[V6-12v] Head gasket replacement

[James Whitehouse]

Hi Eyvind,
 
 I did the head gaskets not long ago, it's not that bad, just make sure you use the cam and crank locking tools to get the timing spot on when you put her back together.
 
 Is there any particular reason for not wanting to remove the cam sprockets? If your engine has done 300K miles and you're having to do the head gaskets, I'd personally take the opportunity to do a few other things. Valve stem seals and new lifters are a doddle with the heads off and cams out. I did both these, and re-lapped the valves into their seats. Worked wonders, engine is roughly twice as smooth and a third again as powerful as before.
 
 Unless you have a specific reason, I'd do this. It won't make any difference to having to re-time the car by leaving the sprockets on really, if you absolutely *must* do the job without hiring the special tools, just make sure the two locator holes on the cam ends are horizontal, with (from memory, but I'll check it for you) the smaller holes facing inwards. That's all the cam locking tool does - lock the cams in that position while you tension the belt; this is the reason why you'll find it hard if you just mark the cams because you'll have to find a way to hold the crank and two cams dead still while tensioning the belt to get it spot on.
 
 Whether or not you remove the cams, definitely replace the valley pan gasket and consider replacing the oil retention valve underneath it. Replacing these neccessitates removing the intake manifold, and when you do this you must re-tighten the head bolts by a quarter turn. Again, I'd take this opportunity to do it while you already have the intake manifold off.
 
 If you decide to do more while you're in there, don't hesitate to ask for procedures and I even have some pics from when I was doing all this.
 
 Cheers,
 James

"Eyvind E. Spangen" <200q20v at bluezone.no> wrote: I think I have to replace the head gaskets on my '92 100 soon. Oil is
leaking more and more, coolant is disappearing faster and faster and I think
the car misses slightly, at least when idling. In addition, I have lots of
white smoke in the exhaust in cold weather, more than normal.

The timing belt was replaced two years ago, so I don't need to do this
again. Anyone BTDT doing a head gasket without removing the cam pulleys from
the heads, just marking the timing belt on the pulleys and putting it back
together? Anything special to look out for?

At least, I don't complain when the head gaskets held up almost 300k miles
on an engine that's known for leaky head gaskets.. :)

-- 
Regards,
E. Spangen


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