Head gasket - first big project

[2manykids4a7]

Good morning everyone.

I have been on the board a while and appreciated the input from everybody on some smaller projects, and I now find myself getting ready to tackle something larger. Up until now I have had a local mechanic/friend do most of the work on my 1975 Series III, and he was getting ready to do some more when he got called out of town for 4-6 weeks (family stuff). My schedule is usually pretty busy but I should have some free time over the next few weeks so I thought it was a good time for me to step up and see what I can do, rather than just let the rover sit. Before he left he had done a compression test and was getting no pressure in 2 cylinders so was getting ready to pull the head, hoping the problem was just the gasket and nothing more. So now I am going to try it.

I have never done anything as involved as this before. I don't know what I am doing but I feel that I follow instructions well and from what I have been told this is not a hard job (although everyone who has said that is someone I would consider more mechanically minded than me!). So I am excited to give it a go. I have a green bible and a Haynes restoration manual to guide me. I searched the forum and found little bits here and there but didn't find a write up by a newbie starting from scratch, so I thought I would document my experience here and take whatever advice people have to offer.

I had the rover bought back to my garage this morning and had just taken the bonnet off (step 1 from the green bible) when I got called in to help with homework etc. Don't know if I will get back out today.

Although I haven't done anything yet, I would be glad to hear from anyone if there are things I should be thinking of right now.

Thanks, Steve..

[SafeAirOne]

Everyone is correct--It's not THAT big a job, though it is tedious. You can expect your Rover to resist your efforts with stuff that doesn't want to come apart.

If you follow the workshop manual closely, you can't go wrong.

Some things make the job easier. Lots of folks will disagree, but I personally like to have the radiator support panel and wings out of the way, but then again, I've taken them on and off so many times, I can do it in my sleep. This is not required to pull the head.

One thing I STRONGLY recommend is to go to Wal-Mart and get a box of store-brand Zip-Loc FREEZER BAGS and a sharpie. Put EVERYTHING in the bags and LABEL THEM!! This will make life so much simpler for you or your mechanic when it comes time to reassemble.

Good luck--you'll be fine.

[2manykids4a7]

Mark,

Thanks. I will definitely make sure to store and label all the parts at each step. I also plan on taking lots of pictures as I go so that I can also keep track of what things looked like before I started taking them apart.

I'm guessing that the removal of the wings and radiator support is to give you better access to everything, right? Assuming that is the case I think I may start out with them still attached (the less stuff I touch the less stuff I can mess up!) but if during the process I find out that I am having problems I may see what it takes to remove them (aren't there a lot of little things attached to them that would have to be disconnected?).

Thanks again, Steve..

[LaneRover]

I concur with bag and label everything. I also find it VERY helpful to take pictures along the way.

I know that this next comment reeks of 'shipfitters disease' but there is a fair amount of room/access when you take the head off. I took advantage of the extra access to tighten up some hard to reach bolts neatened up some wiring etc . . .

[rwollschlager]

removing the LH wing (closest to the manifolds) will make it easier to reach all of the bolts holding on the manifolds.
If you choose to leave the radiator on the rover for this repair I highly recommend putting a thick piece of card board in front of it so it is not dented by turning wrenches and what not. Last winter I replaced my head gasket and there was no worse feeling than turning the engine on for the first time in weeks only to see the radiator spewing coolant from where I carelessly nicked it with a wrench.
Go slow, take your time, buy a nice set of feeler gauges for the tappets and a torque wrench, read the green bible, and you'll be fine.

-Rob

[SafeAirOne]

...if during the process I find out that I am having problems I may see what it takes to remove them (aren't there a lot of little things attached to them that would have to be disconnected?).

Yeah, there are. The real nuissance is the wiring. Not hard, just the least-fun part. Aslo, a first-time removal or the wings and rad support is a lot more time consuming than subsequent removals because of all the stuck fasteners.

I replaced all the hardware with stainless steel 1/4-20 (coarse) fasteners that come on an off very easily.

Sad to say, but I've had my wing and rad support off enough that I've worked my removal time down to around a half an hour, and the installation to about 45 minutes (not counting re-wiring).

Again, a head can be removed without any need to pull the wings and rad support. Rob had some good advise about covering the engine-side of the radiator matrix with cardboard.

I'm not sure about the 2.25, but I was able to pull the head with the intake and exhaust manifolds still firmly attached on my 2.5.

[2manykids4a7]

Thanks to everyone for the encouragement and the advice.

Since this whole thing is a learning process for me I guess that it wouldn't hurt to see how to take off a wing, and removal of the radiator to avoid damaging it seems like a good idea too. So although it may be overkill that seems like a good route for me to go. The added bonus of seeing more of what is going on and generally getting to know the vehicle better seems to be worth the time.

I will add feeler gauges to my list, I knew I would need a torque wrench I don't have one and if funds aren't there to buy one I think that is one of the parts that the local autozone "rents".

I took a few quick photos of everything in it's present state. Click the following to go to the webshots album.

[LaneRover]

Definitely take off the wing, the radiator is your choice. If you take off the radiator you will most likely need to take off both wings.

Learning about your truck is one of the best things you can do.

[badvibes]

2many-

I just did this myself in the past couple of months. No compression in #2, turned out to be a burned, I mean scorched valve. The head was a total and could not be rebuilt, multiple cracks thru the casting. Things that worked for me.....

Pulled the head with the manifolds still attached. Didn't have to remove wings or rad support.

Collect all your new gaskets, hoses, thermostat, and studs and nuts and bolts. I changed everything out hardware-wise basically. Local fastener places were able to fix me up for that. I found it easier to remove and re-install the manifolds on a bench than on the block.

Good buddy of mine was great help in reassembling it all. It' s very convenient to have someone turning wrenches while another LR nut reads specs out of the Green Bible.

I purchased a NOS later head to replace my early dead-head. Some of the bits are metric on the later head. That was a hold up for me as I had to source a banjo bolt for the oil pipe, a hose bib for the heater hose in the head, and a piece to replace the adapter for the temp sending probe in the thermostat housing. The electical sending unit from a 200tdi was the solution for that piece. I now need to switch to an electrical temp gauge from the original mechanical gauge. Hopefully your head is OK and you don't have to spend the $ and deal with the problems I encountered.

All in all it's pretty straight forward as the previous posters have noted. It's those unforseen related problems that come up that make it a little more involved.

Jeff

[bmohan55]

Follow the "Bible" and you'll be fine (couldn't that advice apply to just about anythng?).

You will need help putting the head back on and recommend you use dowels to center the head as you set it back down on the block so no shifting occurs. If the headgasket looks good then need to chase down where you were losing compression, do a leak test on your valves. My problem was leaky valves AND a torn headgasket.

[2manykids4a7]

So I had a few minutes this afternoon and thought I would just start detaching items from the wing. I hate to admit it but I got stuck on the first thing! Actually I may not be stuck but at a minimum I didn't finish. Thought I'd start with something easy and disconnect the electrics from the lights. After cleaning off a load of mud this is what I found (I took off the lens and pulled it through to make the picture easy to take). So do I trace the wire back to find a disconnect or should this come apart somehow.

Steve..

[bkreutz]

There will be "bullet" connectors farther back up the harness, in the case of that particular light I think it's next to the radiator. Be careful with the connectors, they are usually corroded together, put some PB Blaster (or similar) and twist to loosen up before trying to pull them apart.

[2manykids4a7]

Thanks Gale. After cleaning off all the crud I saw the screw fitting and thought I had it but after unscrewing it and finding the rubber bung I realised I needed to look elsewhere. A cursory look at the lamp end made me think it should be left alone and tracing the wire back was the next step. Knowing what I am looking for is helpful.

Edit: I guess I should stop assuming (we all know what that does) and read my bible more! Section 86.40.42 and step 4 reads, "Thou shalt disconnect the lamp leads at the snap connectors in the engine compartment". Lesson learned.

[SafeAirOne]

Not sure about military rovers, but on normal ones, all the wiring connections for both wings and the ground for all the front lights is right behind the grille, in front of the radiator, up where the hood latch is on normal rovers.

Grenreally, behind the grille, you separate all the wires by side (left and right) then you feed them out the holes in the radiator support panel so that they dangle from both inner wings.

[JimCT]

complicated?

I have done a head gasket with the help of and air ratchet and one mechanic friend and a case of beer, 2 hours start to finish. If you are just doing the head gasket leave the manifolds on, you won't have to mess with a fender. Three nuts on the exhaust and you are free.