Yellow Fog lights have always been my thing
I got this kit off ebay a long time ago and never installed it, especially with the repair drama I had with my civic. It seemed like my civic was done for, but I found my critical mistake. Now it runs great and I can start to slowly shape it to my dream civic. Time is running out! I'm getting old now!
I went back and forth if I wanted the 2009 civic coupe facelift. Then that’s when the r18 block cracked. Since we lived in an apartment without a garage, I played the long game and just kept it and drove the two corollas.
Then we got a house with one car garage and a car port! I took the r18 out and bought an r18z1 block off ebay (2012 civic). Well, this post isn’t about the long road to recovery, but after engine rebuild, messing with the r18a1 lower block to r18z1 upper block for the correct crankshaft sensor location, the civic was alive!
Disaster Strikes Again!
Things lasted great until the weather became cold…
Then last December, coolant started to leak inside the cylinder walls. This caused huge white smoke clouds our the muffler, terrible idle, misfires, and disappearing coolant. It sure wasn’t fun limping it back home! I went crazy. Took the head off several times. Dam, timing chain and cover had to come off every time I took the head off. New headgasket, new headbolts, had the head resurfaced, and could not figure out why.
The coolant bypass is an innocent mod that is recommended for warmer areas. Instead of coolant going through the throttle body to heat up the air, it’s looped back into the block. The Evap purge valve sits on top of the throttle body. I would not care too much about this, until later on.
Evap Purge Valve
Here's the intake box. There's a line on top of the throttle body going behind the intake coupler. Be very careful not to get this mixed up with the two coolant lines that originally go to throttle body.
I mixed up the evap line with a coolant line, then had a second coolant line going into the evap purge valve. So, coolant was getting sucked into the intake manifold (after the engine warmed up and the evap purge valve opens some). Most of the coolant hit cylinder 3. This caused the misfire and the burning of coolant.
Furthermore, coolant was getting sucked into the evap system, then into the gas.
I used a makeshift hose that hooked up to one of the injector holes on the fuel rail and used my foxwell 510 Elite scan gauge (with Honda programs) to turn on the fuel pump. I emptied as much gas as possible. Ruined my evap system. Now has a leak somewhere, but at least that “bad headgasket” is fixed!
After this, I was so relieved that this issue was behind me. Also, felt amazed that this was the core reason why I was having car trouble for almost three months. This all could have been avoided by just looking at the pictures I took and double checking my work. Always document your work. Nothing crazy, just pictures and notes just so when you put it back together your can make sure you don’t have coolant going into your engine and gas tank!
Now Back to those fog lights
I have not modded my civic in so long
I've been working on fixing everything on it without ruining my finances. Seems like no fun, just all work and it's still expensive even when you do it yourself. Also, the time is just passing by. Be careful with your cars, document your work, take photos before starting, always have the factory service manual, and try to avoid distasters like mine. The engine block crack was something nobody can avoid. Too bad it didn't happen earlier, then Honda would give me a new engine. Now it's too late for that! But the coolant line mix up, well that squarely on my solderers.
While the civic is running, I have started to take off everything for the old 2001 corolla. I bought the wrong bit for the head bolts! So, waiting for correct one, a bi-hex 10 mm 12point bit?
Rocking that S2k carbonworks heat shield, also put a homemade short ram on. That intake box is so hard to take out. I wanted more room. Have my 2001 corolla battery in place, which is too big. The civic battery is in the 2014 corolla, the 2001 corolla battery is in the civic, and the 2014 corolla battery is in the garage all bulged up.
Eventually want to get the Greddy TIC catback on, but I’m just not ready and did I tell you that I’m getting old? So, want to get a resonator first. And a lip kit is on my list.
I want to get back to the fun mods. Back when I was young the looks and feel of the car was more important. This is a great looking car and the r18 is enough. That k24 does sound great, but for now the 1.8 gets me around town.
I leave you with these pictures…
Thank you!
