I have an 89 Civic LX that was running fine when loaned to my neice. It came back a year later with water running out of the bottom and an overheating motor. Seems to be a blown water pump. Water is in the oil. The question is would a blown pump put water in the oil or has the repeated overheating warped the head and allowed water into the crankcase.
Very bad news--it's probably a blown head gasket which is very expensive to repair. A mechanic should easily be able to determine whether or not you need a new head gasket and an estimate. Some mechanics give free estimates.
I'm with Jason - there isn't a passage for coolant to get into the crankcase at the water pump. The most likely cause is the head gasket. Overheating may have warped the head, and the question is whether the warp is small enough to get milled away. Otherwise it will require a replacement head.
This car may get on the road at a modest cost if you DIY, but otherwise you have a tough choice to make. Selling it as-is and with full disclosure to a high schooler starting auto shop in the fall may be your best way out.
Mike
I have seen replacement heads for less than $200 from a local cylinder head shop. I have had the head off before so I am not afraid of doing it again.
Seems the conclusions are the same as I had come to.
If you decide to do the job yourself, then I would recommend that you do not use an aftermarket head gasket and that you only use the latest updated gasket directly from Honda. These gaskets have been through a couple of revisions from Honda and an aftermarket gasket may not meet Honda's latest updated specs.
Eric
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