After putting it off, my car will not start anymore and I need to chnge the head gasket.

You dont even need to take it off - just lift the head a few inches,that plastic shield will bend okay and allow it to tilt far enough for you to remove the gasket,give the surfaces a clean,fit new gasket and drop head back down

probably a good idea to take it off and get it checked/skimmed if its been put off for a while as it may need skimming

if you do need the head skimming you can leave the valves in.

Are you sure? What about these two valves??

if you do need the head skimming you can leave the valves in.

Are you sure? What about these two valves??

if they will skim the head with the valves in... I'm sure someone will tell me I'm right or wrong,... take the cam out and the tappets... all valves will then be closed properly ??

if they will skim the head with the valves in... I'm sure someone will tell me I'm right or wrong,... take the cam out and the tappets... all valves will then be closed properly ??

Er, yeah, duh ha ha

oh well, you live and learn. Saw an engineer today who told me that. He also said I need to expel the oil from the hydraulic tappets before I put them back in, by squashing them in a vice with something inside them to squeeze them out. Haynes tells me to store them upright so the oil DOESN'T come out. What do reckon?

i wasnt saying i didnt know if the valves would all shut

i meant someone would probably have a smart reason why taking cam off and tappets isnt a good idea

yeh i say keep the oil in them until putting it back together

then clean them, lube in fresh oil, refit.... or whatever the manual says

if you take the tappets out to have the head skimmed, make sure the tappets stay in the correct order so they go back in the same holes

if you take the tappets out to have the head skimmed, make sure the tappets stay in the correct order so they go back in the same holes

yehp!!! do everything as the book / bible says!

i wasnt saying i didnt know if the valves would all shut

i meant someone would probably have a smart reason why taking cam off and tappets isnt a good idea

Oh, I was directing

"Er, yeah, duh ha ha"

at myself!!!!! No offence!

Edited 22 June, 200719 yr by Chuck Yoghurt