n00b

how should i go about it? any tips for a newbie? i'm going by what the helms tell me, but i don't understand a lot of it so i'm also just guessin around.. any advice would be greatly appreciated

Poorboyz

Don't just go guessing around....Follow the book step by step if you have never done it. If you don't take the head bolts or the cam bolts out in sequence, then you'll bent your head and your cams. Just read the book and take your time. What I did was I put a small table next to the car so I could put the parts that I take off in the same position it goes in the engine, bolts included. Maybe you can find someone to help you also.

Chuck

n00b

^thanks for tha advice.. what else should i take out with the head? should i drain the fluids as well?

Provocateur

My best advice for you is to remove the bracket underneath the intake manifold and throw it as far from the car as possible and never put it back on. This allows you to remove the manifold much easier. You don't need to remove the manifold and all the hoses/sensors but just take out the bolts and pull it away from the head. That step alone will save you hours of hassle.

StkyKiD84

Remove ALL coolent hoses going into the head- Upper Radidator hose, IACV coolent hose that goes to the block,2 or 3 more coolent hoses on the back side of the head, dissconnect all the electrical connectors- MAP, Dist. TPS, IACV, Injectors, Coolent Temp sensor under the Dist., any more i forgort- Dissconnect the Fuel line going to the Fuel filter, Vacume Hoses going to the I.M., Get under the car and get an extention- 12mm socket and get the 2 bolts that support the I.M. bracket to the block that Shmoo is talkn bout. Remove the Exhaust mani, then take off valve cover, and remove the Head bolts, You need to do this in correct order so that the LEAST amout of Warpage will happen. In the manual u have, it has the bolts labeld 1-10. start at the bolt numberd #10 and work your way down. best bet is to just break all 10 bolts before totaly loosing them. just crack them with a 1/4 turn before you totaly loosen them.

-Every Alunimum head that is removed from a car will be warpped. some will leak some wil not. but they all do warp. for insurance your best bet is to bring it to a machine shop or an Engine shop, and get the head resurfaced, or Decked. this is when they shave off the very minimal in order to get the head Perfactly streight again. Alunimum is a soft metal and will warp every time it is removed. To get a head Resurfaced can cost $30-80 bux. depending on where you live. but well worth the agravation of not gettin it done and puttin the head back on and seeing it leak, then having to take it all apart again.. Just get it done the first time. its well worth it.
Good luck bro
God Bless

Provocateur

You don't need to unhook any hoses (unless they are attached to the head) or electricals if you remove the bracket underneath and pull the intake manifold away from the head.

n00b

any way anybody can get me a picture of this bracket? sounds like removing this would save me a lot of trouble huh? what do u mean by never putting it back on tho?

bnuk

yeah definetly get that braket off, means you gotta unhook all the connections to the IM but easier than getting the IM bolts out. the braket is attached by 2 12 mm bolts directly under the IM.
I would also suggest buying a box of sandwich size ziploc bags. I always use them for any intense project like that. Every time you take a part out put it in a bag with all its bolts and parts that go with it.

Provocateur

I agree with the ziplock baggies. Label each bag and put the bolts and parts into it and it makes it much more difficult to lose parts/put parts back in the wrong place.

You can put the bracket back on but there is no reason. I disposed of the bracket about 6 months ago and the car doesn't seem to mind it being gone. I don't mind either because it makes pulling the head 10x easier and quicker.

I have never removed any sensors/wires/hoses from the intake manifold and have pulled my head 5 times. As long as everything is removed from the head, you can just remove the bolts from the intake manifold and pull it away from the head while taking the head off.

n00b

ok then, let me get this straight.. what else should i take off besides tha bracket?