Advice or warnings before replacing head gasket (1 Viewer)

[maclarentc]

So I am getting ready to start tearing apart the head on my 1996. Anyone have any advice or warnings of complications I may run into or things besides the gasket kit to make sure I have. I am fairly mech. inclined and have a buddy who is a diesel mechanic helping but this is by far the biggest project I have taken on.

 

[maclarentc]

oops... 1996 80 series that is...

 

[Offroads4x4]

Pm IdahoDoug for his (Head gasket DVD). It covers removal and replacement quick steps and short cuts. Best step by step besides the FSM. while you have it off replace all your vac lines, clean all electrical connections and use dielectric grease in all your connections on reassembly.

 

[michel77]

+1 on Doug's DVD, well worth it and very well put together!

Find a good shop to deck your head and tip the valves so you don't have to re-adjust all the valves and shuffle shims around.
Replace the fuel filter and cooling hoses while you're in there, especially the pesky heater hose if not done already.

 

[darmaduke]

something that is not mentioned much, but REMOVE the knock sensors!!! They are easily broken and when you take the intake manifold of, the bottom part does not come out of the engine bay cause it has the wirring harnes thru it, so it just get pulled back a bit and ends up sitting on the knock sensors.. and with just a litle bit of pressure,,,SNAP... the dealer raped me when i had to get new ones....

Remove them take 2 mins.... just IMHO

 

[elhombre]

The best idea I used from someone else was using plasic bags for bolts and writing numbers on the outside of them as I took them off. By the time I got the head and injectors back, it had been a week. Then when putting the chain tensioner back on, the plastic chain guide broke so a bunch more stuff had to come off. By the time I got back to the intake and other stuff going on, I was glad I had those numbered bags to guide me.

 

[maclarentc]

The best idea I used from someone else was using plasic bags for bolts and writing numbers on the outside of them as I took them off. By the time I got the head and injectors back, it had been a week. Then when putting the chain tensioner back on, the plastic chain guide broke so a bunch more stuff had to come off. By the time I got back to the intake and other stuff going on, I was glad I had those numbered bags to guide me.

Yeah I've used the numbered bags in lesser projects. I'm gonna be taking tons of pics too.

something that is not mentioned much, but REMOVE the knock sensors!!! They are easily broken and when you take the intake manifold of, the bottom part does not come out of the engine bay cause it has the wirring harnes thru it, so it just get pulled back a bit and ends up sitting on the knock sensors.. and with just a litle bit of pressure,,,SNAP... the dealer raped me when i had to get new ones....

Remove them take 2 mins.... just IMHO

I wouldn't have thought of that one... thnx

 

[maclarentc]

I was hoping to start the project this weekend but my buddy being the tinker he is told me he already has the coolant drained and the intake most of the way off. I guess he read my mind and left the intake 90% in one peice... and I just went and spent more money than I care to think about on oil, filters and coolant for the flushes. Love spending money on stuff that will only be used for a couple of hours and then trashed...