Ok so as many of you im changing a head gasket on my car. So i got everything off except the actual heads. SO CLOSE! My gasket kit came with valve stem seals. My question is to remove what do i need to do? im taking off the heads anyways so do i need to remove them at tdc? also do i need to keep the cylinder pressurized if the heads are off? The head are coming off anyways so wouldn't it be easier to to remove the heads and then remove? I new to this so any help is appreciated.

 

you won't like my answer

since the heads are off, then they should be sent out for cleaning, checking the springs and replacing anything that looks suspicious. There's no better time than now to check a bunch of things

But, if this is just a beater car, then slap on the new gaskets and be done with it and not care.

 

Let the machine shop do them when they surface the heads. JMO but if you are going through the hard work of replacing the head gaskets, you really need to spend the $ to have the heads at least surfaced.

 

send them off to elliotts for a le1 job. takes about a week with shipping time. otherwise im with the guys^^^ at the least have them checked at a shop.

 

Why did the head gasket go? Was it just it's time, or does a head have a little bit of a warp to it? In my opinion, it would be foolish to replace the head gaskets without having a machine shop go over the heads.

 

not sure why it went out yet. I havent taken it apart yet. I was just wondering if i should wait for to take out the heads and then the valve springs or the other way around

 

much easier to take the springs off when the heads are off. the shop will not want the spings off.

 

You can check flatness yourself. Just put the head machine side down on your surface plate. Using a .002 feeler gage go all the way around the head and make sure it does not "slide in". If you do not have a surface plate, I think everyone does, you should get them checked.

As for your valve spring question the tool for taking off the springs is different head off and head on but since the heads are coming off any way its a lot easier to do them while they are off. As you know by now you have very limited space in the car. If I remember right you do not have to worry about the crank position or valve adjustment these rockers just torque down.

 

Heh, heh...good one. Yep, a surface plate is usually the first thing everybody puts in their garage. Mine are fancier though, granite counter tops.