1992 Civic LX 16V 1.5L was running rough today. Limped it back home. Didn't want to idle. Lost all power. Red hot exhaust pipe. Thought it might be a timing problem as the engine was running way hot. Anyways, just tried to start it again, and now it's spewing water out the exhaust pipe, and won't turn over. I'm thinking it might be a head gasket. Hoping I didn't do too much damage by being an idiot and driving it home, maybe a crack in the water jacket? Anybody know what's going on before I have to rip the engine apart? HELP!

 

If it's a blown head gasket, it's a really serious one (might be a cracked block). Driving it more could have caused this, but too late now. At any rate, you're going to have to tear the engine apart.

 

driving the car home when the engine is running to hot could have cracked the block, i did this on my first car which was a mercury sable, but i was 16 and didnt no crap about a car

 

i drove my car with a blown gasket to and from work for a couple of months, and as long as i filled the water before i started it every time, it was ok, it got hot ALL the time, but i just kept adding water. when i finally got the money to fix it, the head had "slight" warpage, it wasnt cracked at all. well, i got it shaved a little, and it ran great till i spun a rod bearing.