donuts dodgy DIY head gasket change(takes 6 hours max!™):
1) Undo bottom radiator hose 2) Undo fuel rail and pull it out of the injection holes so you now have clear access to intake bolts 3) Undo intake manifold bolts 4) undo thermostat housing bolt and pull it away from the head 5) loosen power steering belt and undo the two front power steering pump bolts connecting to the cylinder head and rear nut and take power steering off side of head, then undo rear PS mount 6) undo exhaust manifold bolts and then careful lower exhaust and let it sit on the swaybar 7) mark spark plug lead numbers, then unplug them all and unclip the accelerator cable 8) remove rocker cover 9) remove middle bolt from timing chain tensioner bolt(on left hand side of motor just under power steering pump) 10) insert 3mm allen key into hole and get it to engage with the tensioner, then push in slightly and turn it clockwise until it clicks into the locked position, timing chain should now be loose 11) shove a large bolt with a rag wrapped around it inbetween the camshaft and headon the left hand side, then use a 17mm socket to undo the camgear bolt, then pull large bolt out, use cable tie to hold the chain onto the cam gear, then pull cam gear off the cam 12) use a SIX SIDED(no not your cheapo 12 sided super cheap socket!) 10mm socket and take the bolt holding the timing chain tensioner on the right hand side of the head 13) Using another SIX SIDED socket, undo the head bolts working from the outside bolts inwards. 14) remove bonnet water squirter hose from the water bottle, then undo bonnet struts and bonnet hinge nuts and get someone to help you remove the bonnet from the vehicle 15) connect the engine lifting brackets back up to the head in the original spot using the same bolts, then using a engine crane, lifting tackle or some other high weight lifting device lift the head off the block. You will hear it "pop" when it comes undone from each other. 16) While lifting, try and get the head gasket to stay together on either the block or head as this makes it easier to scrape off(tho if you bias it so it all sticks to the head you can make it the head recoditioners problem
). 17) Scrape any head gasket stuck on the block face using a lot of patience and a stanley blade. Then sand the surface in small circles with some fairly fine sandpaper till you have a nice shiney surface again. 18) Take head to engine rebuilders, get them to reco it for you, then do everything in reverse replacing the necessary gaskets! Woot!
PS. Make sure you tell the head recos to put the cam timing mark back to the spot you gave it to them! (found this one out the hard way)
Parts required:
Head Gasket - $40 to $80(get good quality one, I recommend ACL monotorque gaskets)
Head Bolts - $50 to $80(aftermarket ones are cheaper, but I use Fords)
Thermostat housing gasket - $4
Good quality coolant + distilled water - $40 (I use Nulon Concentrate, but they are all about the same. Don't buy that watered down shit, buy 100% pure coolant and make your own 50/50 mix)
Fine grit sandpaper - $1
And if your rocker cover gasket is cork, or it's rubber and sad looking, a new rubber gasket with 2 end half moons - $40
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