Done headgaskets on OHC cars so the OHV looks to be a lot simpler, but just wanting to know what all is hidden under the intake manifold. Seems like every one I've done according to the book has left out steps. Car is a '94 Cavalier that is seeping coolant slighty at the front corner on driver's side. No oil and coolant mixing or overheating so I assume this is from the dowel pin being faced the wrong way and eating at the gasket as I have read. Already scoped out the power steering brace. Fuel line appears to be a block that bolts to the passenger side of the fuel rail. Something tells me the line has some kind of support bolted to the head, but I haven't felt one yet. Fuel pressure regulator is pretty obvious with one bolt on the driver side end of fuel rail and a support bolt. Plan is to pull head with the intake BTW, and any comments are welcome. Also is there any reason I'd want the car up in the air? I'd prefer to have it setting down obviously, but if there's something that can only be gotten to from underneath it would be nice to know ahead of time before the car can no longer make it up the ramps on it's own power. Also what is the proper orientation of the dowel pins in reference to where the slit should be pointing to.
I pulled heads on my old '94 corsica, '91 Cavalier RS, And the '95 & '96 Cavaliers, Very simple, I support the engine, And I have pulled the head with the lower intake still attached before.
Couple hours max.
Looking at it now, I have had too many 2.2's.....
Haha, you all are a day or so late. Pulled the head off this morning with the lower intake on. Pulled the exhaust studs too which came out easy and left enough clearance for the exhaust manifold. Power steering brace and fuel line brace were a PITA. Also the torx head bolt for the FPR wasn't having any of it. Had to break the line at the bottom, but still lost time due to this and trying to figure out which relay was the fuel pump. Took the head to the machine shop today, and it pressure tested fine and only needed 0.008" taken off it. I'm doing this before going to work and before it gets too hot, so I figure I'll pick the head up in the morning and put the lower intake back on, bolt the head back on, put the rocker/pushrods in, the valve cover, and finish up Saturday. I have my '99 to drive so it's no big hurry, but I'll miss my goal of having it back together by tomorrow. I feel better having the head checked out and surfaced though, plus it's going to be 96 degrees tomorrow!!
took me about two hours to have mine put back together and running... from the head off to driving the car to get more oil.
the way i did it my first time was to leave the whole intake intact, disconnect the fuel lines at the quick disconnect, leave the exhaust studs that stayed in place where they were, take off the exhaust manifold, replace with header and downpipe, scrape gasket off, place new gasket, reinstall head, and drive away.
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All that's left now is the upper intake, wiring, vacuum lines, power steering pump, and alternator. Probably going to clean the upper intake real good, and have a new radiator to put in it also. JUST doing a headgasket without taking the head to a machine shop this is easily a single day job. Progress would have went a little faster if I hadn't been taking breaks to wipe the sweat off. Finally figured out where the PCV valve is! Only had the car for two weeks though.
How hard is it to pull that upper intake manifold to put new gasket on? .
Step by step would be good
Thanks
