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LOL smart man, rudy q... I actually have that manual too. I consulted it to give you accurate torque specs and tightening sequences as well as to double check the procedure but the rest of the advice you have gotten from me and the others is just common procedure when dealing with a cylinder head. I hate calling it common because there are always small variances but I don't know what else to call it. Things like getting the heads checked and having them cleaned, etc. Things that every cylinder head should have done.
Even though I have been working on cars for 21 years I still consult shop manuals. I've learned that nothing on cars should be treated as cut and dry- that there are always small things that could turn into big things. For instance the cylinder heads on the 3.8 according to my shop manual require new head bolts. I'm not sure if it's because the threads after being torqued the first time stretch permanently and compromise torque readings or if the bolts when reused are more prone to breaking or leaks. Maybe the reason for replacing them is nothing more than overkill but whatever the reason is you can bet that I don't want to be drilling a broken head bolt out of an engine block, nor do I want variances in torque on my cylinder heads that could cause it to warp and leak. There is a reason for the 3.8 that the extra instruction is thrown in there and that is good enough reason for me to exercise caution. Had I not consulted the manual I would have done it the only way I knew how which is to reassemble the heads reusing the old head bolts which could have lead to an improper job. It's definitely no tool a regular mechanic should be without.
Even though I have been working on cars for 21 years I still consult shop manuals. I've learned that nothing on cars should be treated as cut and dry- that there are always small things that could turn into big things. For instance the cylinder heads on the 3.8 according to my shop manual require new head bolts. I'm not sure if it's because the threads after being torqued the first time stretch permanently and compromise torque readings or if the bolts when reused are more prone to breaking or leaks. Maybe the reason for replacing them is nothing more than overkill but whatever the reason is you can bet that I don't want to be drilling a broken head bolt out of an engine block, nor do I want variances in torque on my cylinder heads that could cause it to warp and leak. There is a reason for the 3.8 that the extra instruction is thrown in there and that is good enough reason for me to exercise caution. Had I not consulted the manual I would have done it the only way I knew how which is to reassemble the heads reusing the old head bolts which could have lead to an improper job. It's definitely no tool a regular mechanic should be without.
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