Need help with head gaskets!

Sampo

Registered User
I have a ´90 Sc.(110tmls!) I have planned to change the head gaskets. Should I do/change something else at the same time I´ll do those gaskets?! And what are the best head gaskets nowadays? Fel-Pro? The part number? Please, help me! :confused:
By the way... What is the best way to find out if I have troubles with the head gaskets? Thanks....

A guy from Finland (sorry my bad english!) :eek:
 
Sampo said:
I have a ´90 Sc.(110tmls!) I have planned to change the head gaskets. Should I do/change something else at the same time I´ll do those gaskets?! And what are the best head gaskets nowadays? Fel-Pro? The part number? Please, help me! :confused:
By the way... What is the best way to find out if I have troubles with the head gaskets? Thanks....

A guy from Finland (sorry my bad english!) :eek:
i used fel-pro #HS 9642 PT head set
you will need new head bolts # ES 72130
I'm a redneck from Kansas, and my English isn't much better. lol
 
Sampo said:
I have a ´90 Sc.(110tmls!) I have planned to change the head gaskets. Should I do/change something else at the same time I´ll do those gaskets?! And what are the best head gaskets nowadays? Fel-Pro? The part number? Please, help me! :confused:
By the way... What is the best way to find out if I have troubles with the head gaskets? Thanks....

A guy from Finland (sorry my bad english!) :eek:
I just finished changing mine out last month. Probably took me 50+ hours combined total to remove parts, clean parts, reinstall parts, and fix the things that were overlooked.. Don't underestimate the time needed for cleaning. I spent at least 2 of the days doing nothing but cleaning engine brackets, heads, pistons, chasing out thread holes & bolts, etc. Oh, and in a instance of "Might as well do it while I have them off", I repainted the valve covers :rolleyes: But I didn't snap or round off any bolts or gouge any threads. For the head bolts, get the proper tools for it. You really need a 1/2" drive breaker bar, deep and shallow 15mm 6 sided sockets, 2" long 1/2" extension, cheater bar (2' length of pipe which will fit over the breaker bar to give you additional leverage), and torque wrench. Everything else can be done with normal tools except for the power steering pump pulley which requires a puller tool.
If your HGs are blown, you'll usually see a lot of white smoke out the exhaust and the engine will run poorly.
 
Sampo said:
I have a ´90 Sc....I have planned to change the head gaskets. Should I do/change something else at the same time I´ll do those gaskets?!..... What is the best way to find out if I have troubles with the head gaskets?
I'll second what TBirdSCFan said about those 1/2" drive sockets and such. Those head bolts were a bear to break free. I needed to goto Sears and get a few off size extensions in 1/2" too.

As far as HG's go, I like the Fel Pro gasket set I got from SCP and new head bolts. It had everything you need except for the fuel rail side of the injector O-rings (If you take the injectors off the rail you should get an extra set otherwise the set in the kit is for the manifold side) and the intercooler gaskets were also not included, which I just got a new set from TBird88. The ARP bolts seemed a little pricey for someone who aint going to be drag racing and tearing the engine down once per year, so I went with the Ford bolts.

While you have the accesory brackets off, it's a great time to do the motor mounts. It will only add about 1 hour of work while everything is off, but will take like 10 hours later down the road. Also a good time for plugs and wires. And if your ABS Pressure Switch is leaking now is a great time to be able to reach into that area as well.
 
I'd recommend taking a good look at the motor mounts while you are in there. They are a commonly failed part and take a half hour or less to change when the heads are off. Water pump would be a good thing to do as well. Otherwise either are an all day job. Also might consider changing O2 sensors. On a recent repair session, What started to be a water pump swap ended up being mounts head haskets, general clean up and the water pump. It might seem a bit extreme taking off gaskets that were giving no trouble, but having owned 4 of these cars and reading the board frequently, I knew it was a problem area. The first one looked fine when it came off, but the second was probably only a couple thousand miles from failure. The metal fire ring was distorted and hanging into the cylinder.
 
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