Hello RDX owners. Does anyone have good source for help how to DIY head-gasket change out on 2007 Acura RDX? Got only 100K miles on it and otherwise in good condition. Junkyard will give 500.- for it. Can not make myself to give it away for that.
Thanks

 

Not a lot of deep DIY info for these, they never took off with that sort of enthusiast. Still, the Honda K-series is well known and if you're handy there ought not be anything particularly tricksie about it. You can find the factory service manual for download online...

My first question would be, "Why did the head gasket fail?" This isn't a common problem, what was the actual cause?

 

Honestly it shouldn't be any different than a HG job for any FWD 4-cylinder engine. The main difference is that you need to pull the intercooler off the top first, but then valve cover, cams, etc (plus anything in the way). Definitely check the DIY section, but I'm not sure you'll find a 1G specific HG thread (I've never heard of one failing on this engine). But a number of people should have a copy of the FSM which should be of some assistance. Obviously if you do this, make sure the head isn't warped, and may as well do the valve cover gasket and a valve inspection/adjustment while you're in there. And a fresh set of plugs. If you do it, good luck and take a lot of pics!

 

Thank you for information. I am not sure why it failed. Most likely low coolant. Someone else was driving it. I was not there and It all happened so fast according driver so hard to backtrack. Ordered of events was like this. Lost transmission because trany cooling port blew off radiator. It was corroded and hanging in there by last thread. Most likely low coolant and over heated. Although he told me that he did not notice temperature gage going past normal.
So if it over heated and blew head gasket which created enough over pressure in cooling system to blew port off from trany line in radiator so all trany fluid was flowing out and all coolant too. Initially I thought that trany port was so corroded that it failed. Put in new radiator, filled everything back up and started up smoking crazy sweet antifreeze smoke and I could see coolant seeping out near turbo. Oil was milky too so it was clear that it’s failed head gasket. Problem what I see changing it my self is that engine is tilted backwards and it’s impossible according Acura dealer guys to change it without dropping engine down. Can not get to turbo bolts. Maybe I don’t have to that is what I am trying to find out. If it is possible to change it engine in place. to

 

People swap the downpipe without pulling the motor; maybe you could dismount that, leave the turbo attached, and pull the head/turbo assembly?

The larger fear I'd have is "What else is wrong/what's really wrong?" The NA K-motors I've had apart use a multilayer metal head gasket; the K23 can't be much different and if anything is likely more robust. I wouldn't expect the gasket to be the first failure point.

Sorry to be a downer. Scrapyard motor might be a more efficient choice.

 

Head gaskets are pretty rugged on these engines. Prepare for cracked head.

 

Drop the engine and trans. with the cradle. Not worth the hassle of trying it any other way! Not a driveway job by any means...you may be in for some surprises as head gaskets aren't common on these as already mentioned.

The ATF cooler line breaking off of the radiator only has to do the with ATF, not coolant. Unless the radiator internally failed and mixed...How's the trans. fluid look? Coolant reservoir full of milky fluid?

These have a common coolant leak at the gasket between the turbo manifold and head. Hope this helps!