Would you resurface your own cylinder head?

[Xist]

I already did one and it ran fine until I sold it.

Edit: It did not make sense to pay a mechanic $1,750 to replace the head gasket on my Subaru so I could sell it for $2,700. It does not make sense to pay a shop $1,250 to replace the head gasket on my Civic.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by Xist

Show Low is three hours from the nearest dealership.

I would not call that local.

That is why I mentioned ordering parts in #49 and then ordered more parts in #87.

So the Honda dealer isn't local. Why didn't you just order the correct bolt the start off with instead of checking ACE, NAPA, O'Reilly, and Lowes?

In this thread you have
1. Missed an exam (Post 37)
2. Missed an appointment with a client (Post 57)
3. Forgot about your afternoon clients (Post 66)

In every case you say it was because you were working on this Civic. You aren't saving money if you are missing work because you are researching how to fix your Civic or trying to save a couple bucks on a bolt.

You also repeatedly say you want more hours from your agency. You also say you forget to go to work or miss appointments. Those two things don't go together.

Originally Posted by Xist

Why would I sell a vehicle?

Why? Because in this thread and others you make it seem that you are in a poor financial situation, living with your mom, have miss student loan payments, and chronically work less hours than you would like. It seems like money is in short supply so keeping an extra car around as a hobby doesn't seem like the best use of financial resources.

You do have a Civic and an Accord right? Personally, I would sell one and set that money aside in an emergency fund so if something comes up you have a little bit of cash to get by. A running Honda should be worth at least $1000 and you will save the money you are spending today to insure and register the car.

This may sound harsh but I tend to be direct. As I said in another thread you are only stuck if you continue to choose to be stuck. In this thread you said life would be easier if you made better decisions. Start making them.

[Xist]

Originally Posted by Xist

I read six chapters yesterday, watched two hours of lecture, and took my quiz yesterday before seeing my afternoon clients, but I read the textbook, watched the lectures, and missed the quiz today because I did not realize daylight savings already started.

It was not a test, it was a quiz, and it had nothing to do with the Civic, as I clearly wrote, it was due to daylight savings time, which we do not observe in Arizona, and I did not realize they changed the observances since I moved from California.

Are you wrong 100% of the time on purpose or is this a natural ability?

I do not know if you are trying to be helpful, but you are definitely terrible at it.

Goodbye.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by Xist

I would have an easier time if I just made fewer mistakes.

I was not able to start this month's schoolwork earlier because I kept taking care of work e-mails after finishing my progress reports. I read six chapters yesterday, watched two hours of lecture, and took my quiz yesterday before seeing my afternoon clients, but I read the textbook, watched the lectures, and missed the quiz today because I did not realize daylight savings already started.

My professor expressed her sympathy, which is worth more than 95 points if you are insane.

Maybe I should have waited another week to work on my head gasket.

Sounds to me you knew exactly what the problem was. No comment on the two times you said you missed work?

Listen, I get it. You are probably thinking “who is this guy on his high horse?” I’m a guy that made some really stupid financial mistakes early in my adult life. At the time I thought everything was fine. Then my company started laying people off and I had a mortgage to pay, a wife in college, 3 times my annual salary in debt, and no savings. I calculated if I was laid off I could make my payments for 8 days. That is what it took for me to realize there was a problem.

Some older friends gave me some direct and to the point advice. It hurt but they were right. My wife and I set a goal to fix our finances, made a plan, and worked that plan. It took 7 years living on a greatly reduced budget, working extra, and putting everything we could to pay off those debts but we reached that goal. Then we set some goals about saving and now we are working that plan.

It helps to learn from people that’ll have been down the road already.

EDIT. And yes, I am trying to help

[Xist]

I have taken the time to disprove all but two of your accusations. Is that a perfect 5/7? I do not know.

Have a quote!

“Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea.”
― Robert A. Heinlein

Have the right quote!
"If someone from the 1950s suddenly appeared today, what would be the most difficult thing to explain?
I have a device in my pocket capable of accessing the entirety of human knowledge. I use it to argue with strangers and look at pictures of cats."

I have things to do. I hope you do, too.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by Xist

I have taken the time to disprove all but two of your accusations. Is that a perfect 5/7? I do not know.

Have a quote!


Have the right quote!
"If someone from the 1950s suddenly appeared today, what would be the most difficult thing to explain?
I have a device in my pocket capable of accessing the entirety of human knowledge. I use it to argue with strangers and look at pictures of cats."

I have things to do. I hope you do, too.

Cool. Good luck with the Civic and with life.

[Xist]

My parts arrived Saturday, but I returned from my trip too late to work on my car, and did not have time after working eleven hours today. I work both jobs through Wednesday, so I am unsure that I will be able to work on it until Thursday.

They came in a small post office box. Now that I know what I am trying to find, hopefully I can find it or the original box!

[slowmover]

To the opening post:

It’s often a question of tools. Metal is a specialty.

Does your “toolbox” include tools with terms like

Van Norman Rotary Broach?

Blanchard Grind?

We have a couple of centuries into engines.

Find an old fashioned automotive machine shop.

Or just buy a “re-manufactured” cylinder head. Which is distinct from “rebuilt”.

An engines health is all about cylinder pressure. And that depends on the seal. The total distance across the cylinder head is hard to measure for flatness.

Metal is a wonderfully plastic material. And it’s never still. Time and miles take their toll.

I, too, had to learn much from books. Perseverance pays. If you haven’t already, wait till you run into the instruction : “Perform the next step in the usual manner”. (Ha!).

.

[Xist]

I finally got back to my Civic today. When the second box of fasteners arrived I put it under the driver's seat, so I bolted the crankshaft pulley, used a screwdriver to flange the gaskets around the spark plug tubes, and was slowly and evenly bolting on the valve cover, when I saw the valve cover gasket squeezing out of the side.

I removed the valve cover, seated the gasket, held it in place, and carefully lowered it back down. Everything looked right, so I cranked it down, but the battery was too weak. It is charging now.

When I replaced the head gasket I kept reading to buy a gasket assortment kit for the fuel filter banjo bolt. The nice neoprene gasket that came in the kit squeezed out. When I popped the hood today the gasket was sitting underneath. Maybe I needed a smaller size, but it is entirely possible a metal washer is supposed to go there.

I stopped at O'Reilly's and they only had kits like I had. They grabbed a fuel filter and we looked at the washers, but he said they did not sell washers like that without a filter. Maybe a new filter would benefit my car, but I want to make sure that my vehicle is operating within specified parameters before I make unnecessary replacements.

The Wix filter was $28. I could get a Honda one from Amazon for $32. Majestic would ship me one for about $35.

I just ordered the washers. $9.93 for tiny washers.

Owning a car is great!

[Piotrsko]

Owning a newer fully operational vehicle is somewhat painless. Older vehicles requiring owner participating, not so much

If you have access to one, a true value hardware store has bins of assorted plumbing washers, o-rings and related at each prices cheaper than auto parts places for useless OSFA kits