The Car

Well I took on the project of fixing the car. It's a 1991 Acura Integra GS 1.8 Liter.
Its a fine Machine in running condition. But the problem has been that it has overheated a lot. So after changing the thermostat out twice, and tweaking the distributor and making sure that the radiator was full of liquid I finally too, it to the mechanic.

The mechanic, "It's a bad head gasket most likely. I think the grim reaper is pointing his finger at your car." I should have listened to him. But after buying a Chilton's manual to look at the process of changing a head gasket I got this notion that I could change the head gasket! I should have listened to the mechanic.

The process started fairly simple: Buy a head gasket set and replace the head gasket. Well it's a little more complicated than that. I started first by taking the exhaust manifold off. But then it didn't break away from the head. So I looked underneath and more bolts and nuts. but in order to get to these bolts and nuts you have to take off part of the undercarriage. Finally the manifold peeled back.

Now that the exhaust manifold was off, it was time for programed fuel injection system (pgmfi) to come off. This was very difficult. At least the way we did it the first time. most of the nuts are located where you can reach them from above or below the car. Except one. On nut has too many hoses in the way to get to it. So I found the best way to get to this is to remove the brace that holds the pgmfi in place on the car and then lift the whole head up and reach the nut from under the head.

Unfortunately as one of the teens who was helping me on this project was trying relentlessly to reach this nut he broke the breather chamber which leads to the pcv valve. This is important for vacuum purposes as well as emissions stuff. the breather chamber makes sure no excess fuel or fuel fumes escape.

Well finally we got the head off and this was important, because you can just lift the head with just the Exhaust manifold off and slip a new head gasket in. But for my conscience sake I took the head in to be machined (for a perfectly flat mating surface) and I also had it pressure tested and it passed. Plus the thing looks brand new!

So I finally get all the parts for the breather chamber and get the head back from the machine shop and i have an extra hand to help button up the head. We get everything back together, have just torqued the last head bolt to 61lbs and then I start looking at the diagram for the head gasket...and I have put in on wrong!

The good thing is that I have experience now and i know exactly what i have to do. So what took me about two weeks only took me 1 hour to do the second go around. So I take off only the exhaust manifold and release the brackets that hold up the pgmfi and lift the head and flip the gasket.

So all in all it's been a good learning process. I still have the job of taking off the crank shaft pulley to replace the timing belt and water pump. But that should be fun as well.

All in all i have put a little over $600 into the car, Specialized and regular tools, all new belts, water pump, breather chamber and new tubes for it, PCV valve and new tubes, machining head, Gasket set, spark plugs, fluid to refill the vehicle.

Not bad for a first timer. this car is going back together with a lot of prayer. I hope that i will be able to blog about my success in this endeavor. I'm excited for the moment of truth. turning that key to the on position and seeing what happens. it could blow the head gasket within 10 minutes because of the new compression pressure, it could start blowing other gaskets as well for because of the new compression. The timing could be off. etc. keep me in your prayers.