malibu_iceland

Hi, I have a 97/98 Chevy Malibu 3,1 v6, and my head gasket went wrong. The car started heating up an I was hearing some ticking sound from the engine, especiallywhen it is was cold. Then I added some water and it ran good for an hour or so. Then it started heating up again and then I went on home, hoping to make it but then I saw that the heat meter was running at top so I stopped the car and switched it off and let it cool for a couple of minutes. Then I went home and checked the oil after it had cooled down and I saw that the water had mixed up with the engine oil. SOOO, definate blown head gasket.

To the main subject... I have to replace the head gasket and I was thinkin, has anyone here done it before and can give me some tips... And maybe some pics...

Please held me!!!

Stirgen

I am doing it right now to my chevy blazer. Its a lot of work to remove everything thats necessary to get the head off. I would recommend a subscription to www.alldatadiy.com. They have up to date procedures for everything and alot of diagrams that really help out. Luckily you are working on a chevy product and not a ford. You will also need to invest 350.00 to 750.00 if you do everything yourself.

The most critical thing in my opinion is correct torquing of the head bolts. There are other bolts on the lower intake manifold that must also be corerctly torqued down and as you know every bolt has a recommended mfg's torque value but the heads are the most critical. The head bolts and bolt holes must also be cleaned thoroughly so that you get an accurate torque reading on the bolts when you reinstall the heads. Those bolts that penetrate a water jacket must also have their threads sealed to prevent coolant loss through these areas. Some people recommend getting new bolts but the manufacturer recommends using the old bolts.

Each bolt must go back in its original hole and they must all be torqued in the correct sequence in three seperate passes according to the procedure. This is to allow a gradual even pressure to be applied across the entire surface when bolting it on where the head meets the block. if you torque it down fully in one spot only you can crush the gasket in that spot and it will start leaking again.

The operating pressures on the head are enormous when the engine is working so its critical that the correct torque be applied. Also becareful of the mating surfaces between the heads and the block, they should not be scratched during cleaning or cracked because this will cause leaking. Use a soft material like wood or plastic when cleaning the mating surfaces. use acetone or other solvents also to remove any adhesives.

The other potential problem is warpage of the head due to overheating. There is a specific amount of allowable warpage to the head and this can be checked with straight edge and feeler gauge. If the heads are too warped they willl have to be machined to flatten them out. Its also a good idea to take the heads to a machine shop for cleaning of the valves and springs, inspected for warpage, and have them checked for cracks you cant detect with the naked eye. I checked my heads with a feeler gauge and they werent warped but when i dropped them off at the machine shop they milled them off anyway for $200.00. When I showed up they said they were too badly warped, since they were milled already and ready for assembly and had been checked at a machine shop i didnt argue. It cost me a total of $310.00 for the cleaning and the milling which wasnt bad. It definitely beats buying new ones.

The other potential problem is getting the distributor back into the engine correctly but there is a procedure for this and its not a problem if you mark everything before you take it out.

When disassembling the engine besure to correctly identify the bolts that come out. On my Blazer i had to remove approximately 135 individlual bolts. How do you know remember what goes where when youre putting everything back.? On smaller operations this is not a problem but for this type of operation its critical due to the number involved. My solution was to cut a square piece of thick cardboard about 1 foot by 1 foot. I then poked a little hole through the thick cardboard, and then stuck the bolt through the hole. the threads will hold them in place and you wont lose them. Its also great for storage and transport, nothing gets lost or misplaced. I also wrote on the cardboard where they came from as i took them out. (i.e. a/c compressor/ intake manifild, exhaust manifold etc. ) .

For the heads I made a seperate little diagram of the bolt locations on the cardboard and stuck them through exactly where they came out. For some parts i used a small plastic slip tie to attach a little piece of cardboard (2" x 3") describing where the individual part came from and what it was used for or any other information i would need to put it back right. I would also indicate what size socket or type of wrench was used so i wouldnt have to figure that out again later after i forgot.

In some cases I would take a slip tie and attach a particular nut right to the place or part where it came from so i wouldnt have to look for it later. The ties are pretty durable, wont break, and are easily cut. You can also attach nuts right to the cardboard where necessary if you cant attach them to the part.

Like you I also filled the radiator with water and created a large amount of emulsified oil in the bottom end of the engine. This is the problem i am having right now - How to remove the sludge. I removed the oil plug and let it drain out slowly but I know theres still a lot left in there because its so sticky.

There is no clear consensus on the best method or materials to use and it depends on who you talk to. I went to a local auto parts store where the clerk suggested "Just change the oil a bunch of times". Others have suggested using kerosene or diesel fuel to rinse down the inside of the engine with a hand held garden sprayer and simply perform repeated oil changes. Some people have suggested running mixtures of diesel, and/or transmission fluid and oil for brief periods and then changing the oil and filter. Yet others recommend you do not use diesel, transmission fluid, or kerosene because they will damage your gaskets and or seals. In some cases the individuals I spoke to recommeded taking the engine out completely for a recleaning of the interior. This is probably the best but unfortunately I live in a condo where youre not supposed to be working on your vehicle under any circumstances and I have no hoist to pull the engine out anyway.

You also have to be careful. One individual recommended I flush out the inside of the engine with engine degreaser and simply hose it out with water. So his solution was to introduce a large amount of engine degreaser and water to the inside of my engine. When I suggested this procedure to a local mechanic he was aghast and strongly recommended against it for obvious reasons and it makes you question the motives of the individual who recommended it.

I contacted a machine shop about it and they recommended cleaning the oil pan and having the engine flushed out. Thats a great idea but unfortunately on my model vehicle you are required to disconnect the engine from its mounts, take off the idler arm and pittman arm, take off the starter, and then jack up the engine three inches in order to get it out. Its rediculous. While removing the oil pan and cleaning it would be a good idea and allow greater acccess to the interior of the engine this presents its own unique problems.

If you dont have an engine hoist where do you jack the engine up? The fragile aluminum oil pan covers the entire bottom of the engine so theres no place to jack it up without putting the jack on the oil pan and potentially destroying it in the process.. Also the engine has to be jacked up for awhile. What kind of strain is this going to put on the rest of the drive train and the delicate seals where the engine and transmission meet. Will they also be jacked out of shape and start leaking.?

If I dont clear the oil pan and leave in a significant amount of sludge inside what are the ramifications for me and my engine.? Probably not good. Since this vehicle has 120K on it I probably will stop worrying about it and use a a shop vac to remove as much as i can off the top, then use compressed air to blow everythin

Stirgen

i also forgot to mention the wiring harnesses. When these are removed you may not know where they go when you go to reconnect them. For my tear down I numbered the location where it came from with a marker or something else then placed a piece of blue removable painters tape around the connector and marked it with the corresponding number. I also taped up the ends of the connections with blue tape. When you take apart the engine the sludge will be everywhere and the harnesses will invariably be whipped around in there to get them out of the way and you can get sludge or other garbage and grease on the contacts.

Also you may want to invest in a tap & die set to restore the threads and bolt holes and get a 12 volt, 1,000,000 candle power spot light you can connect to the battery for lighting.

GOOD LUCK