Head gaskets Job

MX3ak · Post by **MX3ak** » December 11th, 2006, 8:57 am

How hard it is doing the head gaskets Job?...

Custom_V6_Limited_SE · December 11th, 2006, 9:51 pm

You have to pull the engine out of the car and remove all of the pulleys and belts and a bunch of other stuff. Then, you have to remove the cams and then the heads. The rest is the reverse. That's the simple explanation.

You'll need all kinds of tools as well. Such as a 500ft/lb+ impact wrench, a 1/2" drive torque wrench, a 1/2" drive breaker bar, a harmonic balancer puller (similar to steering wheel puller), an engine hoist, ......

The impact wrench will save you a LOT of time and you'll probably need it to get certain things off anyway (camshaft pulleys, harmonic balancer, axle nuts). I've done it. All you really have to do is follow the online shop manual very carefully. Just make sure you get the timing marks lined up correctly everywhere (it gets a little tricky when you're putting the timing belt on, but, there are tricks to make it work pretty easily).

If you're not sure about something, stop and go find the information in the shop manual or from one of us. It's not very reassuring driving with an engine that has even one thing that you were unsure of. Replace every hose and anything else that comes to mind while the engine is out too.

BornSticky · Post by **BornSticky** » December 12th, 2006, 12:16 am

there has gotta be a way to do it with the engine in if your just replacing the head gaskets
wouldnt you just take the belts off IM and water pump all that jazz...
ive never done it but it seems like there is enough room

Custom_V6_Limited_SE · December 12th, 2006, 7:42 am

It wouldn't surprize me if it was "possible", but, it's probably faster and easier to pull the engine. I think it would get extremely annoying/improbable trying to fit an impact wrench or whatever between the engine and the car.

Edit: Maybe if you left the harmonic balancer and the camshaft pulleys on it would work. Still, it gets very irritating working on an engine that is in the car.

MX3ak · Post by **MX3ak** » December 12th, 2006, 8:26 am

I understand it's hard to work with the engine in, but I've done the timming bel job with the engine in, so I guess it's very possible to take the cams out too!
My doubt is how difficult may be desassembling the cams, spring valves, HLA's and all that stuff to get to the gaskets and put it all together in torque specs...

Tunes67 · Post by **Tunes67** » December 12th, 2006, 1:22 pm

It could be done with the engine in the car if you remove the hood and lay on your windshield while re-torqueing your head bolts during reassembly. Ok.. thats an extreme example.. but working on the rear head while the engine is in the car is a royal pain in the arse. Far easier to pull the engine, put it on a stand and do the job. Its well worth the $50 for an engine stand and while I agree that having air tools would save you a lot of time.. you dont HAVE to have them to do the job.

IF you decide to go ahead and do the job with the engine in the car.. do yourself a favor when you go to re-assemble it and do the rear head first.. that way the front head wont be sticking up in your way as you try to contort your arms & hands around the backside to work on the rear head.

Last but not least.. if its a K8 that has blown the head gaskets.. I'd have to recommend not doing the job at all. I'd recommend sourcing a DE or a ZE and swapping them in. Re-doing head gaskets is a time consuming and frankly.. quite annoying to do. One could debate on which job is more time consuming comparing head gaskets to an entire engine swap. Best of luck.

Tunes67

1992blazeredgs · Post by **1992blazeredgs** » December 12th, 2006, 1:35 pm

If you decide to pull the motor to do your headgaskets, i would reccomend that you consider the motor swap. The process of putting your k8 back is the exact same as it would be to swap in a de or ze. So that is the same amount of work no matter which motor you put back it. If you think about it, it would be less work to source a healthy de or ze and swap it right in, than it would be to tear your k8 apart and replace the head gaskets. I see a blown head gasket as a golden opportunity to swap de or ze. Just my .02

Nate

MX3ak · Post by **MX3ak** » December 12th, 2006, 6:05 pm

Dudes, don't talk about the swap like it's the way to go, please!
I'm not in the states here! Here in Europe we don't have JDM KL-ZE's for 1000 bucks delivered like you have!!!

I've got oil in water and water in oil in my K8 and I did'nt even check the compression. But when I'll do it I guess it will freak me out!...

Talking about the job itself.... Do I have to desmantle all the cams, valves, springs and stuff. Or can I take it out like in one piece, repair the gasket and bolt it back again in one piece (I mean, take the big bolts out and take that part of the block out only with two hands)
You know what I mean.. do I have to do it by the book or can I take a shortcut?

Tunes67 · Post by **Tunes67** » December 12th, 2006, 6:50 pm

Shortcuts will always result in mistakes. Follow the online manual.. also.. if you have a serious milkshake of coolant and oil in the crankcase.. you really should consider pulling the engine and doing a complete cleanup job on it. Milkshaked oil & coolant in the main bearings & rod bearings will only cause a quicker engine death.

And Dude, I am sure there are options to get replacement engines in Portugal. If you can get a car there.. I am sure you can find a engine. Also.. you are not "repairing" the gasket.. you are replacing it. You have to completely remove the head(s) from the block, clean all surfaces, clean out the head bolt holes, clean off the head bolt threads, install the new gasket(s) and reassemble the entire engine. And thats not counting removing the oil pan and checking to see if the milkshake got into your mains or rod bearings. If it did and you dont clean that stuff out.. it can eat your bearings in as little as 10,000 miles of driving.

Really.. when you have a completely milkshaked engine.. you should probably disassemble the whole thing and have the block cold tanked. Clean off all the parts and then reassemble it. You dont have to of course.. but then.. if engines are as difficult to source there as you seem to believe they are.. then you shouldnt take any chances with this engine either.

Tunes67

Ray · Post by **Ray** » December 14th, 2006, 12:20 pm

There is a European supplier of KLZE in Holland, the price is around 1100-1200 Euro, I now it's a lot of money, but the gain is bigger..

Edit: email: bastian""@""hotmail.com

hgallegos915 · Post by **hgallegos915** » December 14th, 2006, 12:33 pm

LOOK.. it only takes like less than a day to take engine out. Once its out it took me less than an HOUR to remove the heads.. ehh wel head since the engine had one seized to the block hehe anywho. If you are good its only like a few hrs to take the engine out. Now inside the car... you have to remove timing belt covers , pulleys, exhaust manifolds unbolt the exhast... I cant see myself doing it and it would be faster than the way you are approaching. Now if you want to do it that way well do it? why ask for our advice if you wont listen anyway

Steeb · Post by **Steeb** » December 14th, 2006, 3:52 pm

i would suggest against doing the headgasket with the motor in the car. it may not be a problem to resurface the heads but if you need to resurface the block, you will not be able to do that unless the motor is out. if you have a blown headgasket i would definately recommend you do it the right way.

MX3ak · Post by **MX3ak** » December 14th, 2006, 6:01 pm

I see the difficulties are other than I aspected. And I agree shortcuts in this jobs would be faster sure but could easly damage a running engine making it worst. Sorry my english.

You know, I'm not really a mechanic, far way from that... I'm just a man who as watched a lot of Macgyver's on TV long time ago lol

But I've done the timming belt all by my self (and the FAQ@mx-3.com) and I'm kind of proud of it and proud of be a friend of yours too

Now that I've done the timming belt after 2 years waiting for this, I must prepair for the next challenge, wich I thought it would be the Head Gasket Job with all that interinsting stuff in the midle, HLA's, Valves etc... I think it is a very interesting job to do.

But anyway, I dont have new gaskets for the K8.
My idea was to repair, yes repair! the gasket with special heat silicon so the coolant would not squeeze into the combustion chamber or wathever it would squeeze. Well.. i'll forget this idea...

There's KLZE in Holland? Nice... I'll order one, maybe they could fill it with pot!!! hehehe just kiding, but it's a Very good news!!