one time use head bolts

[maddogsback]

i have a1995 honda civic lx and i just changed the head gasket and it kept doing the same problem with burning antifreeze and i was wondring does anyone have a heins owner manual to check this> any info on this would help.

Jason

[BullShifter]

You can re-use the head bolts if they were not over-torqued. 5lbs over is enough to cause problems
http://icelord.net/honda/repair/Serv...l/pdf/6-54.pdf
http://icelord.net/honda/repair/Serv...l/CivicManual/

[cvcc_wagon]

how soon after you rplaced the gasket did it start to burn coolant again? it it was a while later (say 5000 miles or so) it could be that you did not torqued it down properly. when i did mine it leaked again after about 7000 and it was beause i did not re-torqued the bolts. i replaced it again and re-tourqued and it hsa been 9000 miles without inciden

[whtteg]

I never use the bolts a second time it is too much of a risk, and not worth the time and money you will waste if they are streched. They are not that much compared to haveing to tear it back down and buy a new head gasket, valve cover gasket etc. my.02

[maddogsback]

Originally Posted by cvcc_wagon

how soon after you rplaced the gasket did it start to burn coolant again? it it was a while later (say 5000 miles or so) it could be that you did not torqued it down properly. when i did mine it leaked again after about 7000 and it was beause i did not re-torqued the bolts. i replaced it again and re-tourqued and it hsa been 9000 miles without inciden

i just replaced it and drove it no more than 3 miles when it started to have the same problem as before with the blown head gasket.

[cvcc_wagon]

then i'd say you really didnt tourque them to the proper spec or the there just messed. are u sure that its not a cracked head or block, it would have similar symptoms to a leaking head gaskit

[BullShifter]

Did you have the head inspected while it was off?
Was the engine over-heated?

[maddogsback]

Originally Posted by cvcc_wagon

then i'd say you really didnt tourque them to the proper spec or the there just messed. are u sure that its not a cracked head or block, it would have similar symptoms to a leaking head gaskit

I took the head in and got it pressure checked and the works so this wouldn't happen. the head is fine i got it resurfaced and i did torque the bolts in the proper sequence.

[i_a_n112784]

if you do a crappy job cleaning the old gasket off the block it will leak.

[maddogsback]

Originally Posted by i_a_n112784

if you do a crappy job cleaning the old gasket off the block it will leak.

i did a a good job cleaning that old gasket off. i used a chisel and scraped all the old gasket material off.

[i_a_n112784]

You shouldnt be using a chisel on the block, just like a wire brush. It can very easily leave gouges or scrapes that will cause the gasket to get a bad seal. I've changed over 5 head gaskets on different cars, and I've always used the original bolts, as long as they dont look damaged. To clean the block I used little scrub brush like pads that you put into a drill to make them spin. They do a great job quickly and never leave any marks.

[cvcc_wagon]

i have used a chisel, its alright if you are carful but you're rite, you can easily cause damage. when you removed the old head gaskit could you see where it was leaking, it could be pretty suttle. if you cant find where it ws leaking it mite be a cracked block which is very hard to see sometimes. you say it leaks after 3 miles, what exactly is happening, a lot of steam and your engine over heats or something else?

[whtteg]

Originally Posted by i_a_n112784

You shouldnt be using a chisel on the block, just like a wire brush. It can very easily leave gouges or scrapes that will cause the gasket to get a bad seal. I've changed over 5 head gaskets on different cars, and I've always used the original bolts, as long as they dont look damaged. To clean the block I used little scrub brush like pads that you put into a drill to make them spin. They do a great job quickly and never leave any marks.

Those are the same things I use except I put them in a die grinder, makes it easier to hold. Anyway yes these are about the best things you can use they do a great job and you can use them for other things as well. They have different discs that are finner and more coarse etc. You should pick up some of these if you are going to try it again, and look for any marks on the block where you were using the chisel, just a small grove from not holding it flat aginst the surface can cause it to leak. good luck

[maddogsback]

Originally Posted by cvcc_wagon

i have used a chisel, its alright if you are carful but you're rite, you can easily cause damage. when you removed the old head gaskit could you see where it was leaking, it could be pretty suttle. if you cant find where it ws leaking it mite be a cracked block which is very hard to see sometimes. you say it leaks after 3 miles, what exactly is happening, a lot of steam and your engine over heats or something else?

The antifreeze is leaking into the oil and i an also burning antifreeze and its comming out the exhaust.

[cvcc_wagon]

it could just as easily be a cracked block, however usually when the block is cracked the car just over heats extrememly fast, is there antifreeze or oil running down the outside block, if that is the case is defiantly the gaskit but as i_a_n112784 pointed out using a chisel could have gouged and created a leak in the water jacket in which case you would not see anything on the outside of the block. mu suggestion is to pull it apart again (i know its a pain) and look for obveous points where the gaskiy has not sealed, it may be hard to spott but you are looking for darker areas betewen cilinders and anywhere the water jacket comes close to the cilinder wall, remember to look at the block and head. when mine went for the shits i had the same problems as you are describing and the areas that were leaking the gaskit was completly burnt up except for the metal portions, when i replaced it i used a whole shit load od Permatex MotoSeal 1. but the problem i had was i did not re-torque the bolts after a few hundred miles and i was putting an old head on an old block so there was some warpage problems as well