PRODUCT DETAILS
Honda D17A Head Gasket - Genuine OEM (12251-PLC-004)
If your D17A is blowing white smoke, losing coolant you can't account for, or you've found coolant mixed into your oil, you're looking at a blown head gasket, and this is the part that fixes it. Honda part 12251-PLC-004 is the genuine OEM head gasket for the D17A, and the good news is it's a multi-layer steel gasket, not the old composite style. That's the same MLS gasket Honda built the engine with from the factory, so you're putting it back exactly the way it came, sealing your combustion chambers, oil passages, and coolant jackets the way they're supposed to be sealed.
How You Know The Gasket's The Problem
A head gasket doesn't fail subtly once it goes. You'll see white smoke out the tailpipe, your coolant level keeps dropping with no puddle under the car, your oil turns into a milkshake when coolant gets into it, or the engine runs hot for no reason you can find. Any one of those means combustion gases, coolant, and oil are getting where they don't belong, and the only real fix is pulling the head and putting a fresh gasket on. These things blow from overheating, age, or just enough heat cycles over the years, and on a D17A that's been around the block a few times, it's a pretty common repair. Once you're in there, this is the gasket that gets it sealed back up.
MLS, Not The Old Composite Stuff
Here's why the multi-layer steel construction matters. This gasket is three thin layers of steel with a coating on the outer faces that grips the head and block, and a bare steel layer in the middle. Those layers compress and conform to the deck surface when you torque the head down, which gives you a more even, more durable seal than a single composite gasket ever did. It holds up better under heat and cylinder pressure, and it's more forgiving of small surface imperfections than the old-style gaskets were. One thing it can't do is fix a badly warped head, so if yours overheated hard, get the head checked for flatness and resurfaced if it needs it. No gasket seals a warped head, but on a good clean surface, this one seals and stays sealed.
While The Head's Off
A head gasket job is a lot of work to get into, so make the most of it while everything's apart. Fresh head bolts or ARP studs give you consistent clamping on the new gasket, and it's the right time to look hard at your timing components and water pump since you're already most of the way there. Doing it all in one go means you torque it down once and you're not back in here chasing something else you could've knocked out the first time.
What You Get
- Genuine Honda head gasket (12251-PLC-004) for the D17A
- Multi-layer steel (MLS) construction, the same as factory
- Three steel layers with coated outer faces for a durable seal
- Seals combustion chambers, oil passages, and coolant jackets
- Direct OEM replacement
- Sold individually
Fits These Cars
- 2001-2005 Honda Civic DX/EX/LX (D17A1/D17A2)
- 2001-2005 Honda Civic GX (D17A6)
- 2001-2005 Honda Civic HX (D17A7)
Note: Genuine Honda head gasket, part number 12251-PLC-004, for the D17A1, D17A2, D17A6, and D17A7 engines. Multi-layer steel (MLS) construction, three steel layers with coated outer faces and a bare center layer, the same gasket Honda used from the factory. Seals the combustion chambers, oil passages, and coolant jackets. A warped head must be resurfaced before installation, since no gasket will seal an uneven surface. Best installed with fresh head bolts or ARP studs while the head is off. Sold individually. Fits the 2001-2005 Honda Civic DX/EX/LX, GX, and HX. One head gasket per order.