1989 Honda Accord Blown Head Gasket/ Engine

13,000 MILES • 4 CYL • FWD • AUTOMATIC
Avatar
ATRUJILLO81
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
Over the past year i have had anumber of cooling related issues such as over heating, replacement of hoses, thermastat, sensor, a/c no longer works, ect. It started leaking water by the drivers side of the engine block.
The car was looked at by a friend who told me that he had a cracked/warped header, the engine sounds hurt and there is significant condensation coming from the tail pipe. The car is worth around $2,300 accordign to kbb.com.
I decided im not going to fix it, what should i expect to receve for selling it in this condition? Should i sell it as is or fix and then sell?
Jun 23, 2008 at 6:10 AM
Avatar
LEGITIMATE007
  • ✓Experienced Mechanic
  • 5,121 POSTS
me personally I would sell it as is, your not gonna get that much for it anyway, I dont car what the book value is, I would not pay a shop over a thousand dollars to do it, unless you can find someone dirt cheap otherwise forget-a-bout-it
Jun 23, 2008 at 6:44 AM
Avatar
KHLOW2008
  • ✓Experienced Mechanic
  • 41,812 POSTS
Hi atrujillo81,

Driver side is where the water pump is located, is the leaking from there?

Honda head rarely craks till water is leaking out.
Jun 24, 2008 at 2:18 AM
Avatar
ATRUJILLO81
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
The water pump was my first hope,eventhough an expensive one. Youe can tell its the head because when you ramp up the rpm's you can see water leakage and a slight bubbling out of the front of the block.

How much do you think i could get for it in the current condition?
Jun 24, 2008 at 2:51 AM
Avatar
KHLOW2008
  • ✓Experienced Mechanic
  • 41,812 POSTS
Hi atrujillo81,

Ok, hard luck.

Sorry I am in no position to comment on the price as I am from a different country in the East.
Jun 24, 2008 at 2:55 AM
Avatar
LEGITIMATE007
  • ✓Experienced Mechanic
  • 5,121 POSTS
you know, on second thought < I would try to do it myself, four cylinders are so much easier then their bigger sisters(6or8 cylinders). and It will be so self gratifiying when you complete something like that, especially when , you look at the fact at how many hundreds of dollars you save, I know a junk yard around here that you could by a head for a honda for 20 to 40 dollars max. its really awesome when you think about it
Jun 24, 2008 at 5:50 AM
Avatar
KHLOW2008
  • ✓Experienced Mechanic
  • 41,812 POSTS
Good thinking, but watch out for a warped block surface, this is an aluminium block.
Jun 24, 2008 at 8:14 AM
Add a reply
Join 2CarPros for free, one of the most advanced car repair communities on the internet. From first-time drivers to seasoned mechanics, everyone is welcome to reply, share details, and get better answers. You can add a temporary image or video first; uploads are limited to 20 MB.

Frequently Asked Problems for This Vehicle