I would like to know what are the steps in replacing a head gasket in a 94 Sunbird 2.0 and how would i get to the head gasket? what do i have to remove and what do i look for to tell if the head is warped or cracked?
Thanx
First you have to remove the cam carrier, which sits on top of the head first mark were the timming belt is on the pulley for the cam so you can put it back in the right spot later it will just save you having to reset the timming later, when un bolting the cam carrier start with the top left bolt then do the bottom left bolt then the bottom right bolt then the top right bolt then the second bolt to the left on the top and continue in a spiral pattern inwards until the carrier is off (use the same pattern when undoing the head) if you dont do this you could warp the head or the cam carrier. keep tension on the timming belt with some wire or something to tie it up so it stays tight otherwise it may slip a few teeth on the gears below and screw up your timming. Then you unhook the exhaust you could undo it from the head or just at the bottom of the manifold, what ever you find more convienient. unhook all the sensors, throttle cable etc from the head, you can leave the fuel lines attached if you want to. then unbolt the head (remember the spiral pattern) put the head off the the side so its out of the way, scrape all the old gasket off the block and the head until both surfaces are smooth and gasket free, if you dont do this it will not seat properly with the new gasket and you will run into quite a few problems and the car will run like it has a blown head gasket.
put the new gasket on the block put the head back on and tighten it in the the reverse way you loosened it start from the middle and work your way out to the edges in the spiral pattern, then attach everything you took off of it before removal put the cam carrier back on and put the timming belt back on were you marked it on the cam gear, if for what ever reason your timmingis off cause you let the belt slip or just didnt mark it, set the timming after the motor is all back together.
I think thats about it, I dont think I left anything out thats pretty much the basics just before you remove anything remove all thats attached to it obviously, but you can pull the head with the intake and exhaust manifolds still on itas long as nothing else is attached to them.
To check if the head is warped or cracked you have to take it to a shop were they can check it, there is some stuff but I dont remember what its called that you dust on your head and if theres any cracks they show up better with the power on them, but as for chcking for warpage, you cant really tell by looking at it unless its pretty severe. Theres probobly a way to check for both on your own that someone else knows and will tell you, but thats all I can think of
Mr.Efficiency (Tyrin) wrote:First you have to remove the cam carrier, which sits on top of the head first mark were the timming belt is on the pulley for the cam so you can put it back in the right spot later it will just save you having to reset the timming later, when un bolting the cam carrier start with the top left bolt then do the bottom left bolt then the bottom right bolt then the top right bolt then the second bolt to the left on the top and continue in a spiral pattern inwards until the carrier is off (use the same pattern when undoing the head) if you dont do this you could warp the head or the cam carrier. keep tension on the timming belt with some wire or something to tie it up so it stays tight otherwise it may slip a few teeth on the gears below and screw up your timming. Then you unhook the exhaust you could undo it from the head or just at the bottom of the manifold, what ever you find more convienient. unhook all the sensors, throttle cable etc from the head, you can leave the fuel lines attached if you want to. then unbolt the head (remember the spiral pattern) put the head off the the side so its out of the way, scrape all the old gasket off the block and the head until both surfaces are smooth and gasket free, if you dont do this it will not seat properly with the new gasket and you will run into quite a few problems and the car will run like it has a blown head gasket.
put the new gasket on the block put the head back on and tighten it in the the reverse way you loosened it start from the middle and work your way out to the edges in the spiral pattern, then attach everything you took off of it before removal put the cam carrier back on and put the timming belt back on were you marked it on the cam gear, if for what ever reason your timmingis off cause you let the belt slip or just didnt mark it, set the timming after the motor is all back together.
I think thats about it, I dont think I left anything out thats pretty much the basics just before you remove anything remove all thats attached to it obviously, but you can pull the head with the intake and exhaust manifolds still on itas long as nothing else is attached to them.
To check if the head is warped or cracked you have to take it to a shop were they can check it, there is some stuff but I dont remember what its called that you dust on your head and if theres any cracks they show up better with the power on them, but as for chcking for warpage, you cant really tell by looking at it unless its pretty severe. Theres probobly a way to check for both on your own that someone else knows and will tell you, but thats all I can think of
The same whay i didi mine, actualy it took my car about 15 mins of ideling realy bad than it just kicked in, i think the ECM needed to relern something but we lol
Good luck 1quikj, i have some pics of me head and engine apart if you need any send me a PM.
I would HIGHLY reccomend getting the FACTORY service manual from this. Most of the downtown libary branches have said manuals.
Ask me any specific questions and I'll help out where I can...I replaced my head gasket in March...
did you guys replace the cylinder head bolts or did you just put heavy duty studs on them???
REPLAACE THE BOLTS!!!!!!!! dont reuse them.
My car tooks about a month for it to run right after I did mine. It was ideling bad but the problem just slowly went away, now it's fine. ALWAYS replace the head bolts, somebody did my gasket before I got the car and used the old bolts and the gasket only lasted 5 months before it blew on me. Just take your time and do it right and you'll be fine. Something that helped me was putting parts in my trunk in the order I took them off in so I didn't have to try to figure out what order to put stuff back on.
You can't outrun the radio.
