headgasket tutorial

[cosworth]

just reading through the headgasket archive there, nice bit of work! all though there are a couple of minor points i can add.

use a 13mm socket and extension, remove the 7 nuts on the back of the inlet manifold. remove the 2 breather hoses on the rocker cover, and simply push the inlet away from the head. this cuts down on a lot of the footery work with clips and wiring. as for the exhaust manifold, just undo the nuts holding the downpipe to the manifold and lift off with the head, again this saves the work involved removing which are usually corroded manifold studs.

also when you set the timing before and after belt removal. you have the pulleys reading upside at the marks? a lot of folk do this so you end up with inlet and exhaust effectively pointing at the corresponding side:

<-------in ex------->

but i personally find it a lot easier setting it up in the reverse. have the inlet and exhaust readable and not upside down, then if you look at the dowel pin underneath the retaining 17mm bolt, the dowel is on the corresponding "lug" (hard to explain without a pic, bt if you look at it, it`s self explanitory) mark this with a bit of paint and it`s a whole lot easier to remember.

hopefully that all makes sense! and i hope it doesn`t come across as exercisey, but i find this way a lot less hassle.

and just to be a complete exercise, your cam timing is out on the last pic of it 2 exhausts don`t make a right

good work though mate

[Les Henson]

use a 13mm socket and extension, remove the 7 nuts on the back of the inlet manifold. remove the 2 breather hoses on the rocker cover, and simply push the inlet away from the head.

I said that.

as for the exhaust manifold, just undo the nuts holding the downpipe to the manifold and lift off with the head, again this saves the work involved removing which are usually corroded manifold studs.

The manifold has to come off as the head needs skimming - why undo something when you don't really need to?

It doesn't matter what position the cam sprockets are in - as long as you don't move the crank and put them back on in the same position as when you removed them.

Les.

[cosworth]

1. you also removed loads of connectors before hand which are uneccessary.

2. the head rarely needs skimmed.

3. which is easier if marked accordingly.

[Les Henson]

You should perhaps understand that not everyone that takes on these technical threads have any mechanical knowledge at all, so I always take this into consideration when writing them. Yes they are sometimes excessive, but care and doing the job properly is my main consideration. If you know what your doing, then short cuts and previous technical know-how will make the job faster and easier. I always get heads skimmed if they are alloy - I've been bitten once and wouldn't take that risk again.

If you feel that you can do a better thread, then please do so.

Les.

[cosworth]

i posted to add to the thread, not slate it. i couldn`t reply obviously as the thread was locked.

anyone that tackles a major repair on their engine with no previous mechanical knowledge is foolish.

it wasn`t meant to offend, but obviously has done. lets agree to disagree.

[Les Henson]

No offence meant or taken - I was just explaining myself, that's all.

Les.

[muzaz]

anyone that tackles a major repair on their engine with no previous mechanical knowledge is foolish

It depends on what you mean by no previous mechanical knowledge. If it means that you dont know whats a spanner and you've got no technical background, I agree... but if it means that you've never done that particular repair before, then I disagree... I thake myself as a case, I've never done any major works on an engine, never took a head off etc, but I'm doing it now for the first time, got hte manual, take advice etc, and untill now I've encountered no big problems... its not a jet engine, just follow the manual and it should be ok... My humble opinion!

[cosworth]

i disagree completely.

how would you know if one of the liners have slipped? how would you know if head is marked by the liners but within tolerance? how would you know the basic tension of the belt? etc etc

all minor points.

manuals advise technical specifications, they don`t teach experience.

if it were that easy, i would`ve just bought a book rather than doing my time at college etc.

take a mundane task like brake pads, anyone can change them, but can everyone assess the components for problems as they do so? at the end of the day if you get it wrong you may kill someone. harsh but true.

[Les Henson]

Yeah, like garages/dealers always do a good job

In my experience you are more likely to get ripped off/lied to/cheated/ by these people

Les.

[muzaz]

take a mundane task like brake pads, anyone can change them, but can everyone assess the components for problems as they do so? at the end of the day if you get it wrong you may kill someone. harsh but true.

Thats not the point, the way I see it...... If youre meticolous in what you do, you'll do it right, beleive me... I work on aircraft for a living, and everyday you encounter something new, a job you never done before, a part you never removed or installed, a component you never inspected...what shall I do? Say I cant do it bec I never did it?! No, there are the manuals, if you do it by the book and you do it right!

If I take the landrover manual for example, its a very good manual(gets a bit used to tho) there are all tollerances and dimensions to be checked etc.

I never do anything by experience, even if I did the job a thousand times (talking aircraft here) bec thats the time where I'll get a couple of hundred people killed....thats the real truth...

[Badger_1]

Back in the early eighties I was a motor mechanic and worked for a number of back street garages and a main citroen agent. It was how I earned my living fixing minis, 1100s escorts, vivas, moggy 1000s etc.

Todays modern cars with their computerised systems and modern engines bear little resemblence at all to the cars I worked on.

I therefore no longer regard myself as a mechanic. I am a newbie who can hold a spanner but knows sod all about todays cars.

Will I be foolish to attempt my own repairs? I have no choice as I cant afford garage prices. I buy a haynes manual and take it from there learning again as I go.

Thank god for forums such as these where with what knowledge I do have, I can be helped by the experience of many of the members who do know what theyre doing on todays motors.

[Ally V8]

Yeah, like garages/dealers always do a good job

In my experience you are more likely to get ripped off/lied to/cheated/ by these people

Les.

Les,thats a shame if thats your experience - but its not really a fair comment,I work for about 40 odd garges in the Swindon/Bristol/Bath/Chippenham and Devizes area.Whilst its true that a few make me wonder how they ever keep going,seeing the poor standard of work/knowledge and kit they have,others are often very good.Some are giving the main dealers a good slapping in all ares of service.

I suppose for an individual its difficult to know if you a getting a good job done at a sensible price.like alot of things recommendation by friends is probably the best way.

[cosworth]

it`s the same in any trade though. my central heating packed in during the big freeze there, i know plenty about small cooling and heater systems, but in the end i had to bite the bullet and pay for the pro`s to fix it. i couldn`t risk leaving us with no heating or making a fatal mistake, despite what i could read in a book. if i wanted to play gas engineer or plumber, i`dve studied for it.