How do you replace a head gasket?

Question

How do you replace a head gasket?

Answer 1

Yep its a big job, your mechanic is charging you for mostly labor. Read up on it because its major surgery. Make sure you pay special attention to your valve timing and torque settings sequence on the head bolts.

If you got a friend that's has some experience, feed him some pizza and beer, that's the cheapest way! allow a weekend or two to do this.

Answer 2

Once the head is removed you will need a valve job and check for cracks in the head. Jeeps also have problems with exhaust manifold leaks and exhaust studs that strip and come out so you will also need to consider that. This is not like doing a brake job and I'd say if you don't know how to do a head gasket, don't think reading about it will make you a mechanic.

Answer 3

I hope you don't snap any cylinder head bolts!

take the cylinder head off very carefully - using an engine crane and lift it a little bit at each corner. it may take you as long as 1 hour to lift it off without damage.

slip off the gasket

apply a funny weird type of blue grease (i forget what its called) to your new gasket.

slip on the new gasket refit your cylinder head just as carefully as you fitted it.



P.S you may need to get yourself some equipment for adjusting the timing. make sure you do not turn the camshaft or crankshaft when you remove it or make a mark and top of one of the gears to help you relocate the cam.



I have never done this on a Cherokee but this is a generic way to go about it =D



sorry to say this but $1000 is cheap for such a task xD

Answer 4

It's a big job. You have to remove everything on top of the head, then the head itself. It's not for the novice.

Answer 5

drain the anti-freeze, take the plug wires off the plugs, take the valve pan off, take the exhaust manifold off the head and pull it back, take a breaker bar and socket and take the head bolts out and if the head is stuck take a rubber mallet and tap on it and lift it up. clean the block off really good and take the head to a machine shop to have it cleaned and shaved. that would be a good time to replace the valve seals. get yourself a good set of head gaskets. i like ( fel-pro gaskets myself because you don,t have to retorque the head ) put the gasket on the block, set the head down on, put the head bolts in and torque the bolts in sequence, put the push rods back in, take each rocker and put them on the low cam and torque the rocker nuts, put the valve pan back on, put the exhaust back on with a new gasket and tighten it down, change the oil and your good to go. i did several of them.

Answer 6

Best bet that you take it to an experienced mechanic as there are specific procedures to replacing the head, such as the order in which you remove the head bolts, and the pattern to tighten them up again, to a certain torque + a fraction of a turn, and if you need to release the bolts and retension, and also if you can use the old bolts or need new ones. Also if the head is slightly warped it will need skimming so its perfectly flat and thats best done by a professional. Also slight mistakes such as slightly moving the valves/camshaft with the head off can put the timing out and possibly bend the valves or worse when you start it back up.

Answer 7

with great difficulty.



you can always go to a car parts dealer/ car maintainace shop. they usually have the manual for changing the parts on all different makes and models of cars( you need to buy the book).

Answer 8

Go to the library or auto parts store and get a maintenance manual for that year. It will give a detailed description of how to do this.



Basically you have to remove the cylinder head to get to the gasket.

Answer 9

where you located i'm a mobile mechanic and would do it for 400

Answer 10

Joey: If you plan on keeping your jeep for a while, go to auto parts places like OReilly and buy yourself an auto repair manual for your Jeep. If they do'nt have one in stock, they can probabably get you one. A manual will save you big time in making all kinds of repairs on your vehicle. You can also search: Changing Jeep Cherokee Head Gasket on your PC and get lots of info. Before you start;however, have you considered alternatives such as Steel Seal. Often a product such as this can solve your problem. Starting cold turkey W/O instructions, keep track of everything you remove to give you working room to access removing the head. Take some digital photos,and even lable parts as where they go using masking tape. You would be surprised how long one may sit and wonder exactly where a part went and how it was positioned. Notes, masking tape,and the photos will save you lots of time on reassembly. . Study the engine and see what you need to remove:1. To give yourself working room.( this is where a manual is a real help) 2. Remove components needed to get to the head and keep track of. An auto parts store can tell you the gasket face preparations you shoud do before replacing the gasket.It's being sure the surface is clean, the right side of the gasket is placed face up, what,if any, grease or gasket compound you should put on the gasket. An all round material is automotive grease. You will need to properly torque th head bolts correctly, starting from center bolts out. Your must know the proper torque, say 200ft. lbs. meaning the amount of pull neeeded on the wrench 1 ft. from the nut. Borrow, buy, or rent a torque wrench if you lack one. TORQUING IS IMPORTANT.. Good Luck. You can do it.