Well Hello There Fellow Technicians And Hivers!
I dug up this folder that I've been meaning to share for quite some time now, I actually did this job way back in last year. Now this is something very different from what I always share, well it's still vehicle related but it's something that I myself wished I had more experience with.
Since I am a transmission technicians most of the work I do are obviously centered around transmissions and differentials, mostly drive train related with odd jobs in between such as small services and suspension and brake jobs. I rarely get to work on anything motor related or the internals of the motors, we usually source those out.
That day my grandfather phoned me telling me I need to come help him, I might enjoy learning something new. And as always I do!
By the time I got their my old man has already started tearing away at the parts.
I have to add, this was one nasty job, but working on diesel motors always tend to be a nasty greasy experience.
Laughs, one would think for someone in the motor repair trade that I wont really have a big problem with oil, well I do. I absolutely hate oil, must be because when removing valve-bodies that oil drips down into your arm pits. But it is what it is!
What we have to do on this job is to replace the head gasket, it started leaking out oil. Gladly nothing got damaged at all. Well it would have been a whole different story if the water started mixing with the oil hey!
Well the tapid cover is removed and boy oh boy, this vehicle doesn't just need a top gasket replacement it needs a whole lot of love! Unfortunately and luckily this is not my vehicle. So no need to worry too much about that!
As I said earlier this is going to be a nasty dirty job 🤣 and by the time I'm done I'll be clad in black!
_
There's a whole lot of stuff that needs removal before we can actually remove the head, firstly we will need to remove the cam-shaft with all of the rockers. Fortunately there's not a whole lot of bolts holding it down.
While I was busy unbolting the cam-shaft the old pops told me of how I'm going to struggle to get in back into place with all of the rockers falling around loosely!
Well challenge accepted I'd say!
Heads assemblies usually has quite a few bolts that hold it in place and thick ones at that too, remember a internal combustion engine are basically machines that have controlled explosions inside them... It wont do if the head blasts of mid ride right!
The tricky part is finding all of the bolts in the oil, you think you've got them all but there are so many hidden ones, like the one in the picture. You can see it but you can't really see it hey.
If I wasn't any wiser I would never have thought of removing the bolts on the outside of the head. Thanks to my old man who guided me a little, as I said I've never really done this sort of thing.
Who would have known right!
This proves to show that they are some thick bolts and even longer than I thought they would be!
What I don't really get is that they are always cap screw bolts, why? Does anyone out there know the answer to this or is it just what it is? Can you imagine if you strip that allen key head? How would you ever be able to remove those bolts?
Oh look I'm starting to get dirty! Laughs why is diesel oil always as black as black can be?
With the cam removed and all of the head-bolts this one can pop right off!
The problem is that we don't really know where to go with the oil in the head... We gathered some buckets underneath the motor but it would only help so much, there is always a spill with oils no matter how hard you try!
It's very clear to me that this vehicle was driven with only water as a coolant and no anti-freeze was added at all for a long time. Notice the rust spots on the gasket? Well water tends to eat away at everything it touches and adding anti-freeze which has some sort of oilyness in it really helps with the longevity of parts in the motor especially the water pumps and so forth.
Back to the head gasket! Nasty work this hey! It's completely buggered up and to think it doesn't really move as a part it's static meaning it just sits there. How can something that just sits there pressed between two pieces end up looking so bad?
Not going to lie, it took me quite sometime to scrape the damn thing off from the engine block, I suppose we can keep this in the shed for whenever we need spare parts? I'm sure if we panel beat it nicely it would still be able to work hey? 😂
Blegh!
Now before we can just plop up the new gasket all that gunk has to be cleaned off nicely, it's going to be a mission getting it all off, but I've got the whole of the day left so might as well hit it. There really isn't any point to adding the new gasket if that shit is still on it.
The head needs to fit flushy against the block, no more no less and it has to be done right, otherwise I might be doing this again very quickly!
After cleaning the head I can now fit the new gasket in place, and before I close it all up I triple check things, not much to check on this one but it always feels like I'm forgetting something. 🤣 Especially with jobs that I have no prior experience with such as replacing head gaskets.
It's easier than it looks to be honest.
Before I fitted the head back into place I did my best to get it clean or well cleaner than it was when I took it off, cleaning it wont really make it perform better or last longer it's just the thought of it. Once I crank this baby up that dirty mucky oil is going to be all over the head once again dirtying it up.
But as I said it's the thought that counts...
It certainly looks a hell of a lot better though doesn't i?
As always, head bolts need to be torqued according to specs. Failure to torque them right might cause some big problems forward.... Being a technician isn't always about just tightening the bolts, it does require some sort of experience and intuitive thinking behind it as well.
I take my job for instance, transmission repairs it's just something that no one want to do... We constantly get people looking for jobs and then when they start they leave because the work is too hard and even more complicated than they thought.
That's one thing I love about my job is that it's really something out of the ordinary and not something everyone can easily do.
Dated 30/05/2023
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