What is wrong with this $800 2002 Civic with 250,000 miles? Is it a melted crank position sensor?

[Xist]

He said it had a blown head gasket, but he wouldn't be able to tell if the engine is damaged without removing the head.
The best-case scenario would be that I have a strong engine with a quarter million miles that needs the head gasket and timing belt replaced.
I could do it myself, but I already need to fix 4 cars, a greenhouse, a shed, and plenty of other things. The cheapest JDM engine I could find was $1,000, and $1,380 with a transmission.
If I am paying to replace an engine with 250,000 miles I feel that I should swap the transmission, too.

However, I found a $1,200 low-mileage engine and transmission for my Accord.

The Civic is newer and looks significantly better.

It also needs a new radiator and I just hope Crazy J can back-flush the heater core.

My phone kept changing "flush" to "door."

How does that make any sense?!

[Xist]

I told Crazy J that I was finding cheaper Accord engines than Civic ones and he confirmed he would charge about the same to swap it, but another $3-400 to swap a transmission at the same time, plus transmission fluid.

$2,500 plus fluid just seems too much. Sure, the drive train should last another 15-20 years, but the rest of the car isn't that nice.

I don't think there is anything to do, but resuming Operation Pig Lipstick.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by Xist

I told Crazy J that I was finding cheaper Accord engines than Civic ones and he confirmed he would charge about the same to swap it, but another $3-400 to swap a transmission at the same time, plus transmission fluid.

$2,500 plus fluid just seems too much. Sure, the drive train should last another 15-20 years, but the rest of the car isn't that nice.

I don't think there is anything to do, but resuming Operation Pig Lipstick.

This is why 20 year old cars go to the scrapyard when they develop problems. Swapping engines takes a lot of time and mechanic rates aren't cheap.

[Xist]

It was the last thing I told him!

He claimed he would do it today.

Should I give him a day or a week?

I still need to deal with my other cars. I should have climbed under my Accord, but I have been trying to figure out how to replace the heater core in the 2002 Civic.

I didn't want to do this. I really didn't want to do this. I kept telling myself that I would get the parts, gather the tools, and buy a Haynes manual. I would rather flip through dozens of chapters and sections than spend days trying to figure out everything ahead of time.

However, I always need to stop, wash up, and then buy another part or tool, or figure out how to remove something that wasn't described in the FSM or anywhere else I saw.

I just wanted to figure out all of the tools that I needed to gather.

In theory, having already replaced the head gasket in a 2000 Civic, I should have all of the tools that I need for a 2002 Civic head gasket.

I just watch Eric the Car Guy's video and while I was eating lunch I watched his video and mentally listed each step, which, of course, I wouldn't remember.

I thought that, instead of pausing his video hundreds of times and going back, I would start with the transcript.

Yes, the transcript that doesn't have capitalization, punctuation, or any kind of breaks, so I used WPS Office for that, but it is lame, so I copied it into a Gmail draft.

That started suggesting all kinds of corrections, so I copied it to Docs, but that only did so much, so I went back to Gmail, pulled it up on my desktop, and have reviewed it for hours in Word.

The video is an hour long and my transcript is 12 pages.

Huh. I wanted to attach it as a code block so someone could click on it if they wanted to read it, but wouldn't need to scroll through it, and apparently I am limited to 8-page-posts!

Amazing. I tried attaching an .RTF, but apparently that format is too new for Vbulletin. I tried attaching a .TXT, but it was over twice the allowed size!

So, I am only allowed 5 pages?

I feel underwhelmed that the .ZIP of a .TXT is only 65% smaller.

[Xist]

I think that I have 29 instructions from the first 5.5 pages, but then he said to rotate the engine to line up the timing marks. Sure, I just put "Remove the axle," but I cannot have two big steps that are actually a bunch more steps, so I found a video on rotating the engine and doing the timing, but I quickly thought "That's it! I need to go to bed!"

I didn't lie down for at least an hour or two, but I didn't use my brain during that time!

When I woke up this morning I thought "Continue figuring out how to replace the head gasket and timing belt? No, I need to work on the shed and other cars!"

I sure wish that I knew what I did instead!

[Xist]

After 9 days I finally found where I stashed $700 cash. I kept looking for a black Wells Fargo bag, which I finally found in my Accord trunk on Sunday, having already given up on finding it.

I took my brother on his walk and thought that if the money wasn't in the bag it could be anywhere.

I could have put it in any of the dozens of books that Dad left behind.

Then I remembered where I hid it and put it in the black bank bag.

Then apparently I set it on top of black clothing and put stuff on top of that.

On Monday I went to get my car and realized that I hadn't grabbed the money.

Then I couldn't remember where it was.

I spent all day looking for it and when I found it my brother gave it to Mom.

I didn't have any idea where she put it, but she had him give it back the next day.

I kept trying to get my car and stuff came up. I wasn't able to go before seeing my first client and somehow ever since that client moved to that spot I have forgotten about the client that I have seen immediately after that for 2 years, the exact same day and time.

Remembering is hard!

The second family asked to shift right and it was too late to get my car.

I just needed to grab a few things today. Of course, none of those worked out, and I forgot to grab my cash.

I had needed to park Mom's car at the school so the hired help could park in the driveway.

I got the Civic home, but she died before I could get her through the gate, and I couldn't restart her. I grabbed my brother to have him help push, but all that he did was grunt and groan as he leaned a little bit. I still had my tow strap and giant cargo strap laying out from moving Chorizo, so I ensured the parking brake was set in that car, and tried to use her as an anchor, but I couldn't get it to work.

I finally used Harbor Freight's cheapest cargo strap to bridge the gap and cranked the big one all of the way.

The 2002 Civic moved 1". As far as I can tell, the 2000 Civic didn't move at all.

The battery was clearly weakened and Chorizo's battery has been on life support for years, so I swapped them, eventually started the 2002, and maneuvered her into the side yard.

One of my errands was buying this portable garage:

It is currently $230. I couldn't find any valid coupons. It was $170 in October. I couldn't find a valid 20% off coupon and any coupon from any site besides hfqpdb seems guaranteed to fail.

I told my brother to open the tent and empty it, but of course he didn't do either. I am going to empty it, take it down, and set up the portable garage in its place, with the current contents of the tent around my car.

That is assuming I can push Chorizo into it. I tried pushing her forward so I could ratchet up the 2002, but I couldn't budge her.

I am sure that jacking her up and putting 2x6s under each wheel would make that far easier.

I will end up with a portable garage where the tent is and a silver Civic where the black one is.

Then, after all of that work, I can finally resume fixing things.

I don't think you can make out all of the projects in this picture, which aren't all of my projects:

1. Mom's Camry
2. My Camry
3. The 2002 Civic
4. The 2000 Civic
5. The tent
6. The shed
7. The back fence.

[Xist]

Originally Posted by Xist

I think that I have 29 instructions from the first 5.5 pages, but then he said to rotate the engine to line up the timing marks. Sure, I just put "Remove the axle," but I cannot have two big steps that are actually a bunch more steps, so I found a video on rotating the engine and doing the timing, but I quickly thought "That's it! I need to go to bed!"

I didn't lie down for at least an hour or two, but I didn't use my brain during that time!

When I woke up this morning I thought "Continue figuring out how to replace the head gasket and timing belt? No, I need to work on the shed and other cars!"

I sure wish that I knew what I did instead!

I wish that I knew where these instructions went!

My brother woke up and laid back down in the living room a couple of times, so Mom canceled his van, and let him sleep until 11.

Mom and I went back to bed, but I was up pretty quickly, and just going to the bathroom seemed to disturb my brother, so I stayed in my room, pretending I didn't exist.

When I took care of everything else I started looking for those instructions I was writing out. I finally decided they weren't on my laptop, so I switched to my desktop.

Right! I wanted to use Word to format the script from Eric's video!

Why?!

I have two copies of that, the RTF, and the TXT, but I absolutely cannot find actual instructions, so I need to start over!

[Xist]

I downloaded the FSM because it is likable, but I hadn't even found the right section when I thought there must be a write-up somewhere, although it is ridiculous how long it took me to find. I found a sticky for the 1996-2000, but needed to go through dozens and dozens of forum posts to find one for the 2002. It looks great, but the steps aren't numbered, so I worry about keeping track of where I am!

Head Gasket + Timing Belt DIY It says to buy replacement nuts and studs for the intake and exhaust manifolds, but I became frustrated trying to find them on-line, and I hate to pay $10 to ship a couple fasteners. It says to buy a wingnut socket.

Eric mentioned that. He showed a socket he found with a slot sawed in it. Hillman sells one for $10 on Amazon. There were significantly cheaper Chinese ones.

It says it originates in the US.

I just hope there isn't a space issue. This should fit in a 1/4" socket, but looks 2.5" long, on top of the 1/4" socket.

An actual wing nut socket would be a fraction as deep.

Everyone said to order OEM and only OEM, but I ordered Fel Pro.

Someone mentioned that the dealership has a kit, but at the time it was $233, and the individual components totaled $135.

Here is the list (and comments): Headgasket replacement parts list.

Majestic will ship the kit for $236.69, but all of the components for $163.22.

At least the post says it is all of the components. I opened every relevant Google result until they stopped looking relevant and none of them said what was included in the kit.

The post with the parts list suggests buying a valve spring compressor so you can replace all of the seals that you are buying. I think this is the type they said, but they mentioned someone's video, which I haven't found yet: ATP Solid Valve Spring Compressor C Clamp Service Kit

They mention Invisible Glove. Amazon sells it for $11. I couldn't find it elsewhere cheaper, not with shipping. It is supposed to help keep your hands clean.

Disposable gloves are cheap, but rip easily. I haven't ripped mechanic's gloves, but they soak.

Shouty recommended wearing disposable under mechanic's gloves--if they fit, but you might need to take your arthritis medication.

From the instruction thread: It is easier to remove the intake manifold if you remove the brackets attached to it first. Someone also suggested securing the intake with a bungee cord.

You may want to remove the engine mount after removing the intake.

You could have saved some time and left the exhaust manifold hooked up to the downpipe... it really wouldnt get in the way too much when removing the head and it would save you a few minutes playing with the spring bolts.. Also.. I've recently discovered you don't need to remove the intake manifold either... just remove the bolts off the brackets behind and the knock sensor, make sure everything is disconnected off the IM and remove the head. It takes two people to remove the head...

Once again I am doomed!

I believe that Eric disconnected the exhaust, but just pushed it back, still on the studs.

"solution for TDC and top cover - pull the top cover (carefully to not to damage the TDC wires) from the front and lift towards the rear, move it over the engine mounts studs and put your hand in there to disconnect the TDC."

Not Top Dead Center?

He said he needed a crow's foot.

I wonder if a wrench extender would work? Eric reviewed one here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZjqpQPYOos

This guy tested Tight Wrench Amateur ($32), Tight Wrench Professional ($70), Mac ($130), and Snap-on:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lK2jfJLKrK4

The cheap one broke with 30 foot-pounds, the second broke around 110, and the expensive ones did about twice that.

I absolutely needed to cut this short 2 hours ago.

[RustyLugNut]

Originally Posted by JSH

This is why 20 year old cars go to the scrapyard when they develop problems. Swapping engines takes a lot of time and mechanic rates aren't cheap.

I had a pair of 1992 Geo Metro's my wife would drive around in when she did her Marketing thing. They paid her to drive her Mercedes Sedan, but never checked. She'd drive one Metro into the ground and then I'd give her the other one to abuse while I rebuilt the first one. Both died of body rot at about 300K miles. I still have one engine and 5 speed in the storage. We still have the 87 Mercedes sedan her company paid for.

One weekend, my wife wasn't off at a convention so she decided to help me replace the engine. After draining fluids and disconnecting the transmission, exhaust, intake and the few electrical/fluid connections I went off to get the engine lift. I came back to find the engine missing! I found my wife wandering around with it! I told her to put it down! So she walked over to the work cart and plopped it down. Then she pushed it into the shop. I guess Bally's must have really helped her physical capabilities because she's 100 pounds and change. Then again, when stripped, aluminum block, three-cylinder Metro engines don't weigh much.

[Xist]

I Found that you can leave the intake manifold on just make sure you take the 3 bolts out that are underneath the intake manifold.

At step 4. Take head and entire intake with fuel rail off as one piece. Disconnect hoses and electric. There are three bolts #10 on underside of intake canister Two brackets. One has one nut. the other has two. have to get from underside but easy to get at. then pull head and intake as one and bolts to separate are easy to get at and work on when on the bench. When done put it back together and reinstall as one piece. So much easier. Great post, but thought everyone should know this one.

2003 Honda Civic Head Gasket and Timing Belt Replacement