l0ubie

how easy is it to do a crossflow headgasket?

how long will it take? and what do i need to look out for?

Lloyd

skilled mechanic,1 hour. providing nothings siezed or broken

Lloyd

if it was my car,then about a day,as it would be decoked,and valves reground,and nice and clean ect ect

Chip

iTrader: (3)

Really you need to be skimming the head IMHO

So Elapsed time of a couple of days by the time it goes to machine shop and back, even though the actual labour on the job is only a couple of hours

Lloyd

steel head on the crossflow chip,and fiber gasket. so it shouldnt need skimming.

Chip

iTrader: (3)

Old as fuck now though, so i would still skim it, good insurance for the sake of 30 quid

Ive had mini heads (which are also iron) that have NEEDED skimming before, depends on how badly hot its got of course

yappstar

why not ask a mechanic?

DangerousBryan

because she wants to have a go at it herself? can't think of a much easier headgasket really. just watch out for exhaust manifold studs snapping.

Munch

hold on....havent you just had a 1700 xflow conversion in your car?

dojj

iTrader: (3)

drain the water and oil first to prevent it from getting into the bores and bolt holes

and on shoes and the floor too

when it goes back together again, make sure thigns are clean

also, before yuo start the job, make sure you have all the things you need to do the job, including transport to take you to the shops to buy the things you forgot you needed to buy to use

tabetha

If it has seriously over heated, skimming won't be the ONLY problem.
The problem that often crops up on x flo heads is the valve guides get loose, when seriously overheated, I have seen them be pushed out by hand when bad enough.
Also need to be looking VERY VERY carefully between the exhaust inlet valve seats as they crack as well here, but defo get skimmed it badly over heated.
When you put back together use a felpro gasket, and give the front two head fixings a extra 15lbft, this stops the oilway soaking through the gasket as it runs very close.
If you also take the rocker gear apart, turn the actual rocker shaft upside down then the other way around so front is back etc, the rockers then wear on the undowrn part of the shaft so tappets don't get noisy so quick.
tabetha

l0ubie

yea i do want to have a go! i've watched enough times, think i could have a decent shot at it!

exactly my thinking! gonna whip the head off, check it cause its either a gasket gone or a cracked head! but i have a spare head that was sweet as a nut so it shouldnt be too much of a problem either way!


cheers tabetha, il bare that in mind! gonna pinch the air tools from my old man and hopefully have a go on saturday!
if not, no car for central day

cossyking

im a mechanic with my own business i would never do a head gasket without skimming it. it will prob take an hour tops to get it off if your not that confident.

yappstar

someone who got my point, finally!!

Im wasnt saying you shouldnt or owt, just saying asking on here is likely to produce several million differing opinions, go to a trusted local garage and ask them thats all.

do people really need to ask the internet before they have a shit?

tabetha

Anyone think a garage might get it skimmed anyway, as they can charge even more, call me cynical but there are dodgy people out there.
A x flow head will get away with much more of a warpy head than something like a cossie, it's also less likely to warp due to material, but as I said check, just don;'t skim for the sake of it, I haven't done a escort x flo since 1982!!
tabetha

l0ubie

escorts never been to a garage in the time its be owned by me!
dont believe in them! we managed to do an engine change in a council garage block pretty well lol!!
i asked cause my old man whos a mechanic was away and my mate that usually does the work was out, and was just wondering!



im leaning to wards what tabetha has said to be fair!
its a cast head so shouldnt see too many problems!

an hour though? surely cant take that long 10mins for the exhaust manifold, rocker cover 2mins, 8head bolts, tappets etc.. there isnt that much else in there lol!

Icurus

I once changed the head gasket on my Mexico outside my aunties house in 30mins

We only used Felpro gaskets which never stuck and made removal very easy.

Drain coolant
remove valve cover 4 screws
remove rocker gear - 4 bolts iirc
Undo head bolts - 10 bolts
2x cousins to lift head via manifolds whilst I slipped out the gasket and slipped in the new one!

rebuild is reverse of the above

Diamonds.

iTrader: (2)

how come this went Loubs thought this new engine?

tabetha

Don't forget to retorque after 500 miles, then you'll have to do the tappets again, though think you can use the rule of 9 on these engines.
tabetha

orion_crazy_carl

iTrader: (3)

dont undo the head bolts with the air gun lulu

l0ubie

turned out to be a cracked head!

after changing the stat, pump, the fan the radiator and finally the gasket and head, it turned out to be an internal hairline crack!!

o and then the alternator died!!!

Ebonycossie4x4

iTrader: (4)

bad luck!

you will get there in the end.

At least you gave it a go.

Diamonds.

iTrader: (2)

YB TIME

tabetha

Bet you're glad you checked the head now!!
Trouble is they are getting a bit scarec now, why not be different and go 2L X flow ?
It is a VERY surprising engine power/performance wise.
tabetha

Charlie Chalk

iTrader: (1)

I remember saying ages back check the HG..I bet thats made the head go.


Good luck on the new build

SiZT

I know the later engines you can't, unless they changed the firing order along with the valve positions.

l0ubie

2lt crossflow?!

how!even with spending some serious cash an AXblock can be bored out to a 1794cc (i think) but thats the biggest even that will go and thats still only 1.8

l0ubie

rads, gasket was fine hun! wasnt that that made the head crack!

what new build!? lol you building me something

cossie604

iTrader: (2)

Best keep you away from some of the modern stuff then

cossie604

iTrader: (2)

Why cant my missus know more about car's like you do.....we'd have sommot to talk about then

Hope you get it sorted anyhows

l0ubie

cheers, trust me it aint a bonus sometimes!

although i spent the day walking round with a Will today at central day, and realised, i actually only know alot about old skool engines! everything else confuses the fook outa me!

cossie604

iTrader: (2)

From looking at the central day pics so far, most of the engine's there were YB's......in my book you dont get much more old skool than an old pinto with a 16v head stuck on top along with a snail glued to the side

l0ubie

just all this injector and turbo crap!!

beyond me! il stick with my basic starter, and basic set up!