Try this out.
Start your car and let it run for about 10 - 15minutes. Feal the upper and lower hoses. After a few minutes these should stay around the same temp. If not then your radaitor is cloged or your pump is out. I wouldn't break into the engine till i got the small stuff out of the way. I'd rather spend $90 on a new rad other than spending $100's on the motor cause i did something wrong with the head.

 

well after the motor running for awhile both of the hoses from the rad are hot so i know the water is going through and i know the pump is working....ive pretty much tried everything possible so im still pretty sure its the headgasket......would this kit be the right one cause i think im gonna get it????

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...hippingPayment

 

well i just ordered the headgasket kit for 45 bucks which is alot better then the 120 everywhere wanted here for once cause im almost positive that thats whats wrong with the car is the HD.....anyways im sure its not gonna be that fun to do but im sure my and my dad will figure it out ok hopefully.....

HI JO!!!!!

 

Check the old gasket really closebefore you take it off while it's still stuck on the head or block. You are going to probably see a place between a cylinder wall and a water jacket where it's been putting compressed air into your coolant. Mine was in between #1 and #2 on the front side. It may not be real easy to spot, but it's more than likely there. If you do see a place like this, stock up on head gaskets because you have a warped head from overheating. Putting your old head back on a new gasket will be ok for a while. You just won't know how long. Be sure you don't turn the crank or the cam and timing should not be an issue when you put it back together. Good luck.

 

My 98 civic EX was pushing vapors into my coolant reservoir causing bubbles. I had my mechanic do a chemical test on the coolant and there was no exhaust gas in my cooling system. They did a check on my rad cap and it wouldnt hold a pressure more than 9 lbs and its supposed to hold 16 he said. They said coolant was escaping through the cap into the resevoir then the car would start to overheat and boiling coolant/vapor would push out the cap causing bubbles. I'll let you know if the new cap has fixed the problem. I dont know if you have changed the cap but maybe.

 

have you had the headgasket checked yet ? you should use a block tester , the one that detects HCs, most full service shops will have one, about 30 bucks for the test, if that comes out fine I agree with poss.clogged rad. If you think it might be a defective new thromostate take the guts out of the old one and see if it fixes it .I have gotten many new ones that were bad

 

Yup - a very good chance of a warped head. However, only a machine shop will know for sure.

And everything's out the window if you take the head to a machine shop for testing, as they will move stuff around so read up on how to reinstall the head and line up the timing marks.