Installing A New Headgasket
broke college kid
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 376
Likes: 0
From: Bronx, NY & Nashville, TN
Here are the step by step instructions on how to take your head off (Taken from helms. I recommend you have the actual manual in front of you because it includes detailed pictures and diagrams):
1. Disconnect the negative terminal from the battery.
2. Drain the coolant.
3. Relieve fuel pressure (take the gas cap off)
4. Remove the air flow tube (intake)
5. Remove the fuel feed hose and charcoal canister hose from the intake manifold.
6. Remove the throttle cable at the throttle body.
7. Remove the throttle control cable from the throttle body (A/T only).
8. Remove the fuel return hose and brake booster vacuum hose.
9. Remove the engine wire harness connectors and wire harness clamps from the cylinder head and intake manifold (Basically any hose or plug that’s connected to the intake manifold or head, needs to come off)
10. Disconnect spark plug wires at spark plugs and remove them from the distributor.
11. Remove the engine ground cable on the cylinder head cover.
12. Remove the power steering belt and pump (Do NOT disconnect the hoses)
13. Remove the power steering bracket (4 bolts)
14. Remove the emission vacuum hoses and water bypass hoses from intake manifold assembly (included in step 9)
15. Remove the radiator upper hose and heater hose from the cylinder head (included in step 9)
16. Remove the water bypass hose from the thermostat housing.
17. Remove the intake manifold bracket.
18. Remove the self locking nuts and disconnect the exhaust manifold and exhaust pipe A.
19. Remove the exhaust manifold bracket.
20. Remove the PCV hose, then remove the cylinder head cover.
21. Remove the timing belt upper cover.
22. Loosen the timing belt adjusting bolt 180 degrees to release the belt tension.
23. Push the tensioner to release tension from the timing belt, then retighten the adjusting bolt.
24. Remove the belt from the cam pulley (gear)
25. Remove the cylinder head bolts, then remove the cylinder head (loosen bolts starting from the outside, then coming in).
The gasket should be right there for you to replace now. Then put the head back on:
Now, let’s put your new head on (Taken from helms. I recommend you have the actual manual in front of you because it includes detailed pictures and diagrams):
NOTES:
-Always use a new head gasket
-Cylinder head and engine block surface must be clean (no water or dirt…even in the head bolt holes)
-Turn the crankshaft so that No. 1 piston is at TDC.
1. Install the intake manifold and tighten the nuts in a criss-cross pattern in 2 or 3 steps, beginning with the inner nuts.
2. Install the exhaust manifold and tighten the nuts in a criss-cross pattern in 2 or 3 steps, beginning with the inner nut.
3. Install the exhaust manifold bracket.
4. Install two dowel pins, head gasket, and cylinder head
-Apply clean engine oil on the bolt threads and washer contact surface
-Always use a new cylinder head gasket
-Turn the cam pulley to TDC before installing
5. Install the bolts that secure the intake manifold to its bracket but do not tighten them yet (optional, I decided not to do this because the intake manifold bracket is a bitch to get to)
6. Tighten the cylinder head bolts in two steps, working your way from the inside bolts to the outside bolts.
-Step 1: 22 lb ft
-Step 2: 53 lb ft
7. Install the exhaust pipe A on the exhaust manifold.
8. Tighten the bolts for intake manifold bracket (again, optional)
9. Install the exhaust pipe A on its bracket
10. After the installation, check that all the tubes, hoses, and connectors are installed correctly.
11. Adjust the valve timing.
12. Apply liquid gasket to the head mating surface of the number 1 and number 5 or number 6 cam holder then install the cylinder head cover (you can neglect this because you need to leave it off for the timing belt install)
13. Install air intake.
14. Fill radiator with coolant.
I suggest getting the Helm's so you can see step-by-step what to do and how to do it. The gasket is easy to replace, just take out the old and in with the new. Hopefully this is what you were looking for.
1. Disconnect the negative terminal from the battery.
2. Drain the coolant.
3. Relieve fuel pressure (take the gas cap off)
4. Remove the air flow tube (intake)
5. Remove the fuel feed hose and charcoal canister hose from the intake manifold.
6. Remove the throttle cable at the throttle body.
7. Remove the throttle control cable from the throttle body (A/T only).
8. Remove the fuel return hose and brake booster vacuum hose.
9. Remove the engine wire harness connectors and wire harness clamps from the cylinder head and intake manifold (Basically any hose or plug that’s connected to the intake manifold or head, needs to come off)
10. Disconnect spark plug wires at spark plugs and remove them from the distributor.
11. Remove the engine ground cable on the cylinder head cover.
12. Remove the power steering belt and pump (Do NOT disconnect the hoses)
13. Remove the power steering bracket (4 bolts)
14. Remove the emission vacuum hoses and water bypass hoses from intake manifold assembly (included in step 9)
15. Remove the radiator upper hose and heater hose from the cylinder head (included in step 9)
16. Remove the water bypass hose from the thermostat housing.
17. Remove the intake manifold bracket.
18. Remove the self locking nuts and disconnect the exhaust manifold and exhaust pipe A.
19. Remove the exhaust manifold bracket.
20. Remove the PCV hose, then remove the cylinder head cover.
21. Remove the timing belt upper cover.
22. Loosen the timing belt adjusting bolt 180 degrees to release the belt tension.
23. Push the tensioner to release tension from the timing belt, then retighten the adjusting bolt.
24. Remove the belt from the cam pulley (gear)
25. Remove the cylinder head bolts, then remove the cylinder head (loosen bolts starting from the outside, then coming in).
The gasket should be right there for you to replace now. Then put the head back on:
Now, let’s put your new head on (Taken from helms. I recommend you have the actual manual in front of you because it includes detailed pictures and diagrams):
NOTES:
-Always use a new head gasket
-Cylinder head and engine block surface must be clean (no water or dirt…even in the head bolt holes)
-Turn the crankshaft so that No. 1 piston is at TDC.
1. Install the intake manifold and tighten the nuts in a criss-cross pattern in 2 or 3 steps, beginning with the inner nuts.
2. Install the exhaust manifold and tighten the nuts in a criss-cross pattern in 2 or 3 steps, beginning with the inner nut.
3. Install the exhaust manifold bracket.
4. Install two dowel pins, head gasket, and cylinder head
-Apply clean engine oil on the bolt threads and washer contact surface
-Always use a new cylinder head gasket
-Turn the cam pulley to TDC before installing
5. Install the bolts that secure the intake manifold to its bracket but do not tighten them yet (optional, I decided not to do this because the intake manifold bracket is a bitch to get to)
6. Tighten the cylinder head bolts in two steps, working your way from the inside bolts to the outside bolts.
-Step 1: 22 lb ft
-Step 2: 53 lb ft
7. Install the exhaust pipe A on the exhaust manifold.
8. Tighten the bolts for intake manifold bracket (again, optional)
9. Install the exhaust pipe A on its bracket
10. After the installation, check that all the tubes, hoses, and connectors are installed correctly.
11. Adjust the valve timing.
12. Apply liquid gasket to the head mating surface of the number 1 and number 5 or number 6 cam holder then install the cylinder head cover (you can neglect this because you need to leave it off for the timing belt install)
13. Install air intake.
14. Fill radiator with coolant.
I suggest getting the Helm's so you can see step-by-step what to do and how to do it. The gasket is easy to replace, just take out the old and in with the new. Hopefully this is what you were looking for.