Friday 16 September 2011

Is it easy to change the head gasket your self?

I am a fix it yourself guy and think i can do it my self. can someone tell me the what are the difficult

part of that job?. i am very low on cash thats why i want to do it myself.Is it easy to change the head gasket your self?Depends on the vehicle some require you to pull the engine. Head gasket failure is usually caused by overheating the engine which can damage the engine and crack a cylinder head. Also if you are very low on cash its not a cheap fix your best bet is at least have the heads checked for cracks and warpage, but recommend having them rebuilt. Also you will need new head bolts (don't reuse them) and a good gasket set, Also you have to fix what caused the overheating to begin with. If you haven't done this type of work before get a manual for the car and read the procedure and see if its something you feel like trying to tackle. Good Luck
Is it easy to change the head gasket your self?
It depends on the car. It can be very complicated and require special tools like a torque wrench. Good luck to you! Hope yours is easy!
Is it easy to change the head gasket your self?
On what?





Additional Details

its a 95 olsmobile cutlass suprem V6



Now we can give accurate information. Either the 3.1, or the 3.4 are much simpler than most engines. Since they are not overhead cams motors, you will have no timing belt/chain issues at all. You also won't have any ignition timing problems. Some of the bolts can be a bit difficult to reach, (as are the bolts holding the coil pack). It is easier to leave both exhaust manifolds on, but I have pulled them as well.



Keep your rocker arms and pushrods in order. Notice also the different lengths. Be sure there is no damage to the heads, may even need to send them to a machine shop.



When re-installing, new head bolts are required. They are %26quot;Torque to Yield%26quot; bolts and may fail if re-used. Use a tap to clean the block threads, and lightly oil both threads and heads of the bolts prior to installation.



Follow all bolt tightening procedures and torque values when installing the intake. That is critical!



You can go to the AutoZone website and look under the repair section for your car. You will find detailed instructions.



After reading all that, only you can then determine if this is a job you can do.
All depends on the car. I've never seen one I would consider easy to replace yourself but some are much harder than others. As somebody stated, you may need special tools and the gaskets themselves aren't terribly cheap either.

Without knowing what kind of car and motor, it's impossible to give useful advice.
You don't mention make, model, or year, but in general....



The worst part of the job in many cars is getting the exhaust manifold nuts loose. Penetrant (like PB Blaster) helps but there is a risk of breaking the studs. If the engine is turbocharged that usually makes it a lot harder. Otherwise it is mostly a lot of grunt work.



The cylinder head will have to be checked for flatness and milled as necessary to make it flat again - a modest expense. You will need a torque wrench, and in many cases should use new head bolts, to remount it. Expect to pay between $50 and $100 for a gasket set that includes the head gasket. It's a better deal than buying the individual gaskets and seals.



You need a good manual - you can often photocopy pages at the local public library.
i changed the head gasket on my hilux,

and it was pretty simple really.

a matter of unbolting and bolting things back on.



on my integra it was a mission though since everything was packed in so tightly, hard to do and took me a while.
Well I am a shade tree mechanic and i would have to say yes and no. I have done it by myself and it can be done but you will have to take your time and not rush it. Number one thing to remember is to use a torque wrench to set the proper torque on your cylinder heads. Hardest part of it will be determining if your head and or heads are cracked or warped. Take them to a machine shop and they can tell you for about 15-20 bucks a head this is what you will have to do you can't tell by looking at them. Even though the manuals will tell you that you can you can't trust me on this one. Lastly but mostly importantly is to label all wires when you take them off of the engine and to label and bag bolts and different parts away from each other so they won't get mixed up. You can do it by yourself I have did about 20 by myself good luck.
Get a HAYNES Manual first and you will need a torque wrench. Take meticulous care to keep track of each bolt and component you remove and keep sketches, notes, pictures, etc. as you disassemble. Don't count on your memory.

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