Hi Mikedt1,
I had a bad head gasket on my 05 Honda Civic automatic at 90k. Those generation Civics are known for the head gaskets going bad. I did everything possible hoping it wasn't the head gasket- I changed the thermostat myself, changed the water pump, flushed the coolant system, etc. I essentially had to keep my eye on the engine oil temp at all times, and kept a turkey baster with hosing in the car to put the excess coolant from the overflow tank back into the radiator. At the time, all private mechanics I went to didn't want to diagnose it as the head gasket, even though all the forums suggested it was.
I ended up bringing it to Hamilton Honda, and stacked some coupons. At that point, I basically had to bite the bullet... When the dealer finished the work, I had them show me the head gasket. It was pretty worn.
One thing I did try was a treatment called Steel Seal. You can find information on it online, but try it at your own risk. By chemical reaction & heat, it essentially forms a glassy layer. The dealer was skeptical of the product, but when they pulled off the head gasket, they said that it had almost worked and that maybe a second treatment could have remedied the situation. They were pretty shocked.... I thought it was a gimmick worth a shot at the time- but I was reluctant to try it twice hence why I brought it to the dealer. It was my only car at the time, and I didn't want to tinker with it anymore.
I kept that car for another 70k until I sold it to a cousin. I replaced it with a base 2011 VW Golf (manual), which has been a great car for me. I enjoy it much more than the Honda.
