In the summer of 2011 I was a kid with $50 and a broken car I needed to get to work. Your video gave me the confidence to tear into my chevy and get it running. Just wanted to say thank you!
This video helped me replace the head gasket on my chevy corsica 3 years ago. it was challenging but one of the coolest and most rewarding things I've done to a vehicle. Great father son bonding activity too. Thank you!!!
Thanks for posting this video the step by step process was a big help to me, i have a 93 cav with the same engine and mine blew the head gasket, and i didnt know what to do until i found your video. i was able to do everything and it turned out great thanks again!
Nice video, very informative. I've got a '95 2.2L Corsica, got the gasket changed a few years back, with what I know now maybe I could've done it myself, save some dollars. Always wanted to see what the inside looked like, and check what condition it was in before they reassembled it, but didn't get the chance. This is a great overall primer - keep up the good work!
I had to do a cavalier with the same engine the cylinder head was cracked.There was never any oil in the coolant or coolant in the oil.But it did leak compression through the expansion tank.The customer bought a refurbished cylinder head and I fixed it.the absolute best part is that this engine has the cam in block.easiest head gasket I've done
thanks, i wish i had more time to make more videos, but now i'm driving truck and doing commercial field spraying which means i'm only around the internet once a week or so.
@jw200 you don't need to drain any oil, just coolant, however after you change the head gasket i would highly recommend changing the oil as it will get some dirt and crap in it.
@1994lebaron depends how long it was run with the coolant in the oil, if it still runs and does not knock it could probably be fixed with just need new head gaskets. which are pretty cheap, you can get the whole top end gasket kit, (includes valve guide seals and all) for like $80 or so, its just the labor to put them in.
This is not a Quad. Its your standard issue aluminum head/cast iron OHV 2.2 engine. Very common and cheap to fix. Quads are either SOHC or DOHC and come in 2.3L or 2.4L. I had a Beretta that had the 180 HP 2.3 DOHC Quad in it. $6000 later it was a turbo'd 335 HP fire breather that I put over 120,000 miles on it before it had to be refreshed. The way I had built it made it very durable
@cavalierblue all of the 2.2 engines had Over Head Valves (OHV), this means that the valves are in the head on top of the piston, old time engines had the valves in the block beside the piston, these were known as "Flat Head" engines. the timeing chain and cam-shaft are in the block so you won't need to touch it to change the head gasket. now an Over Head Cam engine (OHC) has the cam ontop of the head, hence "OVER HEAD", and these you need to retime if the head is removed.
Did this job in April. Took me a couple days. The intake bolts are a real MF'er. It's a good idea to have a short handle socket wrench for those. I just pulled it out of the way, and didn't disconnect the fuel lines. There is room for it to stay in there. I was wrong about the rocker arms. you do just tighten em down (to trq spec), and forget em. Its a good idea to make sure the push rods are clear. Just shoot some carb cleaner through the holes, put them back into the same places.
I just wanted to let you know I did the head gasket and because of a cam shaft failure I am having to redo it again (had to pull head bolts). So I am going the Victor reinz route this time. Seems their gasket is much more thicker than fel pro. I also found loosening the water pump to drain coolant is a bit more controlled and quicker on these engines. By draining the rad from the petcock it like to hit the engine cradle and go everywhere. It's odd but works a bit better.
I have a 97 cavalier 5 speed..blew the headgasket...i had the motor out within 1.5 hrs and on a engine stand..to change the head gasket...if you want to attempt this would definately suggest pulling the engine with a cherry picker and using a engine stand..much easier..took me 30 minutes to change the headgasket...
And the valve adjustment procedure. Just want people to know all the steps involved so that they wont have to do this same job twice. Im in the middle of fixing one of these engines because the shop that did it a year ago didnt surface the head and it started leaking compression into the cooling system. Just adding my 2 cents
As far as cost it starts with $850 plus HST in labour plus you have to be hopeful none of the bolts are rusty and break. Could goes a high as a $1000 . Great video , I think it's more for the mechanically minded to tackle but the Chilton or Hayes manual can help . I've used the Hayes , nice to have.
The lifters on this model will compensate for the difference in the head thickness after machining. You just have to be careful that the head isn't oversurfaced. There is a limit to how far one can be machined before its useless. As far as the timing goes it shouldn't be an issue on this model. The Cav I was working on only had 75k miles on it. The previous shop never checked to make sure the surface was flat so the gasket started leaking compression into the cooling system.
Thanks.... Thats a shame that the previous people didn't check it cause they did all that work for nothing. My sunbird is a great car it has just been neglected. It was obvious with the brown antifreeze in it. lol But it seems like an engine that I want to take care of so I have started doing all the things that need it. Mine has about the same mileage so I feel like its got a lot of life left in it. Im gonna be doing a kit that has all the gaskets down to the head and replace them all.
@REDPWR4EVR GM and Jasper does not recomend the scotchbrite pads.GM dealerships found out the little pieces getting in the bearings resulting in premature engine damage putting out a TSB.The little pieces get in the oil which the oil filter can't trap them.
@Barnhart08 i can't say for sure, but i don't think i did. its a beater, not a new car, if it was to be done "properly" then you would replace the exhaust manifold gastet, intake gasket, valve cover gasket ect.
@dacunfoosed1 well i don't know, this was a while ago i did this. the head is heavy, and on the front drivers side corner and rear passenger side corner there are steel pins that those two corner bolts pass through, these make sure the head aligns with the block, they may have corroded bad enough to hold the head down if it was leaking coolant to the outside.
@FloridaRaider i did it over two days, but i could have easily done it in one. started one pulled it apart one night, put together next morning. but these are easy to do, i dont know if your camary has an overhead cam or not but if it does that makes it harder because you need to re-time the it when you put it together. i put head gaskets in a plymouth acclain once which had a mitsubishi v-6 with overhead cams, that sucks.
@punkin1418 it only has one head as it is a straight four, meaning it has 4 cylinders in a straight line as you can see at 4:23, i have paper towels shoved into the cylinders on top of the pistons to keep dirt and grit from polishing the deck of the block from falling between the piston and cylinder wall as this could scoar the cylinders and basically ruin the engine.
The knock could be coming from a spun rod or main bearing on the crank. It can also come from a warped head due to overheating..which in turn will destroy your headgasket. If you were burning coolant, I'd jump straight to the spun bearings. Otherwise, replace the headgasket, drop the oil pan and check out the condition of your crank bearings.
@trainergames i sounds like he is right, when you rev the engine up the pressure in the cylinders increases which will in turn push air/ hot combustion gasses through the leak in the head gasket causing bubbles to apper in the coolant, also these gasses escaping from the cylinder are HOT!!! which is why it overheats. the hot gasses escaping from the cylinder into the water jacket cause the coolant temperature to rise quickly and excessively.
@trainergames just keep all of the internal components clean and follow the torque spec's. make sure you change the oil right after too because you will inevitably get some coolant and dirt in it. i start em up for a little bit to flush everything into the oil pan first so it'll run out when you pull the plug.
your're 100% right, i explained the torquing in a comment a while ago but never put anything in the video about it, and i just figured it was common sense th drain the coolant, but i suppose it's not.
@wafrederick i put the wet paper towels in the cylinders to collect most of that and keep it from getting between the piston and cylinder, and yes i have an air ratchet but i was trying to keep the tools used as simple as possible.
@braddatech your welcome, i wish i had done a little better job on the vid, i'm not used to making video's of fixing stuff and i get on a roll pulling shtuff apart and forget to take shots of it.
@Tlyates1988 well as i state at about 7 min, theres four bolts, three that you need to get at through the holes in the pulley, and the fourth one thats a pain on the back side of it. if all four are out it might just need a little encouragement.
Hi, I am attempting to change my head gasket using this guide and the GM Service guide for the 1994 cavalier. Same 2.2 L engine. So far I have been able to get everything off. Right now I have the top of the head open and have removed the rocker arms, push rods, and head bolts. I have all the bolts removed from the exhaust manifold. I also removed the fuel lines. What else is holding the head down? I still can't budge it.
Great video, i have an 86 Sunbird 1.8 turbo....i was driving it yesterday and it started cutting out and then when i started to put it in drive it would die. i also have a 89 Z24 that was doing the same thing and i had to hav ethe TCC selenoid replaced...i just ordered one for the Sunbird. anyways i replaced the valve pan gasket and the head gasket looks like it needs it too...looks like a bigger job than i thought...may have to have someone else do it. if i had some help maybe. any tips??
The middle part, where the head actually gets removed, is covered at the end only briefly and as an afterthought. Too bad, otherwise pretty good video. Thanks.
@undrgrndr2 from what i understand you make two passes, first pass torque to 46 lb-ft, then secound pass turn each bolt exactly 90 degrees, ALSO USE NEW BOLTS!
I am in the process of doing this right now, can you tell me if you had to take off the steering pump bracket? Something is holding it on the passenger side.
What had to come undone to take the head off? I looked up the steps on Autozone, and it mentions to take off the rocker arms and pushrods, but yours kind of look like they're still attached and you've just undone the head bolts.
I have a 97 cavalier with the 2.2l OHV,and it has been overheating(gets in red after about 3 miles),my grandpa had me me test it for a bad head gasket by having me start the car while the overflow tank cap is off,and he says it has a bad head gasket,cause nothing happens when at idle,but when i rev it bubbles come out. Is he right?or is it something else? Cause i don't want to take it apart till i know what is wrong. Thank you so much for the help.
Most engine builders will tell you not to use the abrasive discs when cleaning the gasket surface.The little pieces get inside and you will have problems.What is wrong using air tools such as a 1/2 and 3/8 impact,1/4 and 3/8 drive air ratchet?Air tools speed up the process.
@trunkingham yes the rocker arms do need to come off, i explained that in the last minute or so of the video, this was the first time i made a "how to" video so i know i could be better, and i was just kind of in a hurry to get it done and out of the shop. the black rectangular part i pull of in the vid exposing the rocker arms is called the valve cover. some of the bolts that hold the head down are under the rocker ars which is why they need to be removed.
well it will vary based on hourly labor rate, it's hard for me to say as i have NEVER had anything i own in a shop, but i know shop labor can go from like $60 to100 per hour and this job should not take more than 5 hours, if your head and block are good. most shops have a computer system that will give them an hour estimate and they should be able to give you an estimate.
Left out the fact that the head bolts are torque-to-yield and are highly recommended to be replaced. Long bolts should be torqued to 46 ft lbs and the short ones to 43 ft lbs and then once they are all torqued in sequence they ALL need to be torqued again an additional 90 degrees using a torque angle gauge available at any parts store. You didnt mention the radiator needing to be drained or the fact that because its an aluminum head that it should be surfaced regardless of overheating or not
@REDPWR4EVR if the engine has over 200K on it, but the rest of the car is in good shape i would look for a drop in replacement engine, they are usually pretty reasonable and it would probably be less labor just to change the engine, (provided you have an engine hoist).
should always flush motor afterwards, bc if oil and antifreeze mix its still in engine and will ruin new gasket. and should flush coolant if not replace the rad.
@REDPWR4EVR hey ive got a 94 chrysler lebaron (with the mitsubishi v6) with a bad head gasket. coolant got into the oil and idk what to do...is the engine pretty much shot?
@REDPWR4EVR Would it be safe to drive it 2 miles right after putting it together,to a place to get my oil changed,cause i prefer to take it to a walmart where i work,cause i get a discount on the oil change.
@REDPWR4EVR Ok thank you,also do you have any advice you can give me for doing this,with the fact that i have not done much in the way of fixing cars,i've replaced a motor mount on this car,watched someone replace the rad on my cavalier,and help someone change a strut on a 88 new yorker,so i know a little but i have never messed with the engine,and i really don't want to mess up my car while fixing it. Thank you agian for all the help.
@REDPWR4EVR yeah that's exactly what i thought - it would be less work just swapping engines. i'm buying a 1993 caravan with a 3.0l motor in it for $300. and my dad said to check out the wiring harness; he said it could be different than what my car has... do you have any idea if they're different or the same?
Noob question here but If I remove the head on my 96 2.2L OHV cavalier, does the timing slip, can I change the head gasket without having to worry about the timing chain moving?
I have a 95 chevy cavalier. We have taken everything off that we could think of but we still cant pull the head off. It wont lift off near the power stering box. Is there something there i didnt see that i need to losen?
In the summer of 2011 I was a kid with $50 and a broken car I needed to get to work.
Your video gave me the confidence to tear into my chevy and get it running.
Just wanted to say thank you!
This video helped me replace the head gasket on my chevy corsica 3 years ago. it was challenging but one of the coolest and most rewarding things I've done to a vehicle. Great father son bonding activity too. Thank you!!!
Thanks for posting this video the step by step process was a big help to me, i have a 93 cav with the same engine and mine blew the head gasket, and i didnt know what to do until i found your video. i was able to do everything and it turned out great thanks again!
nice bro glad to see todd alquist is still into mechanical work
Thanks. This helps me decide whether or not I want to tackle the job or go with alternatives.
Thank you for the video.I was wondering about removing the fuel connections.
This was the best design of cavalier ever made!!!!
i agree very easy to work on
Thanks, great instructions. I will probably never have to work on an old Cavalier like this, but great teaching!
This video really helped. I have a 2.2L buick century and now I feel confident doing this job
Good video. I just bought a 94 Cavalier and I'm fixing to do the head gasket in it, this helped out a lot.
i change my cavalier 2.2l 1997 head gasket last week. very helpul video. Thank you for this video.
Nice video, very informative. I've got a '95 2.2L Corsica, got the gasket changed a few years back, with what I know now maybe I could've done it myself, save some dollars. Always wanted to see what the inside looked like, and check what condition it was in before they reassembled it, but didn't get the chance. This is a great overall primer - keep up the good work!
Great video only one I have seen that explains what to do
love the beer next to the tools :)
That's not part of the needed tools?
I had to do a cavalier with the same engine the cylinder head was cracked.There was never any oil in the coolant or coolant in the oil.But it did leak compression through the expansion tank.The customer bought a refurbished cylinder head and I fixed it.the absolute best part is that this engine has the cam in block.easiest head gasket I've done
Looks like I'm coming late to the party. Could be I have the only 2.2 left. Great info... Thanks...
I finally got the head bolts out using a long hollow clothes hanger pole on my socket wrench handle as added torque. Worked like a charm.
Awesome video. "Common Hand Tools, the magnet, wrenches, random sockets, (2 beers and some patience)" I hope you made more videos like this.
thanks, i wish i had more time to make more videos, but now i'm driving truck and doing commercial field spraying which means i'm only around the internet once a week or so.
@jw200 you don't need to drain any oil, just coolant, however after you change the head gasket i would highly recommend changing the oil as it will get some dirt and crap in it.
Good job man, thanks for sharing
thats the way its done man, good video! last time i finished a head gasket, i also finished the case ;P
i have a 91 cavalier and i had to do my head-gasket as well. its a tbi engine and i think the head gasket job was easier with that simpler fuel system
@1994lebaron depends how long it was run with the coolant in the oil, if it still runs and does not knock it could probably be fixed with just need new head gaskets. which are pretty cheap, you can get the whole top end gasket kit, (includes valve guide seals and all) for like $80 or so, its just the labor to put them in.
This is not a Quad. Its your standard issue aluminum head/cast iron OHV 2.2 engine. Very common and cheap to fix. Quads are either SOHC or DOHC and come in 2.3L or 2.4L. I had a Beretta that had the 180 HP 2.3 DOHC Quad in it. $6000 later it was a turbo'd 335 HP fire breather that I put over 120,000 miles on it before it had to be refreshed. The way I had built it made it very durable
@cavalierblue all of the 2.2 engines had Over Head Valves (OHV), this means that the valves are in the head on top of the piston, old time engines had the valves in the block beside the piston, these were known as "Flat Head" engines. the timeing chain and cam-shaft are in the block so you won't need to touch it to change the head gasket. now an Over Head Cam engine (OHC) has the cam ontop of the head, hence "OVER HEAD", and these you need to retime if the head is removed.
Good video bud!
well i work more than drink, i know some people do it the opposite way!
Very helpful! Thank you very much!
Did this job in April. Took me a couple days. The intake bolts are a real MF'er. It's a good idea to have a short handle socket wrench for those. I just pulled it out of the way, and didn't disconnect the fuel lines. There is room for it to stay in there. I was wrong about the rocker arms. you do just tighten em down (to trq spec), and forget em. Its a good idea to make sure the push rods are clear. Just shoot some carb cleaner through the holes, put them back into the same places.
I just wanted to let you know I did the head gasket and because of a cam shaft failure I am having to redo it again (had to pull head bolts). So I am going the Victor reinz route this time. Seems their gasket is much more thicker than fel pro.
I also found loosening the water pump to drain coolant is a bit more controlled and quicker on these engines. By draining the rad from the petcock it like to hit the engine cradle and go everywhere. It's odd but works a bit better.
Beer is always a handy tool.
I have a 97 cavalier 5 speed..blew the headgasket...i had the motor out within 1.5 hrs and on a engine stand..to change the head gasket...if you want to attempt this would definately suggest pulling the engine with a cherry picker and using a engine stand..much easier..took me 30 minutes to change the headgasket...
And the valve adjustment procedure. Just want people to know all the steps involved so that they wont have to do this same job twice. Im in the middle of fixing one of these engines because the shop that did it a year ago didnt surface the head and it started leaking compression into the cooling system. Just adding my 2 cents
i recommend having the deck surface on the head shaved. I,ve replaced mine 3 times b4 i shaved the head at a machine shop and never had a leak after
wow. a two beer job to change ur head gasket is pretty quick. Wish I could do that with my GM 3.4 v6
Good video man!!!!
I really like your 2 beer jobs that get my attention! You and I have something in common.
As far as cost it starts with $850 plus HST in labour plus you have to be hopeful none of the bolts are rusty and break. Could goes a high as a $1000 . Great video , I think it's more for the mechanically minded to tackle but the Chilton or Hayes manual can help . I've used the Hayes , nice to have.
The lifters on this model will compensate for the difference in the head thickness after machining. You just have to be careful that the head isn't oversurfaced. There is a limit to how far one can be machined before its useless. As far as the timing goes it shouldn't be an issue on this model. The Cav I was working on only had 75k miles on it. The previous shop never checked to make sure the surface was flat so the gasket started leaking compression into the cooling system.
Thanks.... Thats a shame that the previous people didn't check it cause they did all that work for nothing.
My sunbird is a great car it has just been neglected. It was obvious with the brown antifreeze in it. lol But it seems like an engine that I want to take care of so I have started doing all the things that need it. Mine has about the same mileage so I feel like its got a lot of life left in it. Im gonna be doing a kit that has all the gaskets down to the head and replace them all.
2 beer job? Heck it was a 7 beer job for me, just cause I had to run up to the store to pick up a six pack since I only had one beer in the fridge.
@admiralcrash1 these straight four push-rod engine are pretty nice that way, i hate working on those sideways v6's.
@REDPWR4EVR GM and Jasper does not recomend the scotchbrite pads.GM dealerships found out the little pieces getting in the bearings resulting in premature engine damage putting out a TSB.The little pieces get in the oil which the oil filter can't trap them.
@Barnhart08 i can't say for sure, but i don't think i did. its a beater, not a new car, if it was to be done "properly" then you would replace the exhaust manifold gastet, intake gasket, valve cover gasket ect.
Bud Light the official sponsor of your neighborhood mechanic! LOL
@dacunfoosed1 well i don't know, this was a while ago i did this. the head is heavy, and on the front drivers side corner and rear passenger side corner there are steel pins that those two corner bolts pass through, these make sure the head aligns with the block, they may have corroded bad enough to hold the head down if it was leaking coolant to the outside.
@FloridaRaider i did it over two days, but i could have easily done it in one. started one pulled it apart one night, put together next morning. but these are easy to do, i dont know if your camary has an overhead cam or not but if it does that makes it harder because you need to re-time the it when you put it together. i put head gaskets in a plymouth acclain once which had a mitsubishi v-6 with overhead cams, that sucks.
@Conway11906 they always leak coolant out the front driver side corner...if not other places as well
@punkin1418 it only has one head as it is a straight four, meaning it has 4 cylinders in a straight line as you can see at 4:23, i have paper towels shoved into the cylinders on top of the pistons to keep dirt and grit from polishing the deck of the block from falling between the piston and cylinder wall as this could scoar the cylinders and basically ruin the engine.
Is the procedure similar on the 2.4? Or is it going to be a more difficult job?
First thing I noticed, made me trust him from the get go! LOL! Although, I think I would have gone through more beers!
The knock could be coming from a spun rod or main bearing on the crank. It can also come from a warped head due to overheating..which in turn will destroy your headgasket.
If you were burning coolant, I'd jump straight to the spun bearings. Otherwise, replace the headgasket, drop the oil pan and check out the condition of your crank bearings.
Thanks
@trainergames i sounds like he is right, when you rev the engine up the pressure in the cylinders increases which will in turn push air/ hot combustion gasses through the leak in the head gasket causing bubbles to apper in the coolant, also these gasses escaping from the cylinder are HOT!!! which is why it overheats. the hot gasses escaping from the cylinder into the water jacket cause the coolant temperature to rise quickly and excessively.
@trainergames just keep all of the internal components clean and follow the torque spec's. make sure you change the oil right after too because you will inevitably get some coolant and dirt in it. i start em up for a little bit to flush everything into the oil pan first so it'll run out when you pull the plug.
your're 100% right, i explained the torquing in a comment a while ago but never put anything in the video about it, and i just figured it was common sense th drain the coolant, but i suppose it's not.
@wafrederick i put the wet paper towels in the cylinders to collect most of that and keep it from getting between the piston and cylinder, and yes i have an air ratchet but i was trying to keep the tools used as simple as possible.
@braddatech your welcome, i wish i had done a little better job on the vid, i'm not used to making video's of fixing stuff and i get on a roll pulling shtuff apart and forget to take shots of it.
@Tlyates1988 well as i state at about 7 min, theres four bolts, three that you need to get at through the holes in the pulley, and the fourth one thats a pain on the back side of it. if all four are out it might just need a little encouragement.
Hi,
I am attempting to change my head gasket using this guide and the GM Service guide for the 1994 cavalier. Same 2.2 L engine. So far I have been able to get everything off. Right now I have the top of the head open and have removed the rocker arms, push rods, and head bolts. I have all the bolts removed from the exhaust manifold. I also removed the fuel lines. What else is holding the head down? I still can't budge it.
Great video, i have an 86 Sunbird 1.8 turbo....i was driving it yesterday and it started cutting out and then when i started to put it in drive it would die. i also have a 89 Z24 that was doing the same thing and i had to hav ethe TCC selenoid replaced...i just ordered one for the Sunbird. anyways i replaced the valve pan gasket and the head gasket looks like it needs it too...looks like a bigger job than i thought...may have to have someone else do it. if i had some help maybe. any tips??
The middle part, where the head actually gets removed, is covered at the end only briefly and as an afterthought. Too bad, otherwise pretty good video. Thanks.
@undrgrndr2 from what i understand you make two passes, first pass torque to 46 lb-ft, then secound pass turn each bolt exactly 90 degrees, ALSO USE NEW BOLTS!
Do you have to rotate the engine to TDC before removing the head? I didn't see you remove a timing chain or anything similar to that....
Did you have to buy new head bolts ? I was told they are stretch bolts and once taken out they have to be replaced is this true ?
I am in the process of doing this right now, can you tell me if you had to take off the steering pump bracket? Something is holding it on the passenger side.
I will now measure all the work I do in amount of beer. Love it lol
And as far as the die in drive, that's really common in the GM 125C automatics
@peterbrissette i always start at the center and work my way out. if you google image searce "head bolt tightening sequance" you'll get the idea.
is this the same procedure for the 1995 model?
Thanks for the video. How long did it take you to complete the job? I've got a 06 Toyota camry with a blown head gasket.
What had to come undone to take the head off? I looked up the steps on Autozone, and it mentions to take off the rocker arms and pushrods, but yours kind of look like they're still attached and you've just undone the head bolts.
I have a 97 cavalier with the 2.2l OHV,and it has been overheating(gets in red after about 3 miles),my grandpa had me me test it for a bad head gasket by having me start the car while the overflow tank cap is off,and he says it has a bad head gasket,cause nothing happens when at idle,but when i rev it bubbles come out.
Is he right?or is it something else?
Cause i don't want to take it apart till i know what is wrong.
Thank you so much for the help.
Most engine builders will tell you not to use the abrasive discs when cleaning the gasket surface.The little pieces get inside and you will have problems.What is wrong using air tools such as a 1/2 and 3/8 impact,1/4 and 3/8 drive air ratchet?Air tools speed up the process.
@trunkingham yes the rocker arms do need to come off, i explained that in the last minute or so of the video, this was the first time i made a "how to" video so i know i could be better, and i was just kind of in a hurry to get it done and out of the shop. the black rectangular part i pull of in the vid exposing the rocker arms is called the valve cover. some of the bolts that hold the head down are under the rocker ars which is why they need to be removed.
How much torque did you use to remove the head bolts ?
@Mrjmoyer78 i like em all right, cant believe how much the one in my "corsicamino" has survived and its still going,
Did you change any other gaskets besides the head gasket when you did this?
well it will vary based on hourly labor rate, it's hard for me to say as i have NEVER had anything i own in a shop, but i know shop labor can go from like $60 to100 per hour and this job should not take more than 5 hours, if your head and block are good. most shops have a computer system that will give them an hour estimate and they should be able to give you an estimate.
I have to do this I have an internally blown gasket and my oils gettin watery and Im blowin white smoke out the back end.
Left out the fact that the head bolts are torque-to-yield and are highly recommended to be replaced. Long bolts should be torqued to 46 ft lbs and the short ones to 43 ft lbs and then once they are all torqued in sequence they ALL need to be torqued again an additional 90 degrees using a torque angle gauge available at any parts store. You didnt mention the radiator needing to be drained or the fact that because its an aluminum head that it should be surfaced regardless of overheating or not
I want to try to attempt this on my 95 cavalier but I'm not confident I can put it all back together.
rumerxs how you done it ?
@REDPWR4EVR if the engine has over 200K on it, but the rest of the car is in good shape i would look for a drop in replacement engine, they are usually pretty reasonable and it would probably be less labor just to change the engine, (provided you have an engine hoist).
i think some autoparts stores do, they are pretty cheap, i think you can get a decent one for $30-$40.
@lawnside82 i know i love those units, if only they wern't so prone to headgasket failure.
How did you take the fuel lines off the head? Did you catch it on video when you did?
should always flush motor afterwards, bc if oil and antifreeze mix its still in engine and will ruin new gasket. and should flush coolant if not replace the rad.
how do you torgue the engine parts, when putting back together.????
is it still holding for you?
@REDPWR4EVR hey ive got a 94 chrysler lebaron (with the mitsubishi v6) with a bad head gasket. coolant got into the oil and idk what to do...is the engine pretty much shot?
so you didn't have to buy any other gaskets except the head gasket? they recommend new head bolts?? i have always used the old ones.
@REDPWR4EVR Would it be safe to drive it 2 miles right after putting it together,to a place to get my oil changed,cause i prefer to take it to a walmart where i work,cause i get a discount on the oil change.
I can't get the head off. something is holding it down behind the power steering pump
@REDPWR4EVR Ok thank you,also do you have any advice you can give me for doing this,with the fact that i have not done much in the way of fixing cars,i've replaced a motor mount on this car,watched someone replace the rad on my cavalier,and help someone change a strut on a 88 new yorker,so i know a little but i have never messed with the engine,and i really don't want to mess up my car while fixing it.
Thank you agian for all the help.
@REDPWR4EVR yeah that's exactly what i thought - it would be less work just swapping engines. i'm buying a 1993 caravan with a 3.0l motor in it for $300. and my dad said to check out the wiring harness; he said it could be different than what my car has... do you have any idea if they're different or the same?
How do you fix cross threaded spark plug holes on a 1999 cavalier 2.2?
+cynthia breland Simple fix is to drill, tap, and put in helicoils.
Good info, but you left out how to adjust the valves. Many people will just bolt those rocker arms back on without doing that critical part!
Noob question here but If I remove the head on my 96 2.2L OHV cavalier, does the timing slip, can I change the head gasket without having to worry about the timing chain moving?
I have a 95 chevy cavalier. We have taken everything off that we could think of but we still cant pull the head off. It wont lift off near the power stering box. Is there something there i didnt see that i need to losen?