I think the head gasket has gone on my RST it seams to be using coolant

Its just a standard 1.6 CVH engine.

I was woundering if any head gasket will be fine, or can anyone recommend an uprated one? (if it exists).

Should i replace the head bolts when i remove the head? or are they ok to use again?

Also is the water pump driven off the cam belt? If so i might as well replace that at the same time as well as the belt.

Im mechanically minded so will be doing the work myself. But I have never done a cvh engine before. So any tips are more than welcome!

Thanks in advance
Jack

 

you want a standard FORD headgasket or a PAYERN one. both available from burtons as are headbolts,cam belt (gates) and waterpump.Standard headgaskets are in many cars running 300bhp + hope this helps

 

Brilliant! Thanks very much!

Burton power are only a 20 mins drive away anyway

 

perfect

 

CVHs are very easy, in fact a pleasure to work on,i have found any decent fibre gasket to be fine, i would buy a complete headset and do the valve stem seals at the same time as they are always fucked on cvhs.

 

As s1cab says standard Ford or Payen gasket are the ONLY gaskets worth using, tried and tested to 350bhp, dont risk using anything else and yes replace the head bolts as they are stretch and so can only be used once.

 

very straightforward job to do head gasket, timing belt and water pump mate. As mentioned the standard Ford gasket will be more than up to the job.

 

Might be worth changing thr termostat while your in there and put some of that wetter water stuff in its supposed to lower the water temps.
I used a payen gasket set and bolts 5 years ago ive never had a problem since.

 

Ive used FIA with no probs also, and ive always re used my head bolts, just made sure they were clean and lightly oiled, but it is wise to renew them i suppose.

 

are the 1.6 cvh and 1.6 cvh turbo gaskets the same?

I have found the headset for a 1.6cvh turbo anyway, just would be interesting to know for future ref

I have the MSD thermostat and fan switch to put on when i do the head.

 

The payen RS gasket set has different exhaust gasket and head gasket in than normal cvh set.
You can buy the headgasket loose from payen but not the exhaust gasket.

 

Turbo and non turbo head gaskets are the same, but as mentioned exhaust gasket is different. Get a "headset" you will need the stem seals

 

I have no experience with FIA but why risk it IMO, it's your head gasket after all so use what tried and tested.
As for reusing head bolts thats just crazy! lol
I did it once before I knew they were stretch and had one snap, my advice, dont reuse stretch bolts because they will not stretch twice, you have been very lucky or didnt torque them up as you should, assuming we are talking CVH of course.

 

+1
A set of payen bolts is only about £10 so makes sense.

 

lol, scaredy cat my old zvh i also re used the bolts, but they were high tensile 12.9 n/mm2 cap screws.