what the hell is the big deal! (for those wrenchers) (1 Viewer)

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

landtank

Supporting Vendor
SILVER Star
Joined
Mar 27, 2003
Threads
375
Messages
20,959
Location
Groveland MA
Website
landtankproducts.com
Ok so we have yet another round of HG threads and polls. Who has had a HG problem, how can I avoid a HG problem, how can I predict a HG problem and how can I modify my tenp senser to help me avoid a HG problem.

What the hell is the big deal?

Just change the SOB out.

I know, if your going to pull the head then you might as mill it, if your going to mill it you might as well grind the valves, well if the top end is tight you'll need new rings, if your putting in new rings you might as well bore it and......

Well that's BS. If you have a good running engine right now there is no need to do all that work because there is nothing pointing to any of THOSE areas as needing attention. You just have the original designed HG that is prone to failure.

So $175.00 and a weekends worth of work gets the HG replaced and no more worries about failure according to PowderPig.

So help me understand the big deal about changing this HG out as a PM.
 
how many banana's are we talking about? Any major PITA steps involved?
 
I suppose it's the perception of it being a difficult and lengthy job that not many know about (contrast that to the Birf job that has been beaten to death...)
 
Rick-I'm with you. I will do this before 120k. Recently I've been concentrating on my FJ60, but when I get back to the 80 the head gasket will get done. I think if you do it as PM, it is reasonable inexpensive and straight forward. It's a good chance to adjust the valves as well. I will PM with questions before I start on it. Do you know if anyone has a stud kit for this motor, as opposed to the torque to yield bolts?
 
Gumby said:
I got enough crap to do without fixing stuff that isn't broken. If I ever free up a weekend, I'll consider it.


The point Gumby is that people seem to be willing to invest so much more into trying to predict or avoid a failure than what it would be to eliminate the failure.
 
landtank said:
Studs aren't an option unless the engine is out of the truck. No way are you putting that head in place over the height if the studs.

I hadn't thought of that. I was going to pull the hood off, but there would still be an issue at the rear of the motor, getting the head over the studs.

Did you use all new head bolts? Maybe the real question is are they reusable or a single use item?
 
There is a measurement point on the bolt. If it has stretched too far and the diameter is below minimum you replace the bolt. The bolts list for about 15 bucks a rattle and there are 14 of them. They can most likely be re-used at least once or twice.
 
Every time I open my hood and look at all the extra crap I have hanging off of stuff I cringe at the thought. Mine would take twice as long as a naturally aspirated motor.
 
Oh, you'd get the good stuff.......;)

Just not anywhere near the timing chain guide....:rolleyes:
 
landtank said:
The point Gumby is that people seem to be willing to invest so much more into trying to predict or avoid a failure than what it would be to eliminate the failure.

You certainly have a point there. Lots of folks would rather talk about a problem than do anything about it. OTOH, it's a whole lot easier to find out if it is a real problem than to jump on every "PM" bandwagon. research is OK with me.

I don't know if the HG replacement is a huge deal if you have the knowledge and the resources. There are a hell of a lot of things that could go wrong during the procedure that could turn the project into a nightmare, including not doing the HG right and CAUSING a HG failure. I would certainly put it in the :banana: :banana: :banana: to :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: rating on the howler monkey scale.
 
I think Gumby hit the nail on the head (yup, first time for everything). Fawk it up and you'll regret it. Then again, it would be great PM for anyone willing to do it.

Then again, for some of us it may be easier to wait till the whole motor is out of the truck again :eek: :D
 
If most HG did go out then it could be good PM. As it stands, it is not "most" but "some". Every one I have seen go out had an obvious issue that was PM such as hoses, flush/fill, bad radiator, temp sensor, etc.... I am sure there are a others that just go out for no obvious reason but not all that many.

As normal PM I think this is a waste of time and money. You would be better off rebuilding your cooling system 100%.
 
Rick, you are right but bottom line is it's at the bottom of the job jar next to renovate my upstairs bathroom. I know which one will earn me more brownie points if I ever get down to choosing.

plus i don't know for sure that the PO did not already change it. he lied about other stuff.

a responsive temp gauge is still a useful thing even after you replace the h/g. It is a darn sight easier than a h/g replacement. that said i haven't done that either. Heck I can barely get the tow hitch reinstalled so I can get away this weekend.
 
Rick, i think that the main issue is that most folks on this board are average weekend warrior wrenchers such as myself. Taking on the Birf job was huge and new. Removing the head, dealing with the timing chain, getting the timing set properly along with valves, removing and reinstalling cables ect..... is more than most of us can handle alone. Plus, to a lot of us our 80s are our daily drivers. Having it down and out for a weekend is usually out of the question. Also, what if you got hung up and couldn't figure something out, then you are really screwed while your truck sits dissassembled as you scratch your head wishing you had taken it to a mechanic.

If i felt confident in how to replace the HG and had the tools, garage, time and extra vehicle to drive while the cruiser was down, there would be no question it would be just like a birf job. But that's not the case. So i am forced, as i'm sure others are, to sit by and cross our fingers hoping our HG's don't blow and in the mean time are curious of warning signs pointing to this horrific event.

It's not like changing out a set of brake pads.
 
landtank said:
Studs aren't an option unless the engine is out of the truck. No way are you putting that head in place over the height if the studs.



How about with the hood off? Cant remember if the back of the head tucks under the firewall or not.
 
landtank said:
So help me understand the big deal about changing this HG out as a PM.

Time and lack of experience :banana: . But, if you'd like an all expenses paid weekend in southwest Missouri I'm sure I could find the time........ :rolleyes:
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom