Black & Green modding thread (1998 Civic DX Coupe base)

[California98Civic]

So my post head gasket repair and post 15" Seven Hole Mini wheel swap I recorded about 62 mpg tank average. But the cool thing is that I am doing less P&G. I steady cruise a lot on the freeway or else P&G with the engine on the whole time. The car steady cruises at 1765 RPM at 55 mph and maybe 1900 at 60 mph.

[Xist]

Interesting. Black Civic coupe that needed a new head gasket and a Forester with 115,000 miles. May your Forester head gasket last as long as the new Honda one!

I feel like nothing has been working right for me lately. All that I wanted to do was write a post on one side of my screen while still reviewing your thread on the other. Do you see how well split screen is working with Win10 today?



I think I just rebooted yesterday. I gave up and went full-screen, except it isn't full screen.

The first thing I did when I woke up was take care of the last of the paperwork so I can start my new job, but my computer keeps freezing. It unfreezes after a while, but I cannot figure out what it is.

You have not had any concerns with engine compression, so you would not have any idea if that improved at all with replacing the head gasket? In theory, if the head gasket had a small leak it could have affected compression, but I think it makes more sense that compression was low for other reasons before my head gasket went out.

How far did you drive the car suspecting the head gasket? I looked at your fuel log and while this may have increased your fuel economy, there still seems to be an overall downward trend, while 137 of your tanks (so far) have beaten my average in my HX, with only one tank (so far) being equal or below.

Do you think disabling your alternator and swapping in the CX transmission are your most efficient modifications?

I would ask about replacing the head gasket, but I still think rebuilding my engine would be more efficient.

Yay.

[jcp123]

Aren't Subarus kinda notorious for head gasket failures? I seem to recall that they are...

[Xist]

From what I understand, it took them a couple of decades to figure it out.

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by Xist

... How far did you drive the car suspecting the head gasket? ....

Quite a while but with a very minor problem. I probably first noticed trace oil in the coolant two years ago. At that time I tested for exhaust gasses and coolant in oil and got nothing, so I judged it not certain--or certainly not serious yet--and started watching. Last winter it got slightly more serious. This spring it was obvious there was more oil in the coolant, so I tested and found exhaust gasses in the coolant too. So, I took it off the road for the repair.

Originally Posted by Xist

Do you think disabling your alternator and swapping in the CX transmission are your most efficient modifications?

The single best "engine" mods were the power steering delete and the alternator on/off with deep cycle battery and grid charging. Because the PS delete was free it has had much bigger ROI than the charging mod, which costs in a more expensive battery and the charger.

Originally Posted by Xist

I would ask about replacing the head gasket, but I still think rebuilding my engine would be more efficient. ...

If you rebuild the engine, the head is coming off. When the head comes off, you will be replacing the gasket. Do yourself the favor of buying Honda OEM gaskets. I took that advice from someone on my thread here. Good advice, especially for such an important gasket.

Originally Posted by jcp123

Aren't Subarus kinda notorious for head gasket failures? I seem to recall that they are...

Subaru dealerships might really like that reputation, especially if it only applies over 100,000 miles. But my wife's car has absolutely no objective sign of head gasket failure (no odd smoke, no oil o coolant infiltration, no exhaust gas infiltration). The only sign it has of a mechanical failure is failure to give Subaru more of our money. lol

[California98Civic]

Without AC, I have been working to mod the car and maintain the systems so I can be as cool as possible in the heat and so the engine can be as effectively cool as possible.

Right now I am ducting the grill opening in my grill block to force air through the radiator. Prototype is working nicely. I have installed a beta version of my radiator on/off fan and it works pretty well. I want to improve those mods and then install clear tint on the windshield glass.

For maintenance, I am using chemical clean to get oil and other contaminants out of the cooling system (head gasket failure complication). I fixed the cabin fan. And soon I want to straighten the radiator fins on my rad.

All that might help be stay cooler in the summer. Usually, I have to run the heater on the hottest days in order to control coolant temps. Bad!

I wonder about using office glass clear tint on my car roof to repel UV and heat. Nutty idea?

[19bonestock88]

Not a nutty idea at all. The clear tint would be a stealth mod, keeping your car looking somewhat “normal” to the masses... my wife might approve such a mod, she’s a little particular about my cars appearance, since she has to ride in it with me

[freebeard]

For maintenance, I am using chemical clean to get oil and other contaminants out of the cooling system (head gasket failure complication).

More detail? My Dasher's head is at the machine shop right now.

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by freebeard

More detail? My Dasher's head is at the machine shop right now.

I bought Prestone's 32oz "Radiator Flush & Oil Degreaser." The oil in the coolant will have gobbed up the water pump, the radiator fins, and various spots throughout the system. Such oil will obviously undermine cooling ability. So, if I want to maximaize my chances of running cool air from the fan in the summer, or at least not blasting the heat, I need the rad to work at maximum potential. This Prestone product is supposed to be heavy duty. I only bought it because it was the toughest looking thing in the O'Reilly I dropped into. I won't know how well it works for a while. But with the flushing and the ducting, so far, it looks pretty good. I seem to be keeping better, lower coolant temps--probably 3-5 degrees lower.

Here is the Prestone product:
https://prestone.com/products?detail=AS110Y

That Christ Fix youtuber has a good demo vid:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s--5ft5YiHg

[Xist]

ChrisFix has some good material; I do not remember any ChrisFix advice that I did not like. I believe I watched ten of his videos yesterday and I am about to create a new thread related to him.