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Am I in trouble? Installed head without locating pins

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    Am I in trouble? Installed head without locating pins

    Are those dowel pins between the block and head an assembly aid, or are they really critical? Do the head bolts alone locate the head gasket sufficiently?

    I had installed my head and put everything back together when the machine shop told me they had removed the dowel pins from the head and forgotten to give them back to me

    I have them now in hand, but I would really rather not pull the head all over again unless its really necessary.
    1992 EX, 306,000 miles - Track toy - M2S4, H23A1, ST rear swaybar, Wagon brakes, GC coil sleeves, KYB AGX dampers, Stoptech pads, Toyo Proxes R1R, 2.25" exhaust



    Stock F22A6
    VIR, 5/22/2016: https://youtu.be/eR5-ylSPsxk

    H23A1 powered
    NCCAR, 9/4/2016: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TI5WpxGrEpE
    CMP, 10/16/2016: https://youtu.be/DOqoe5f-GLY

    #2
    Absolutely pull the head. and definitely get a new headgasket.

    I'd say you are pretty lucky they noticed and notified you.


    - 1993 Accord LX - White sedan (sold)
    - 1993 Accord EX - White sedan (wrecked)
    - 1991 Accord EX - White sedan (sold)
    - 1990 Accord EX - Grey sedan (sold)
    - 1993 Accord EX - White sedan (sold)
    - 1992 Accord EX - White coupe (sold)
    - 1993 Accord EX - Grey coupe (stolen)
    - 1993 Accord SE - Gold coupe (sold)
    Current cars:
    - 2005 Subaru Legacy GT Wagon - Daily driver
    - 2004 Chevrolet Express AWD - Camper conversion

    Comment


      #3
      I'd say pull the head as well. They do align it properly. If I remember correctly the head bolts actually go through the dowels.
      MRT: 1993 Honda Accord SE Coupe (Lola)

      Comment


        #4
        Agreed, lucky they notified me.

        Had this not been my first head remove/replace I might have noticed before I put everything together.

        Just ordered another head gasket...
        1992 EX, 306,000 miles - Track toy - M2S4, H23A1, ST rear swaybar, Wagon brakes, GC coil sleeves, KYB AGX dampers, Stoptech pads, Toyo Proxes R1R, 2.25" exhaust



        Stock F22A6
        VIR, 5/22/2016: https://youtu.be/eR5-ylSPsxk

        H23A1 powered
        NCCAR, 9/4/2016: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TI5WpxGrEpE
        CMP, 10/16/2016: https://youtu.be/DOqoe5f-GLY

        Comment


          #5
          100% pull the head. The head actually moves around on the block a little as it runs.

          Comment


            #6
            I did the opposite once. Just needed to replace the gasket, so I lifted the head (with manifolds and everything) enough to get the old gasket out and put the new one in. The dowels stayed with the head; I thought the previous owner might have left them out, so I installed two new ones, then tried to install the head - it won't sit right with two sets of dowels!
            90 LX 4dr 5 spd 396,014 (sold 1/1/2022) - MRT: http://www.cb7tuner.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=201450
            08 Element LX FWD AT 229,000 - MRT: fleetw00d : 2008 Honda Element LX - CB7Tuner Forums

            Comment


              #7
              Head is pulled, now just waiting on the gasket. At least the job is quicker the 2nd time.
              1992 EX, 306,000 miles - Track toy - M2S4, H23A1, ST rear swaybar, Wagon brakes, GC coil sleeves, KYB AGX dampers, Stoptech pads, Toyo Proxes R1R, 2.25" exhaust



              Stock F22A6
              VIR, 5/22/2016: https://youtu.be/eR5-ylSPsxk

              H23A1 powered
              NCCAR, 9/4/2016: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TI5WpxGrEpE
              CMP, 10/16/2016: https://youtu.be/DOqoe5f-GLY

              Comment


                #8
                Got my new head gasket today and it came in a package labeled "UNSALEABLE". There's a scratch on it between the cooling passage and cylinder opening deep enough to catch my finger. Needless to say I am not pleased.

                I assume its a bad idea to re-use my old gasket? I started the engine but only briefly, it never got hot. It looks fine. Unfortunately the H23A1 is not that common and the gaskets are all special order.
                1992 EX, 306,000 miles - Track toy - M2S4, H23A1, ST rear swaybar, Wagon brakes, GC coil sleeves, KYB AGX dampers, Stoptech pads, Toyo Proxes R1R, 2.25" exhaust



                Stock F22A6
                VIR, 5/22/2016: https://youtu.be/eR5-ylSPsxk

                H23A1 powered
                NCCAR, 9/4/2016: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TI5WpxGrEpE
                CMP, 10/16/2016: https://youtu.be/DOqoe5f-GLY

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by masospaghetti View Post
                  Got my new head gasket today and it came in a package labeled "UNSALEABLE". There's a scratch on it between the cooling passage and cylinder opening deep enough to catch my finger. Needless to say I am not pleased.

                  I assume its a bad idea to re-use my old gasket? I started the engine but only briefly, it never got hot. It looks fine. Unfortunately the H23A1 is not that common and the gaskets are all special order.
                  I see 2 concerns with reusing a headgasket, especially yours:

                  1. if anything was slightly out of alignment, it would have compressed the gasket in that pattern. Realigning and recompressing could create overlaps across areas that were or were not compressed before.

                  2. the black coating on either side often gets stuck to the block/head mating surface and you would lose this important coating in some spots, or possibly have double-thickness in others.

                  They are cheap enough and critical enough that I wouldn't mess with it. I've reused a headgasket in a stock F22 before, but I knew the alignment didn't change, and I actually applied a thin coating of copper sealant spray on both sides before installing it... I don't think that's the sort of level you should be going to.

                  Super lame about receiving clearly bad parts - heck it was even labeled as such... ridiculous. Some packer was sleeping that day.


                  - 1993 Accord LX - White sedan (sold)
                  - 1993 Accord EX - White sedan (wrecked)
                  - 1991 Accord EX - White sedan (sold)
                  - 1990 Accord EX - Grey sedan (sold)
                  - 1993 Accord EX - White sedan (sold)
                  - 1992 Accord EX - White coupe (sold)
                  - 1993 Accord EX - Grey coupe (stolen)
                  - 1993 Accord SE - Gold coupe (sold)
                  Current cars:
                  - 2005 Subaru Legacy GT Wagon - Daily driver
                  - 2004 Chevrolet Express AWD - Camper conversion

                  Comment

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