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Anyone in SD able to help change a head gasket?

:dunno: i think he is hoping he can just swap out the gasket . Happy thoughts. He could do the poor mans deck check with a straight edge and a feeler gauge.
 
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your jeep, do what you want... but that is a lot of time to waste and not be sure. Doesn't make much sense to me to just replace it and bolt it back together. :dunno:

good luck!

For gods sake at least change the oil before you start it, lol. Don't want that fouled oil circulating in the engine.
 
X3 for taking it to a machine shop. I got mine with a blown head gasket. I had no idea what i was doing but i just researched and dove in. I was getting quoted 1000 plus $ for the job. Screw that. Labeled everything i took off, took it to a machine shop (i think its called "magnaflux" where they check for cracks....and they checked for a flat edge. Very inexpensive if you take the head to them removed), and slapped it back in. haven't had a prob since. Just be aware of the torque sequence when installing. Good luck
 
Haven't checked the thread since yesterday afternoon. I was considering just checking it w/ the straight edge but I'm gonna do it the right way. I was reading through a bunch of threads and realized that i could really screw myself by not doing it the right way the first time. I'm gonna start pulling the head this afternoon, and hopefully by the time Homebrew comes by it wil just be a matter of lifting it out since I don't think I'll be able to be myself. I plan to take it to a machine shop tomorrow to get it checked out and go from there. It's too expensive of a job to not do it right so I'm real reluctant to just swap gaskets at this point.
 
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01_XJ said:
Haven't checked the thread since yesterday afternoon. I was considering just checking it w/ the straight edge but I'm gonna do it the right way. I was reading through a bunch of threads and realized that i could really screw myself by not doing it the right way the first time. I'm gonna start pulling the head this afternoon, and hopefully by the time Homebrew comes by it wil just be a matter of lifting it out since I don't think I'll be able to be myself. I plan to take it to a machine shop tomorrow to get it checked out and go from there. It's too expensive of a job to not do it right so I'm real reluctant to just swap gaskets at this point.
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Its not that expensive to get it checked and machined if it's warped. It will save you A LOT of work if they find out its bad. While the head is off, you should also put new valve seals on and lap the valves. It wont take long and the head will be as good as new.
 
01_XJ said:
I'm gonna start pulling the head this afternoon, and hopefully by the time Homebrew comes by it wil just be a matter of lifting it out since I don't think I'll be able to be myself.
Click to expand...

Let me know if you need a hand. I'd be more than happy to help.
 
xjclassic2000 said:
Its not that expensive to get it checked and machined if it's warped. It will save you A LOT of work if they find out its bad. While the head is off, you should also put new valve seals on and lap the valves. It wont take long and the head will be as good as new.
Click to expand...
Yea I plan to have anything that needs to be done to it done while it's out. Seeing as it's an 0331 head and I overheated it a few times pretty bad, I'm kindof preparing for news that it's cracked, but even if that's the case then getting a new head won't be such a bad thing since I don't plan on getting rid of the xj for a long time.

CaliXJ said:
Let me know if you need a hand. I'd be more than happy to help.
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Thanks. I might need a bit of help getting it back together, so I'll let you know if I need a hand.
 
If you get the word that its cracked come back to NAXJA and we'll help you find one :D

pulling one from the junkyard from another year XJ without that casting number, and getting it checked over again at the machine shop will likely still be cheaper than them getting you a new one. unless they tell you its 60$ or something for a reconditioned one with a guarantee or something :D

good luck!
 
GrimmJeeper said:
If you get the word that its cracked come back to NAXJA and we'll help you find one :D

pulling one from the junkyard from another year XJ without that casting number, and getting it checked over again at the machine shop will likely still be cheaper than them getting you a new one. unless they tell you its 60$ or something for a reconditioned one with a guarantee or something :D

good luck!
Click to expand...

Thanks. Paul (homebrew) came over and helped me out today getting all the stuff off to get down to unbolting the head, but unfortunately the Craftsman 13mm deep socket that I bought gets too narrow on the inside to fit over the studs on the right side of the head. The one I got was the 1/2" drive, not sure if going down to a 3/8" drive might be better, or if I need to find a Snapon or other brand socket. Where did you find the socket that worked for you, Grimm?
 
Looks like I might be back in business this evening sometime. I looked up Snapon local to me on Google and found a guy that sells it and lives right near me. $29 for the socket, but I guess it's worth it to get the job done. He's gonna call me around 6 tonight, so I might have enough time to get the head off and have it ready to go to the machine shop in the morning.
 
we used one from sears, i dont think it was a craftsman though. if they sell a cheapie one thats what we bought lol. too narrow on the inside? going down to a 3/8s drive wouldnt help that, most likely it would be smaller than the 1/2". :dunno:
 
xjclassic2000 said:
Its not that expensive to get it checked and machined if it's warped. It will save you A LOT of work if they find out its bad. While the head is off, you should also put new valve seals on and lap the valves. It wont take long and the head will be as good as new.
Click to expand...
When I did me head I lapped the valves myself and man what a PITA! If I were doing a head again I would pay the money to have a valve job done. Lapping the valves made a huge difference in mine.
 
Haven't had a chance to read the whole thread, but I can build a head core for you on a exchange bases.
I'm leaving for a race in the morning and will return Monday.

Mike Finch lives and works in San Diego. He makes trips out towards me frequently.

PM me if I can be of any help.

Russ
 
Russ can also build you the baddest stroker around :D I want his garage! minus the evil turtles of doom though :shiver: almost lost a couple toes each of the two times I've been there to Mr. Nasty.
 
mmm... stroker. I almost cant wait to need a rebuild to use that as an excuse.

Well Marc (CaliXJ) brought over a Craftsman socket that he drilled out a bit for me to use, and it worked great. I have all of the head bolts loose and ready for it to come out. The only bolt that gave me trouble was the back right one, because there is some metal on the body that gets in the way. Nothing a pair of vice grips couldn't fix, though. Now I'm just waiting to see if I can get one of my roommates or a friend to come over and help me lift it out with the manifolds on it.

Thanks for the offer Russ, but I gotta get it back on the road asap. I'm going to be taking it over to Ed Hale in El Cajon/Santee to get it checked out, and if the head's good it will get a valve job and resurfacing while there. A good friend recommended me there and he said they do teh same 3 angle valve job as they do on the race cars they biuld/work on (I think dirt track cars?). I also called Rick's Machine Shop as recommended by another person earlier in the thread and they seem to be a good shop too, so it was basically a toss up between which to go to.
 
So it turned out to be cracked. I posted a new thread that I am now looking for a head. Any opinions on whether I should bother with finding a pre-99 head and still have to do a valve job and exhaust mods or just spend the 379 for an Odessa or $500 for the Alabama one?
 
You might run into issues with your exhaust manifold if you get an older head. And with cali emissions, you have o2 sensors/precats etc in the manifold which you aren't legally allowed to get rid of. Someone else may need to chime in on this one though. I'm not familiar with the compatibility issues, but I've heard that the manifold wont work with an older head.
 
I know someone on here sells an adapter to go between the mani and the older head. It just seems like by going with the older head it will cost me the same I the end as getting a new improved 0331 head
 
Old post I know, but did you ever get you rig back together? My buddy just fried his 98's head gasket and we're thinking about changing out the gasket ourselves. Anyone know of a good machine shop in the Whittier La Mirada area. I've also heard it's not always a good idea to do a valve job on high mileage engines.
 
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