Who here has changed their HG themselves?

[Caplax40]

I'm getting quotes of over $1500 to have the head machined, the head gasket replaced, and the timing belt changed. So, I've looked at another option: replacing the head gasket myself. Who on here has done that and what success have you had? I don't know if it's worth the risk just to save a thousand bucks.

The head gasket has never blown on my Turbo and I'd be using an OEM gasket along with ARP bolts.

Any thoughts?

 

[Suprapowaz!(2)]

Do you have any mods, or run alot of boost? Do you plan on doing so?

 

[Nick M]

I have done two Supras, the same car twice. And more 4Runners than I can count.

I had one comeback, my own Supra. It wasn't the headgasket, but I leaned out the motor in a quest for more power. It burned between cylinders 3 and 4.

 

[americanjebus]

I did it bymyself at the age of 16 without any real mechanical knowledge before i knew how to change oil.

take your time and organize your stuff and ask questions as you go allong im sure if you search you will find a pleothora of HG threads on here. just search 'bhg'

you can definatly do it.

unless your going to be pushing hp in the upper 300's oem is fine but use arp's.

 

[mkiiSupraMan18]

^ yeah, it's not very hard at all if you have any mechanical knoweledge.

"to save a thousand bucks"... I'd try it myself and spend $50 or so for an OEM to try myself before I paid someone that kind of money to do it for me.

 

[Caplax40]

Do you have any mods, or run alot of boost? Do you plan on doing so?

The only mods I have on the car right now are an Apexi intake, BIC DP, TMS high flow cat, and a Tanabe cat back. Up next for power modification is a new intercooler pipe kit.

My goals for the car are to reach just under the factory turbo, say the 325hp range. I have an auto transmission which is another limiting factor. So I'm thinking 325hp.

OEM head gasket and ARP bolts torqued to say, 85ft-lb's should be sufficient for these goals right?

 

[Doward]

I believe 81 ft/lbs with their moly lube is ARP's recommendation

I've changed my own head gasket as well. I took my time, and did it over a weekend. Just yanked the radiator/fan shroud in about 15 minutes - the radiator's leaking where the upper plastic tank is fitted and crimped to the aluminum core :3d_frown:

 

[e90suprat]

For around $500 you can get a rebuilt head and swap it out for your old one. I did that on mine and it went very smoothly.

 

[Topher E]

done it, took me a while but I basically got a new top end during the process.

 

[mkiiSupraMan18]

^ You should be able to have youre machine shop go through your head for $200-300 more depending on what you want done over the normal stuff

 

[isnms]

ARP Bolts with Aluminum Head = 75 ft/lb. Do in four incremental passes per TSRM sequence.

 

[JimR]

I have, it took a couple days but I would definately do it myself again if I had to. You can spend the extra time cleaning and replacing things that someone doing it for money just won't bother to.

You'll want an "engine overhaul gasket set" which runs to about $300 or so, and you're set.

 

[Shytheed Dumas]

My first thread read just about the same. I'd done a little more than oil changes before my hg, and got a couple of friends with about the same experience to help out. 12 hours to tear apart one Saturday, two weeks of cleaning while the head was at the machine shop and another 12 hours for the three of us to reassemble. A little extra help from a friendly neighbor mechanic and I was happy as could be with an extra $1,000 in my pocket. Follow the tsrm, take good notes and pics, and label every hose/wire/etc with masking tape and a sharpie. Not a bad job, and damn satisfying when it's done.

 

[miggles]

its not that hard to do, just make sure you tool up before you tackle it.
Hire a engine hoist is also a great idea, unless you like to get sore backs.

 

[IJ.]

I have

 

[miggles]

bastard.............




:biglaugh:
you tooled up and more Ian. Probably enough to share around with the people on the forums.

 

[Joel W.]

Me to... 46k miles of raised boost on an OEM gasket. No worries here.

 

[thesandymancan]

i'm currently doing mine for the first time. it's not that hard if you have pasiants... which i don't.

take your time, breath, don't through shit and make it a learning experiance.

p.s: should i rebuild the head myself or have the shop do it?

 

[supra90turbo]

it's not that hard if you have pasiants...

lol, patience

I've replaced a HG. Tis' but a simple task.

 

[lagged]

ive done it.