Right been asked to do a headgasket on the g/f's uncle's pauxhall astra tomorrow, now ive never really worked on a vauxhall that much (try to keep my distance from the horid things) so was wondering if theres anything to watch out for on these engines? It's a 1.4 or 1.6 SOHC astra on an R plate single point injection

Thanks

Carl

 

If its any 8 valve there dead easy. The only thing is you have to re-seal the cam casing and also they sometimes can be a pain to start when you come to fire it up.
Good luck anyway mate

 

yeah its an 8 valve had a look at the layout and does look dead easy! Whats that about the the cam casing tho?

 

bttt

 

is it one where the water pump rotates to tension the cam belt? if so, they can be a pain if the water pump is seized in place.

 

maifold exhaust bolts snapp all the time too work em tight then loose tight then loose etc etc to get em out


also dont forget to clean the bolt holes out in the block

 

Never a truer word spoken!


Can be a nightmare on older engines.


Good thing is though, most of the 8v vauxhall engines are valve safe anyway, so even if you mess it up and the belt comes off it wont normally harm anything.

 

and whatever happens, if you have to disturb the pump for any reason (and that will usually be to tension the belt) you WILL need a new o-ring seal to go in it, or it WILL leak afterwards..

 

Right ive taken all this in and now ive come to start the job and cant find my autodata cd rom anywhere!!!!!! So does anyone know the cylinder head torque settings and sequence for one of these lumps? or even a link to somewhere that will tell me?

 

BTTT I need this desperate plz folks!

 

cyl head bolts are stretch bolts, so use new ones!
stage1, 18lbft (25Nm)
stg2, tighten further 85 degrees
stg3, tighten further 85 degrees
stg4, tighten further 20 degrees

tightening sequence:

i n l e t s i d e

10 6 2 3 7

9 5 1 4 8

e x h a u s t s i d e


loosening sequence is reverse of the tightening sequence.

 

8 valve 1.6 an 1.4 engines are dead easy, for easier starting after replacing headgasket advise small amount of oil down bores which helps compression and squeeze hydraulic lifters in a vice as well.
also on vauxhalls easy way with head torques up to 1800cc 25nm 60d 60d 60d
1800cc and above 25nm 90d 90d 90d petrol engines .

 

Thanks for the replies guys i got the torque settings off one of my mates who owns a garage and as for the water pump/timing belt tensioning i went the lazy fooker route and didnt disturb the pump just gently prised the belt off the cam pulley and when re-fitting got the first fwe teeth on the cam pulley and turned the engine over with a ratchet until it wound itself back on! Sounds ver "cowboy" skylee but runs mint so all's good, Except of course for the bloody air lock in the water system which was a biatch to bleed

Thanks again

Carl

 

One last thing on this topic, What do you suggest i charge for the job? I changed the head gasket and did a small service on it (engine flush, oil change, oil filter, plugs, air filter and changed stat) so what you guys think seeing as it IS sort of family? Was thinking around the £40 mark?

 

I'd be calling £40 cheap, personally

 

Do it for free ya tight fooker, it is family

 

Yeah stevie i normally would BUT when i wanted my loft walls skimming he charged me so ???

 

£40 is fookin cheap mate

 

Well went round to his today to collect payment told him i only wanted £40 seeing as it's family n all so he gave me £50 and a tray of fosters so just sampling my payment now