Changing Head Gasket - 93 honda accord

[jas kim]

Hi I have a 93 honda accord ex with a leaking head gasket.

Is changing a gasket as simple as loosing the cover bolts, replacing
the gasket and retighting the cover??

How tight should I tighten the cover bolts?

Sincerely

Jasguild

[Bald Eagle]

"jas kim" <jasg...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:835954ae.02102...@posting.google.com...

The procedure you describe is to change the valve cover gasket, not the head
gasket. Do you have oil leaking out of the valve cover gasket on to the
exterior of the engine, or do you have oil in the cooling system? There's a
huge difference, in both time and money. As far as how tight, that would
again depend on which procedure you really need.

Brent

[jas kim]

Ok obviously I am mixing up the terms here. BUt yes, I have oil

leaking out of the valve cover gasket on to the exterior of the

engine. I dont have oil in my coolant. It is really just gasket that
seals the top cover to the engine. Is that the head gasket or valve
cover gasket??

Thanks

jasguild

please remember to comment on tighting procedure

"Bald Eagle" <baldeagle1313...@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:<ure4u28...@corp.supernews.com>...

[David Brodbeck]

jas kim wrote:
> Ok obviously I am mixing up the terms here. BUt yes, I have oil
> leaking out of the valve cover gasket on to the exterior of the
> engine. I dont have oil in my coolant. It is really just gasket that
> seals the top cover to the engine. Is that the head gasket or valve
> cover gasket??

The valve cover gasket is between the valve cover and the head -- the
first seam, if you start from the top of the engine and look down. The
head gasket is between the cylinder head and the engine block.

The valve cover gasket is pretty easy to replace -- twenty minutes,
tops. The head gasket is a major job.

[Crunchy Cookie]

"David Brodbeck" <dbro...@ameritech.net> wrote in message
news:3DB75C3D...@ameritech.net...
> jas kim wrote:
> > Ok obviously I am mixing up the terms here. But yes, I have oil

> > leaking out of the valve cover gasket on to the exterior of the
> > engine. I dont have oil in my coolant. It is really just gasket that
> > seals the top cover to the engine. Is that the head gasket or valve
> > cover gasket??
>
> The valve cover gasket is between the valve cover and the head -- the
> first seam, if you start from the top of the engine and look down. The
> head gasket is between the cylinder head and the engine block.
>
> The valve cover gasket is pretty easy to replace -- twenty minutes,
> tops. The head gasket is a major job.

I have two SR20DE-powered Nissans and I have had this problem THRICE. How
much does it cost, and is this a common thing on cars after several thousand
miles? My mechanic claims it's not serious. I can take his word for it and
just check my oil frequently, yeah?

[David Brodbeck]

Crunchy Cookie wrote:
> I have two SR20DE-powered Nissans and I have had this problem THRICE. How
> much does it cost, and is this a common thing on cars after several thousand
> miles? My mechanic claims it's not serious. I can take his word for it and
> just check my oil frequently, yeah?

The valve cover gasket, or the head gasket?

If you're talking about the valve cover gasket, no, it's not too
serious. It's also relatively cheap and easy to buy a new gasket and
replace it yourself. If it keeps leaking, your valve cover may have
gotten warped somehow. (Maybe someone dropped it while it was off the
car?) On cars with stamped steel valve covers over-tightening the nuts
will also sometimes depress the spots where the nuts are, preventing the
cover from clamping its gasket properly.