out from under the hood. everything is torqued to specs and done in sequence, everything is hooked up, no lines leaking, plenty of oil and full of coolant.
where did i go wrong??

Did you remove the intake? Use a new gasket on the intake? How are all the hoses looking? Make sure theres no pinhole leaks in one. Does it still run good other than the white smoke? If you got oil on the exhaust manifold it will smoke for a while once it gets hot, it should stop after a while though.

hoses are all good, good pressure on the coolant system, and a brand new rad cap. did remove the intake, but did use a new gasket too. the smoke would only come from the engine compartment when we were trying to start the car. i did a forum search and found a lot on possibly a cracked block or maybe a damaged intake. and something about rerouting the intake coolant hose back to the block to see if that's the problem. the engine seems to run fine. a little loud but there's an exhaust leak underneath. also, i know the cat could cause it to run rougher than it should, could it being clogged cause the smoke problem as well??

What does the smoke smell like? Sweet nasty smell or smell like burning oil? If its sweet its coolant so checak around any hose connections, gaskets, etc. If its oil smoke make sure theres no bad leaks from the valve cover and hopefully not the cam or carnk seal.

it was sweet. just got done doing the job again and found the problems...(A) my torque stick needs to be calibrated. we checked the head bolts before we took them out and they were only holding at around 35 instead of 43. that's duralast tools for ya. (B) i won't use copper coat next time. lessons learned, car fixed...again....thanks to everyone for all the input

Factory service manual states 49 ft pounds is the proper head torque, first round of tighteniong sequuence is 25 then go back around at 49. The Copper spray stuff does work good especially if the block or head isnt perfectly smooth. I just replaced a head on an 88 D15B and used a Fel-Pro head gasket and putting a thin coat of Ultra Blue around the water passages to make sure theres no leaks.

it was sweet. just got done doing the job again and found the problems...(A) my torque stick needs to be calibrated. we checked the head bolts before we took them out and they were only holding at around 35 instead of 43. that's duralast tools for ya. (B) i won't use copper coat next time. lessons learned, car fixed...again....thanks to everyone for all the input

yah, 49 is the proper torque...but I always go 3 ft/lbs more. It has never done me wrong yet, as I have built well over 20 motors. You have to think, we are going to abuse these motors more than the average person would, which is why you want to torque them down just a little bit more.