90' Festiva head gasket job?

[Top Tier Mafia]

hey guys I have a 90' festiva with 136k miles but it is over heating.. im torn between whether I get a new motor for that bish or just get a head gasket kit along with new thermostat timing belt kit and water pump... I can dump about a bottle of water in my radiator and make it to work and back but if I get pretty hot.. if I try to fill it with coolant it bogs out and has trouble starting until I drain the fluids out of there... I hate running it almost dry but its the only way it will run ok... I love this car but I really want it to run efficiently. any suggestions/tips? motor swap or do I replace the water pump/timing belt with a new head gasket kit and super stat thermostat?? haha thanks in advance guys much love<3

[Top Tier Mafia]

and I don't want to junk it but I got an offer for $650 for it.. it's an automatic whats a good motor I could do a simple swap into it for pretty cheap

[TominMO]

I'd start with the HG, WP etc approach. Make sure the head is planed level of course. If that doesn't fix it, at least you have a known-good head & can re-use the belt and WP on a swap motor. This is assuming your valves are in good shape. Might need a whole head rebuild.

[Top Tier Mafia]

thinking of just junking it im not sure

[TominMO]

thinking of just junking it im not sure

It's too nice to junk! We order you to fix it. Find an experienced friend (or a friend of a friend) to help you do the job yourself. Really, it's not that bad. For the head studs you will need a 12mm 12-point socket BTW. Other than that (and a torque wrench, which the friend will have), it's all common hand tools. Get a Haynes manual at least, for torque specs, pics, procedures. The hotshot mechanics scoff at it, but it's pretty useful even so.

This will be much cheaper than taking it to a shop. Other than milling the head at a machine shop, this is an easy half-day job, at the longest.

[jimdigs]

If you have the time its not that bad. I never did anything like this on any car. I did it this spring and everything went real good. I even have a video of what I did if you want I could send it to ya. I replaced the rings on the pistons but that included putting on a new head gasket. All went well. Whatever you decide, good luck.

[Flw Sock]

I'd fix the HG. The cars are known for their mileage and doing an engine swap would just ruin that. HG on these cars would be super easy too, even more so since you're from Cali and you won't have much, if any, rust.

Please don't scrap her.

[Hecka]

If you have the time its not that bad. I never did anything like this on any car. I did it this spring and everything went real good. I even have a video of what I did if you want I could send it to ya. I replaced the rings on the pistons but that included putting on a new head gasket. All went well. Whatever you decide, good luck.

Did you perhaps deglaze the cylinder walls when you replaced your piston rings? I'm looking at replacing the piston rings on a different vehicle and everywhere I read, it says that you need to at least deglaze your cylinder walls to get the crosshatch pattern available for the new rings to break into.

[Flyin4stroke]

I had just bought a jy cl BP. Put it in my car only to find water shooting from the cylinders. I pulled the head off. Cleaned everything really well. Bought a really good head gasket multi layer steel and coated it really well with copper spray put it back on. Holds 18lbs of boost so far. No more water of course. Sometimes it's just time for a head gasket.

[scitzz]

Yep, HG is REAL easy on these cars. While Tominmo is right, buy a Haynes, there is a simpler method to removing the head than they give. Unplug all the wires up top, and all hoses, make sure you understand how to find top dead center and line up for timing belt install, remove timing belt according to book, disconnect and plug fuel lines, remove exhaust down pipe, remove rocker cover and remove head bolts in pattern shown in book, remove head from bay, THEN remove manifolds. Oh yeah, there is a bar in the back that attaches to block and head, remove that. The only thing I disagree with the manual about is removing the manifolds in the engine bay, when you reinstall, just attach the intake manifold, install head, then attach the exhaust manifold. Use copper spray on the gasket. Have the head machined.

[jimdigs]

Did you perhaps deglaze the cylinder walls when you replaced your piston rings? I'm looking at replacing the piston rings on a different vehicle and everywhere I read, it says that you need to at least deglaze your cylinder walls to get the crosshatch pattern available for the new rings to break into.

Yes I did.

[tooldude]

How far do you drive the car, how hot is it getting and for how long? That may give some idea as to how much damage is being done, though you can't exactly go by a temp guage when the sending unit is not staying immersed in coolant.

[jroberson1981]

I am doing the headgasket and all that I have the intake n exhaust off bit I'm having trouble with the crankshaft pulley and dust cover can someone please help me in the best way to finish getting these off so I can finish doin this job. I have 2 of the 4 bolts off I rounded off the other 2 so I also have to get them off. Please and thank you for the help

[WmWatt]

Are you talking about Philips head screwdriver bolts? I use a Philips driver attachment on a rachet, the biggest one which fits to avoid slippage. Also apply penetrating oil beforehand. However if your heads are too far gone sometimes a big heavy set of pliers, like fencing pliers, can grab the head of the bolt and get it turning. Works on Philips head bolts for me sometimes. Don't know if you can get access to them with the engine still in the car. Also maybe flatten two sides of the bolt head with a file or angle grinder? Others here have cut a slot in round bolt heads and used a slotted screwdriver.

[scitzz]

Are you talking about Philips head screwdriver bolts? I use a Philips driver attachment on a rachet, the biggest one which fits to avoid slippage. Also apply penetrating oil beforehand. However if your heads are too far gone sometimes a big heavy set of pliers, like fencing pliers, can grab the head of the bolt and get it turning. Works on Philips head bolts for me sometimes. Don't know if you can get access to them with the engine still in the car. Also maybe flatten two sides of the bolt head with a file or angle grinder? Others here have cut a slot in round bolt heads and used a slotted screwdriver.

All good suggestions. I would add that I have removed those more than once with Vice Grip pliers.