My head gasket just started leaking on the drivers side where the haed and the block mate. I called around to a few local shops and I was quoted $700.00 to $ 990.00. I'm going to attempt to replace it myself. I'm assuming that the bolts on the firewall side are under the valve cover ???? Any help or advise would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
Yes, do it yourself and save! If you have any sort of mechanical ability it should be fairly easy for you. I would recommend spending the 20 bucks on a manual first. If nothing else you'll get all the proper torque values you'll need to put things back together. In short it's fairly simple..
You'll need:
- Head Gasket (I'd get the complete gasket kit for $55 which also gives you new injector o-rings, valve stem seals, etc.)
- Head Bolt set (about $40)
- New engine coolant (might as well change it since you're draining it, flushing is a piece of cake too)
- Assortment of sockets and a torque wrench.
- Gasket scraper (or putty knife, be careful you don't score the mating surfaces)
1. Drain the coolant and remove overflow tank.
2. Remove serpentine belt and alternator.
3. Support the engine using a jack on the oil pan. (Use a block of wood between the jack and pan)
4. Remove the upper motor mount.
5. Remove upper radiator and heater hose from cylinder head.
6. Remove air intake and throttle cable assembly.
7. Remove exhaust manifold. (You can also unbolt the manifold at the flex connection and leave it bolted to the head)
8. Remove the power steering pump, but leave it connected. Don't forget the brace which connects beneath the intake manifold.
9. Disconnect the fuel lines. (Make sure they're not under pressure first)
10. Disconnect the vacuum lines. BE CAREFUL! On my '96 the vacuum block was brittle and broke with minimal effort. It's a $20 part!
11. Remove valve cover.
12. Remove the rocker arms and pushrods. KEEP THEM TOGETHER, DO NOT MIX THEM UP!!!
13. Remove the head bolts. 5 in the front, 5 are on the inside.
Reverse the steps to reinstall. You will need to take your time to ensure the gasket surfaces are clean and flat. Be gentle when scraping the aluminum head. Since I got a complete gasket kit, I changed all of the gaskets, including exhaust and intake. I may have left something off, hence the need for a manual... I took a week of evenings to do mine (had something else to drive, and also did a lot more too). I disassembled and cleaned the head while I was at it.
If it's your main driver, you can do it in a day. Make sure you have all the sockets that you need. You'll find 8, 10, and 13 mm as the most frequently used. The head bolts are torque-to-yield and should not be reused as they're designed to stretch when tightened. Make sure you have a torque wrench too. This is one area you really don't want to guesstimate.
I've recently done all of this, only to discover that I either have a bad lifter or bearing. I'm still contemplating my next move. Good luck, and get a manual first!!
WOW !!!! Thanks a whole lot for that. That is exactly what I was looking for. I can't thank you enough. I thought it would be a lot harder than that. It is a spare car we keep around, I've been driving it more often because of the gas prices going up, my truck burns a lot more. I think I will just take my time and do it a little at a time during the week. Again, I can't thank you enough. Thanks, Andy
Rotate the guide pin by #4 cylinder so that the open end of it's 'C' faces the outside corner of the block. Them things's the main reason for the gasket failing!!! Open end facing a coolant passage is a gift to the gasket gremlins!!
