Head gasket blown

[Blizzard242]

Alright, my buddy is an idiot. I swear it wasn't me! Heh, his headgasket blew apparently. I don't know if its the passenger or driver cause I just got a call about it. Someone else want's to charge him 700 or 800 to change it and he's a bit down on his luck right now so yeah I'm willing to do it for yeah cheaper. I wasn't planning on taking any heads off till I knew I had a lot of time to just go through it real nice and easy but this is his only car. My question now.. It's a 3.8 96.. Are those any different from 98s? How long does it take? What's a friendly price I could charge him for labor? I'm not doin it for free :naughty: I've only gotten as far as to take the valve cover off. Besides that, I haven't touched anything lower.. Do I need to take the rockers and such out or can I get the whole head off with that assembly as a whole? I'll do some researching myself but asking you guys will speed up this process. Soo there it is. lmao.. he told me his car wouldn't start sometimes and so he would put a little oil in then it seemed fine.. He needs help.

[Dozer]

Re: Head gasket blown

You wouldnt have to take them out but i think they will be in the way of the head bolts. So im pretty sure you'll hafta take the rockers off. Just make it easier and take the parts off that are in the way. For price i dont know what tell u. Ive done a head gasket, head, complete valvetrain for pretty much nothing. Then a motor pull on another, Head P&P, intakte P&P. Another pull complete rebuild made a race car outta a 89 Probe. And soon another motor rebuild and install for nothing so...?

[Rob Bell]

Re: Head gasket blown

When I did the heads on a different car, you have to take the rockers off, the pushrods out, and then the heads come off. The valves and springs and such all stay on the heads as a unit. just put each set of rockers and rods in a baggie or something to keep them organized.

[crushedout]

Re: Head gasket blown

Buy a haynes manual, it'll give you step by step instructions

[Blizzard242]

Re: Head gasket blown

Yeah I have a haynes. Hadn't looked at it before I posted. That manual bothers me sometimes but eh. Anyways, turns out it's his intake gasket.. I'm assuming its the lower. So both need changed. Problem is I don't have a garage to work in now hah, so he's screwed and I don't get extra cash :( Damn winter.

[Camarodragcar2002]

Re: Head gasket blown

Wheres the car at? Would he want to sell the car as is?

[Blizzard242]

Re: Head gasket blown

Toledo Ohio, and I have no idea if selling it has even crossed his mind. I can ask him next time I talk to him. Don't expect that to be real soon though.

[greasemonkey]

Re: Head gasket blown

Use the Haynes. I did the head gasket on my 85 Celica successfully with a Haynes and my dads tool box and no prior knowledge of those cars. Make sure you check, some cars head bolts are torque to yield, which means once torqued all the way, they stretch and can not be used again.

[xmetallicaxguitaristx]

Re: Head gasket blown

Here is the tighten/loosen sequence:



37 ft. lbs
additional 130 degrees
(4 center bolts) additional 30 degrees

I have more info if you want.

[Blizzard242]

Re: Head gasket blown

Greasemonkey thanks for the tip about the torque to yield, never knew that. I haven't looked into it though. Heh and thanks metallicaguitarist, but it turns out im not even gonna be bothering with his car anyways. Which sucks.