In a message dated 8/4/04 2:13:47 PM Pacific Daylight Time, cyrille@hp.com
writes:
> Well, I am leaking oil around my head, so I guess I am good for a head
> gasket change on my 1500...
> I have a question:
> - how hard is it?
> - what hardware do I need except for the head gasket kit?
> - any trick, warning or thing to be carefull?
> - is is just:
> - drain water
> - remove the bolts that hold the rocker cover and the head (including
> manifolds and water pump)
> - remove the rockers, pushrods
> - remove and change the gaskets
> - put everything back together (being carefull to the torque)
> Or I am way over my head here?
>
Cyrille:
No you aren't over your head. It is a relatively simple project. You do have
to unbolt the intake/ehaust manifold and it is a lot easier (although I
didn't last time I did the job) to remove the radiator (easy job, really). You
will need a torque wrench for replacement. When you remove all the head nuts,
the head will probably be stuck down pretty tight. I, like a lot of listers,
like to get one of the pistons on the downstroke, then feed cotton rope into
the
spark plug hole. Turn over the starter, and the cotton rope will force the
head up and off the block. Before I did that, I think I would just try turning
over the engine to see whether natural compression might break it free. On my
1500, I have not had good luck with the metal/copper gaskets. The fiber
gaskets seem to work better for me (I have blown at least 3 of the metal
headgaskets), and Frank Clarici and I had a discussion about this at the PA
rally and he
seemed to agree with that finding. You will need a head gasket set, which
includes the manifold and water pump gaskets. And I found a cheap turkey
baster
handy for sucking out the crap and debris that it is impossible to keep out
of the coolant galleys in the head. I found too, that spraying the gasket with
high-temp copper gasket spray helps, and that doubling up on the manifold
gaskets, with the spray in between and on both sides, helps seal the manifold.
Good luck. 8^)
--David C.
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