wow, im a honda tech at a dealer, and these old cvcc engines are invincible. each of the cyl in my 80 are out of round my .2mm and i havent had a problem with burning oil. (in fact it passed WA state wmiision standards for a 94 accord) i ran my 79 accors of 2 cyl for about a month becuase i was lazy. and yes they blow head gaskets on a regular basis. a few thing you should do to prevent it are make sure you never run low on coolant, and ALWAYS, and i mean ALWAYS replace your head bolts. if you so much as look at them funny your car will blow a head gasket. i replaced t on my 80 acc, untill i finaly replaced them. that was a year ago.

By bruce (4.159.56.66) on Thursday, May 27, 2004 - 07:33 pm:

changing the head gasket is a great way to start to learn about these lil cars, it is not to hard to do yet you get to see the inside workings...if nothing else get with your mechanic and look over his shoulder as he does it, Andrew is right, get the head checked and shaved if need be. And like zippy if you need help I will fork up my cell phone # if ya got stuck someplace.

By Al B (66.222.252.147) on Thursday, May 27, 2004 - 06:35 pm:

Andrew,

I wasn't sure if the coolant was able to get into the oil galleries.

By Andrew Fatseas (203.63.44.193) on Thursday, May 27, 2004 - 06:14 pm:

Al B, I've had plenty of blown Honda Civic gaskets, and not once had the bearings damaged as a result. Unlike most cars, a Civic can run for months, even years with a mildly blown head gasket and not really cause any damage.

Vanessa, as long as the block is straight (no warping), you'll be fine. Just get the head lightly skimmed before replacing it.

By Al B (66.222.252.147) on Thursday, May 27, 2004 - 05:08 pm:

Vanessa,

Was there coolant in your oil? If there was, you should consider rebuilding the motor. Once the coolant is in the oil, the oil no longer protects your bearings and chances are that they will be scored or worn. It would be a shame if you did the top and next week found that the bottom was in need of a rebuild. Talk to your mechanic about this. Hope this is usefull.

By Zippy (Zippy) (12.106.14.107) on Thursday, May 27, 2004 - 02:33 pm:

Vanessa,
This is a great oppotunity to learn about the car. It's not an amature job, but if you're going to drive bombs then you should know more than the average chick. I have a feeling you do. With a little guidance and an ok+ tool set you can do the job yourself. I would leave a whole day for the project for the first time you do it. You should seriously consider the personal challenge and it'll save you a bunch of money. Plus, when you're done, when it starts, you'll be quite proud of what you've accomplished. Car work is good because the rewards are very tangible.

If you're up for it let us know and we'll walk you through it. I'll even give you my number so you can call if you have any problems or are confused.

Remember, when you're working on your car you don't have to invent anything yourself, you just have to figure out what they were thinking when they invented it. Plus, this is old technology, like 100 years old. There is nothing there that you can't see/touch/understand.

By Jonathan (66.252.173.251) on Thursday, May 27, 2004 - 02:17 pm:

Fixable? Yes. Cheap? Not really. It's a fairly labor intensive job, so if you can do it yourself, or know someone who can do it cheaply, you'd be better off. When the head is off, the block and head should be checked for any signs of warping. If they're both within spec, a new gasket should fix the problems. While you have the head off, I'd suggest replacing the radiator hoses, thermostat, spark plugs, etc. A lift would make the job lots easier. I'm pretty sure the head, intake, and exhaust manifolds will come off in all one piece, which would make the job easier. If you can't find a head gasket by you, I think I might have an extra I bought a while back. If the engine ran fine before the head gasket went, you shouldn't have a problem afterward, unless the engine was ran for a long time. Good luck!

By vanessameyer (4.231.166.249) on Thursday, May 27, 2004 - 01:53 pm:

Hi Folks
My 1979 cvcc has blown her head gasket. from the searches i have done in this website i guess this is totally normal for these engines. she is now at the shop.

i guess what i need to know in super laymans terms
is IS THIS FIXABLE and how bad does it have to be for me to put another engine in it? I only paid 1000 for the car(i know that seems like a lot but im in LA) so Im willing to invest more, but i need to know what is reasonable for trying to save her. Also, what parts would I have to try and get if things have to be replaced?

my mechanic is a good man, i trust him. any help would be great, as now i am driving the rambler again and starting each trip with a few hail marys.

thanks guys
(new email kikioreekee@sbcglobal.net)