420A Headgasket? Bad engine?

[Jay2g]

Hello so I recently had gotten the engine to turn over and there's so many things that happen.

I recently had replaced the radiator, ecu, transmission, thermostat, etc and what happens is coolant splatters everywhere when I turn on the car without the radiator cap.

The engine also looks like it overheats but the radiator hoses seem to be cold.

I did a compression test and the results were cyl 1- 124psi cyl 2- 35 psi cyl 3- 25psi cyl 4- 55 psi.

I may or not may answer my own question but I just have a feeling the previous owner drove the car even when it was overheating so is it better to open up the engine and take a look or replace the whole engine itself?

 

[curt-s]

Coolant shouldn't be shooting out of the upper thermostat housing so the answer is basically known already.

For fun, a leakdown test will allow you to pressurize the cylinders with air in a controlled manner and any bubbling out is head gasket failure.

It will also help you identify ring or valve issues but the coolant bit is the prime issue at the moment

If you can inspect cylinder bores, that can tell you of any ring issues as well.

Hold old is the engine in its current form? Are you keen on doing a full rebuild? Replacing a head gasket on an older, well run motor, almost always requires fresh deck surfaces so that's a complete teardown if you're looking for reliability with the new gasket

 

[jed344]

Those compression test results are terrible. Leak down test will help you find exactly what is going on like said, if the previous owner overheated it that badly to get those compression test results the leak down test will be very interesting.

I had a car I tune overheat BADLY at the track. In the burnout box he was 234 and by time he left pegged in DSMLink. The car made the pass and drove back into the pits. You could hear the coolant boiling as the motor was running. When we did his leak down test you could FEEL air coming out of the cylinder next to the one we where trying to test. He not only warped a head beyond use but also warped the block deck. Leak down and then depending what that shows will give you a idea.

 

[Jay2g]

Coolant shouldn't be shooting out of the upper thermostat housing so the answer is basically known already.

For fun, a leakdown test will allow you to pressurize the cylinders with air in a controlled manner and any bubbling out is head gasket failure.

It will also help you identify ring or valve issues but the coolant bit is the prime issue at the moment

If you can inspect cylinder bores, that can tell you of any ring issues as well.

Hold old is the engine in its current form? Are you keen on doing a full rebuild? Replacing a head gasket on an older, well run motor, almost always requires fresh deck surfaces so that's a complete teardown if you're looking for reliability with the new gasket

The engine has 178k miles and All I know from previous owner is he used to daily it for work like 50 min drives and he had it sitting for a year due to transmission issues. Idk if its cheaper to just get another 420a or rebuilding. I used to own a 1998 integra and they scammed me on fb with a low compression engine so I dont trust fb. If yall can help with links to remove timing and anything else in Order to open up the engine i will much appreciate it.

 

[curt-s]

I'd say get yourself a Haynes/Chilton manual. It's more user friendly than the FSM and while it does not cover everything that the FSM does, it will help you get through a basic tear down. Plus they're about 20-25 bucks off eBay, if you can't get one in-store

 

[BLACK'98DSM]

Most of the manuals are vague and missing useful info. I've posted pages of the FSM here. The 420A is a simple engine, but certain processes must be followed or it will not last long. Feel free to send me a PM for specs, disassembly and reassembly help.

 

[Jay2g]

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Guys I opened up the engine and well.. but where should I start after this, its my first time trying to rebuild a engine so anything would help.

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[BLACK'98DSM]

A new gasket won't fix it. Time for a teardown to see what's salvageable. I've never had the throw away a 420A block or crank but the heads are questionable when run hot. Check the camshaft journals and flatness of the mating surface. If it's your first time it's best to hand off the parts to a machinist to be inspected, measured and machined as necessary. It's hard to say the extent of damages without a full teardown and seeing everything, but the oil condition is not a good sign.

There's plenty of threads on rebuilding and repairing these engines. More than 2 decades worth to read through. Really the only place to start besides research is taking it apart. We can help but need to know what you're truly working with.

When it comes to getting a used engine, I don't know what to say besides "it's hit or miss". Any old 420A with mileage and lack of updating will need some work. You can surely find one needing less work but if you're pulling your engine out anyway, you might as well see if it is saveable. I'm betting it is, but with how much work?