Head Gasket on Service/timing belt change

[Diesel Turbo]

Hi guys I am about to do a Timing belt change as now at 80,000km and water pump hasnt been changed before.
How hard would it be, or how much more do I have to do to continue to take head off and put a new head gasket on to help prevent future problems?
I have a MK II P.F
Many thanks for help

[teknik]

Hello there im only a newbee but i had to change my head the other month and once i got to the water pump there wasnt much more init to do the gasket ....but if it aint broke dont fix it but saying that
if it went 10mile down the road ya kick ya self




my ten pence worth

Just need new bolts gasket ...i just spent about an hour polishing the block with wd40 and wet and dry


never done any thing like that now.done 2000 miles with no problems ....

[TonyN]

I'd say it was quite a bit more work, timing belt is only half way really

H/G's arn't really the issue, the issue is a weak head that dosn't like getting hot. I wouldn't put an original spec head through the stress of taking it off and on again TBH unless you actually have a problem with it.

Test it and if its fine then just enjoy the truck, wait till it goes and fit the better one, till then save you money and time.

[blackpoolsparks]

Wait till it goes and fit the better one, till then save you money and time.

You make it sound like an inevitability.

[TonyN]

You make it sound like an inevitability.

hmmm.......

[Diesel Turbo]

Worth the hassle?

Assuming it is half way would it not be best to continue?
How much pressure should there be in the system? It doesnt over heat although only done a 40 mile run but thought the top pipe felt quite hard, I changed the thermostat and flushed the system with grade Summer coolant/ antifreeze. Just dont know if the engine is ment to have high pressure or its on it way out

[TonyN]

The cap opens at 0.9 bar, if it not filling the expansion tank up to overflowing then its generally ok.

Getting a 'sniffer' test done to detect exhaust gases in the coolant is probably the best test.

What I ment is changing the gasket won't 'fix' the head problem, and the gaskets don't often fail. 9 times out of 10 the head head fails after the truck overheats due to leaks or inefficiancy somewhere else in the cooling system.

Check coolant level before any long trip, and weekly, keep rad clean and keep your figners crossed its not already gone and been filled with rad seal.

An aftermarket temp gauge is good, as the Toy one dosn't react very quickly to sudden changes in temp, and a ATF cooler also takes a lot extra heat generated by the in rad ATF cooler out of the engine cooling system.

[Diesel Turbo]

thanks

cheers once again, I think I will not do the head gasket then as not going into expansion bottle, I do have the pinhole in top of rad that is common I hear, may track down A brazer as I wont weld that! If I don't change it.
0.9 bar is 14.5lb of pressure I think so I guess its normal,
cheers

[slobodan]

cheers once again, I think I will not do the head gasket then as not going into expansion bottle, I do have the pinhole in top of rad that is common I hear, may track down A brazer as I wont weld that! If I don't change it.
0.9 bar is nearly 100lb of pressure I think so I guess its normal,
cheers

More like 13 psi. just solder the pinhole.

[Diesel Turbo]

Torque down

The cap opens at 0.9 bar, if it not filling the expansion tank up to overflowing then its generally ok.

Getting a 'sniffer' test done to detect exhaust gases in the coolant is probably the best test.

What I ment is changing the gasket won't 'fix' the head problem, and the gaskets don't often fail. 9 times out of 10 the head head fails after the truck overheats due to leaks or inefficiancy somewhere else in the cooling system.

Check coolant level before any long trip, and weekly, keep rad clean and keep your figners crossed its not already gone and been filled with rad seal.

An aftermarket temp gauge is good, as the Toy one dosn't react very quickly to sudden changes in temp, and a ATF cooler also takes a lot extra heat generated by the in rad ATF cooler out of the engine cooling system.

I spoke to my mechanic who confirmed what you said Tony but did say that If it was his he would re-torque the head bolts as probably not original gasket after 21 years and not every one brings them up to temperature leaves to cool then re-torques to do the job right, so I think I will follow that as he does know he stuff.....so it seems! so Torque setting for head gasket bolts :-) ok ok looking at old threads lol

[Albannach]

I spoke to my mechanic who confirmed what you said Tony but did say that If it was his he would re-torque the head bolts as probably not original gasket after 21 years and not every one brings them up to temperature leaves to cool then re-torques to do the job right, so I think I will follow that as he does know he stuff.....so it seems! so Torque setting for head gasket bolts :-) ok ok looking at old threads lol

Don't touch the bolts. They are not torqued they're stretched.

[Albannach]

I spoke to my mechanic who confirmed what you said Tony

Well done Tony

[Diesel Turbo]

head bolt - stretch bolts

http://toyotasurf.asn.au/forum/viewt...ghlight=torque

Albannach: even head stretch bolts have to torqued down

[slobodan]

http://toyotasurf.asn.au/forum/viewt...ghlight=torque

Albannach: even head stretch bolts have to torqued down

Go ahead and do it, let us know how you get on.

If your mechanic is so wise, why do you come on here asking?

[Diesel Turbo]

Omg

Go ahead and do it, let us know how you get on.

If your mechanic is so wise, why do you come on here asking?

I like to do the Jobs myself, I use all sorces of information open to me, I don't come on here to show sexist tiit swinging gifs or use KKK racist humor!
don't bother to reply i'm not interested!