Head Gasket/Timing Belt/Water Pump job, yay.

[Reedy17]

1999 Civic EX 1.6L SOHC


Basically on the expressway the other day around 65-75 MPH i hit a hill and my car downshifted (as expected) and it started to worry me, something about riding 6 grand at 65 MPH is a little unsettling, so i flipped off the AC and let up, turned off the cruise, and it just wouldnt give, next thing i know, poof, a cloud of white smoke, immediately i shut the car off and rolled to the side of the road, only to discover my coolant is black (and has been disappearing since i bought the car a month or two ago) along with the oil, dissapearing. I pop the hood to inspect, and sure enough the cloud of smoke was from the leak that must have burst toward the front of the head, and sprayed the header, luckily the car did not over heat, i flipped the car off the second it happened.

In saying so, i cant afford the labor ($500+$500 for parts) from my local shop, so i decided i would attempt it with the help of some local friend mechanics, but i dont want to halfway do this, i want it done right with quality parts, as the car is worth it to me so im looking for some pointers on the brands/quality of the parts ive so far chosen.. and a list of everything i will need for this type of job, ive done a lot of searching around the forums and so far have come to the decision that im considering the following parts:

Timing belt : Gates Racing Timing Belt - $65.94 shipped
Head Studs : ARP Head Studs - $107.99 from JEGS
Head Gasket : Victor Reinz - $46.99 from AutoZone (questioning this choice)
Water Pump : Clueless, i think i may check into the OEM, which im assuming has to come from the dealer?


is there anything else im forgetting? do i need sealer for the head gasket or does it just sit in as is?
couldnt find any good write ups on doing these things, found a few but none very informative
-also opinions on brands of parts, or preferences

and is there anything i should replace/check/clean etc while tearing down the engine to this point?

 

[Hendo]

Go to majestic honda dot com and order up an OEM head gasket and water pump. If it's a stock motor the head studs are overkill (although new Handa head bolts cost almost as much, so why not?) as is the Gates racing belt. An OEM belt will work just fine on a stock motor for 120k+ miles. Buy a Haynes manual too, there's a pretty specific process for taking off the head so you don't warp it.

 

[Reedy17]

Go to majestic honda dot com and order up an OEM head gasket and water pump. If it's a stock motor the head studs are overkill (although new Handa head bolts cost almost as much, so why not?) as is the Gates racing belt. An OEM belt will work just fine on a stock motor for 120k+ miles. Buy a Haynes manual too, there's a pretty specific process for taking off the head so you don't warp it.

I dont mind going overkill, id rather use quality parts, for a bit more $, and i do have a haynes manual that was the first thing i bought when i got the car, which is what ill be following along with the guidance from a few mechanic friends

 

[chromal]

You might want to double check whether you bought a Gates belt, or a Gates Timing Belt kit, which includes the belt, tensioner, and a water pump. The reason I ask is just because you paid about what I paid for the kit...

Unless you plan on pulling the cylinder head off with the exhaust and intake manifolds attached, you should replace your exhaust and intake manifold gaskets. While you're at it, it might not be a terrible idea to replace your valve cover gasket. Be careful, the '99 and '00 EX (D16Y8) has a slightly different intake manifold with a slightly different gasket for the 'air injection' system, which is absent on earlier ('98 and before) EXs and other D16Y-series engines. Oh, incidentally, sitting on the engine thermostat housing is a coolant temperature actuated vacuum valve that feeds the aforementioned air injection system. It's made of plastic.. brittle plastic that will try to break if you attempt to remove the hoses from it or tug on them too hard. Beware, it's $90 or a PITA repair if this 'VTEC air valve' breaks.

I agree head studs are probably not really necessary unless you're planning on rebuilding for massively more power. You could spend about $2.50 each on ten new OEM head bolts instead. (You're right to not reuse the old cylinder head bolts, though.)

I'm sure I must be forgetting other stuff, but this covers some of it, anyway.

Hayes is OK, but you should dig around for a (free, downloadable) copy of of the Honda Field Service Manual if you can find one. It's handy in the long run.

Finally, use a decent torque wrench when tightening down the cylinder head. (And yes, head bolts must be de-torqued and torqued in a specific sequence and in small increments, or you risk warping the head.)

 

[Reedy17]

You might want to double check whether you bought a Gates belt, or a Gates Timing Belt kit, which includes the belt, tensioner, and a water pump. The reason I ask is just because you paid about what I paid for the kit...

Unless you plan on pulling the cylinder head off with the exhaust and intake manifolds attached, you should replace your exhaust and intake manifold gaskets. While you're at it, it might not be a terrible idea to replace your valve cover gasket. Be careful, the '99 and '00 EX (D16Y8) has a slightly different intake manifold with a slightly different gasket for the 'air injection' system. Oh, incidentally, sitting on the engine thermostat housing is a coolant temperature actuated vacuum valve that feeds the aforementioned air injection system. It's made of plastic.. brittle plastic that will try to break if you attempt to remove the hoses from it or tug on them too hard. Beware, it's $90 or a PITA repair if this 'VTEC air valve' breaks.

I agree head studs are probably not really necessary unless you're planning on rebuilding for massively more power. You could spend $25 on OEM head bolts instead. (You're right to not reuse the old cylinder head bolts, though.)

I'm sure I must be forgetting other stuff, but this covers some of it, anyway.

Hayes is OK, but you should dig around for a (free, downloadable) copy of of the Honda Field Service Manual if you can find one. It's handy in the long run.

well if you remember anything else, shoot!
and any recommendations on gasket brands for the intake/exhaust/valve cover?
also plan on replacing the valve cover bolts, just because for some reason i seem to be missing 1, probably a previous owner not knowing what theyre doing, its not broke inside, although.

and as for the gates timing belt, i think the price difference is because theres a "racing" timing belt, and a regular timing belt kit, i think..

 

[chromal]

Yeah, the racing one is the blue one, right? Then, yeah, OEM pump and timing belt tensioner. Which reminds me, since you're draining all the coolant anyway, make sure when you fill it back up that you go with a coolant that contains no/low silicates. (Regular green stuff often contain these unwanted additives).

Heh, I'm not sure which intake/exhaust gasket brands are better. I think I wound up just going with the $4.95 Fel-Pro because that's what the local parts store could get fast when I needed it. OEM is a safe choice here. And, I'd agree that OEM is best for the head gasket, and it's only about $28 anyway.

 

[Reedy17]

Yeah, the racing one is the blue one, right? Then, yeah, OEM pump and timing belt tensioner. Which reminds me, since you're draining all the coolant anyway, make sure when you fill it back up that you go with a coolant that contains no/low silicates. (Regular green stuff often contain these unwanted additives).

Heh, I'm not sure which intake/exhaust gasket brands are better. I think I wound up just going with the $4.95 Fel-Pro because that's what the local parts store could get fast when I needed it. OEM is a safe choice here. And, I'd agree that OEM is best for the head gasket, and it's only about $28 anyway.

for the coolant how do i go about finding out if it has any/how much it has, and what does it do? never heard of it before, and what about the vtec screen on the solenoid, is that something i should check or clean while doing this?

 

[chromal]

Google 'low silicate antifreeze,' or go with a product like Zerex antifreeze coolant. (this: http://valvoline.com/products/consumer-products/antifreeze-radiator-products/antifreeze/40 or maybe this: http://valvoline.com/products/consumer-products/antifreeze-radiator-products/antifreeze/105)

I mention Zerex because they seem to be stocked at most auto parts stores around me, but there are other products. There's also Honda OEM, but it's about $20 a gallon and will probably mean a trip to the dealer parts desk...

You can inspect your vtec solenoid screen, though you might want to replace its gasket if you remove it. Hopefully the screen will be clear, as long as the engine oil filter has been doing its job!