LUVTruck.com

Hey guys , i was just wondering... HOW IN THE HELL DO YOU CHANGE THIS F*^%$^& HEAD GASKET!!! I am using the Haynes manual. Can someone give me a step-by-step for an 80 with a 1.8? The Haynes manual is too wordy, and i feel that some of the steps are unecessary. Thanks

http://www.hotgemini.com/viewtopic.php?t=31

if its the isuzu engine

Just make sure you don't drop either of the bolts that screw into the timing chain cover. If you have a 4X4 you'll basically have to rebuild the engine to get 'em out. I did it when I repaired some spark plug holes and thought I was being careful, but I dropped one anyway. Ended pulling the motor, taking off the timing cover, the oil pan cleaning 'em all out really goog and replacing all the gaskets. Took me like two days.

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Richard Barnes Salt Lake, Utah
1980 Luv Mikado 4X4
http://geocities.com/luvtruck2004/

It is hell i suggest getting someone else to do it. I took me forever

i spent a couple days on it and i had an extra head that was all ready to go and it is a pain and i did drop a bolt into the oil pan havnt had any probs yet

i left both manifolds connected to the head and just pulled it off although it is perty heavy doin so

i bet the next time itd go easier for me cause that was my first time doing it

anyways let us know how ur doing man

James

Only problem I ran into was one of the head bolts being siezed. I had a T-handle breaker bar with pipe on both sides of it and two of us trying to turn it. It still wouldn't budge. Ended up drilling the head off the bolt and pulling the head over it. Once the head was off a few shots to the bolt with a hammer, some penetrating oil, and a pipe wrench turned the bolt remnant pretty easy. I've yet to drop the smaller front bolts down in, but I stuff a rag down around the timing chain to keep things out of there.

The only real trick I know of is to use some wire to hold the chain to the top sprocket before you take it off. With the chain tensioner set like the haynes manual says and the chain held onto the top sprocket, I've been able to do three of these without slipping the chain even one tooth.

Other than that, clean is the key. You should always have the head at least cleaned up and pressure checked by a machine shop so that gets it prepped pretty well. The block you can go a lot of ways. On the last one I used "Goof Off" (Xylene based solvent, leaves no trace crap behind)cleaner and careful use of a razor blade to get the gunk off. Then went over the whole thing lightly with a sanding block and 600 grit paper. Cleaned it again, and gave it a light go with 1200 grit on a sanding block. Then it got a thorough cleaning again and left to dry completely. Just before putting it together I cleaned the head surface with goof off and went over both surfaces with tack cloth just before putting it back on. The tack cloth step will make sure you grab any dust that has gotten on anything.

Getting both sides clean and smooth allows them to move without grinding the gasket into bits. The head and block expand/contract differently with heat, so that movement is what eventually takes out the gasket. The better things slide, the longer it will last.