So my 99 cavalier z24 with a 2.4 LD9 needs a new head gasket. im currently going to school for mechanics so i will be doing the installation my self. just hoping to get some advice or tips on the installation. now i know the timing belt must be moved and i know the head may need to be planed. just looking for any advice or generic problems that happen with installation of these gaskets. im also wondering about the black smoke that seems to be coming out the pipe. the car has sat out in the snow and cold all winter (not by choice) =( and it also needed some water pump work before the winter. any advice, help or suggestions on other things that could have gone wrong over the winter would be great.

Thanks guys

I had a friends help when doing mine last year so anything I couldnt think to do or remeber to do he helped me with. if youre going to school for this sorta thing then everything should come pretty easily to you.

only thing I can really think to tell ya is make sure you in an area its easy to take your parts and lay them of to the side without them being in the way..newspaper or old tarp or blankets to set the parts on ..take your time (we did it over the course of two days for a total of 8 hours) pick up all the parts you need before hand,find a good machine shop for the block before hand. take a picture or two before you start ripping the motor apart just you have an idea it looks the same when its all back together..as you remove nuts,bolts,screws ect ect have ziploc bags handy to place them in and a sharpie to lable the bag, dont just toss everything in one bag and hope to figure it out later..

when you put everything back together.. follow the exact specifications of the manual..includeing bolt replacement patern and tourque on bolts..if ya goof that up you need to replace the gasket yet again..

most of all.. take your time..check and recheck everything as you do it, redundancy saves time and money



machine shop work for the head should run ya about 60 bucks.. while youre there check how much it would cost to have it ported..
gaskets should run about 40-50 dollers
bolts shoult run about 70..
and misc costs for anything else ya pick up or need..

best of luck to you.

awesome noted!! all great idea's. i have the torquing specs from the servicing program we use my biggest concern is not screwing my timing as i havent done much timing work. anyway thanks alot will be sure to follow each one of those suggestions as i know they will help me large and time is no issue at all as i have a secondary daily driver =D

Cant wait to be bak in my J =D

Any suggestions for the timing belt removal and such other than to mark it would be great.

Great to be bak on jbod after over a year =D gettin excited lol

I think its actually a timing chain, not a belt on that engine. I know because I have an '01 Z24 and thought I would have to get the timing belt replacecd at around 60,000 miles, till I learned it was a chain. Maybe you already knew. How many miles on your car? Just wondering because I got 99,000 on mine and concerned about having to have the head gasket replaced at some time in the future.

200,000km on the car and around 160km on the new engine. and thanks wasnt sure if it was belt or chain =D. i should be good to go this week