Changing my head gasket, me asking for your help while doing this

jonahs_supra

Active Member
May 17, 2011
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Lancaster, Ohio, United States
Doat;1851338 said:
this downpipe is pissing me off I can't get the other 2 nuts for the O2 sensor housing, I can get a wrench in there but it's just stuck even though I have sprayed it many times with PB blaster and other types of sprays

get a propane torch
heat up the nut(the pb blaster may catch fire...but it wont be a huge fire :))
then try to remove it

are you removing the o2 housing from the turbo or are you underneath the vehicle trying to unbolt the downpipe from the o2 housing?
 

Doat

Active Member
Feb 6, 2012
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Houston, TX
trying to remove the housing from the turbo so i can pull the turbo out. would a butane lighter work? It's like a mini torch lol.
 

Cyrus

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Apr 21, 2008
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Bay Area, CA
when you say "o2 sensor housing" are you talking about the turbo elbow? it has four nuts mounting it to the turbine housing, and it is basically a 90 degree cast pipe w/ a 4 bolt flange on one side and 3 stud flange on the other?

if so, you should leave that on the turbo and instead, just remove the 3 nuts on the underside that attach that elbow to the downpipe. take the downpipe out from under the car, and then you can remove the turbo with the elbow still attached.
 

Doat

Active Member
Feb 6, 2012
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Houston, TX
Well I finally got those off and disconnected various sensors and such, fuel rail, EGR valve, going to replace every vacuum line I come across. I did want to get to removing the head today but stuck nuts and problem solving prevented that lol. The oil is definitely mixed with coolant and/or water it made me want to get some chocolate milk or oooohhh a chocolate milkshake man that sounds delicious right now. I took off the oil filter, which I will need to get a relocation kit who the hell thought that was a good place for an oil filter? seriously, that person should be fired or burned alive, anyways I poured some of it into an empty water bottle and will take pics tomorrow. Tomorrow I am going for head removal again and I think it will be possible.
 

Typhoon

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Jun 30, 2007
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Why take the exhaust system apart? Just disconnect the block to exhaust brace, remove coolant lines and pry it away far enough from the head to allow head removal.
 

Doat

Active Member
Feb 6, 2012
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Houston, TX
I am trying to take off the turbo but if I remove the 90 degree flange or O2 housing I will have better access to removing the turbo and exhaust manifold.
 

Doat

Active Member
Feb 6, 2012
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Houston, TX
I finally got the turbo and exhaust manifold off tonight and tomorrow I tackle the rest of the intake manifold and then it's time to work on the head. I did notice there is some oil on the last 2 holes of the exhaust where cylinder 5 and 6 are as well as for the spark plug wires there was a little bit of oil on the end of 5 and 6 plugs. I will post up pics of what I am talking about tomorrow.
 

Doat

Active Member
Feb 6, 2012
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Houston, TX
My stopping point for today and it is at TDC. The head screws are covered and filled in with oil I need to get some shop towels and clear them out.
181158_3303470827790_1677833715_n.jpg
 

Doat

Active Member
Feb 6, 2012
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Houston, TX
Tonight I tried cleaning out the head bolts as much as I could, soaking up the oil and scraping out sludge and when I got to the fifth bolt according to the sequence it started stripping and it's a bit rounded now. What do you guys recommend I should do to remove it?
 

Doat

Active Member
Feb 6, 2012
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Houston, TX
I don't have anything on hand that will remove them, so you guys suggest I get an extractor? Can you post a link to which ones I need?