I am starting to get things ready to replace the head gasket on my 2001 SC2 1.9 liter. spraying/soaking the exhaust manifold bolts with Kano Kroil in hopes that I don't break any of them off.

What are you folk's thoughts on buying just the main head gasket, valve cover gasket, intact and exhaust gaskets versus buying the full blown gasket kit?

• The kit runs about $220 and includes:

• The individual main gaskets (head, valve cover, intake and exhaust manifolds) would run about $85. Included:

 

When ever I've had a job like that to do, I just get everything and replace it all at once. That way, I know it's fresh and I won't have to worry about anything else for a while. It's your money, but I say do it all and forget about it. Just my opinion. I'm not an ASE mechanic. Just been pulling my own wrenches for over 40 years.

 

Gaskets are expensive, but you are in an unknown area on an old car that you have not worked on. I have another 10 years on Rube on swinging my own wrenches and got to agree with him. You may not need those gaskets, but then again you do not know what you are going to need.
Replacing a head gasket is a job and a half and you might as well have a full set and then plan on cleaning things up and using those gaskets. When done you will have been better off for having done so.
Oil can find all kinds of places to dribble out of when taking things apart. No sense in giving it a good reason to do so.

 

I wonder if he ever tackled the job and what happened to him, Unc. Another user and non-contributor?

 

I dunno, Rube. There is a big part of me that says now that the era of the shade tree mechanic is slowly closing. That is an era where you have to accumulate some "Basic" knowledge and have the ability to swing a wrench and recognize you not the vehicle is doing something wrong.
I am on a fairly large AMC forum and a significant percentage of the forum have no clue what they are doing. The purchase a "collector" car off of craig's list, in part because the previous owner can not make it work so it is already broken in some way or another. They do not bother to purchase any kind of a service manual thinking it is not needed, they can depend on the internet and a forum full of folks that:
1. Are building a serious either race package or a full blown restoration or
2. Are just as clueless as they are.
They have no idea how to deal with the technology and figure carburetor problems are solved by spending deep pocket money for fuel injection and ignition problems are solved by spending the same money for an electronic ignition
Can not recognize where the problem lies!
Are unable to communicate technically with some one who knows what is going on either because they do not know what the terminology of the technology is OR the person they talk to can do things blind folded and assumes his or her's answers can be followed the same way.
And figure if they can not find it on the internet it does not exist.
Todays cars are marketed as an appliance you lease and when it is broken you throw it away.
Just this week I heard an add that basically stated that because today's high tech engines are using oil at the rate of a quart every thousand miles or better that the best thing to use is "Some variation of a 5WSomething motor oil"
As the add for oil went, at least I think it was oil.
This forum has watched Saturns Blow up due to lack of oil and excessive consumption at 100,000 miles which is worse than a an Old Ford V8 which had no air filter worth talking about as it consumed oil like a drunken sailor which was solved by better air filters and multi-grade oils that met viscosity vs temperature tables and the caution written everywhere that says a 5wsomehting oil is used when the temperature is below zero and is not recommended for sustained high speed driving.
So Detroit and others are building engine with variable valve timing based on the oil pressure of the engine which is based on the use of a light weight oil to get that cam shaft control and a 25,000 warranty that gambling the original owner will trade the car before an oil consumption problem shows up, thus voiding the warrantee.
I see that mentality here, the I can buy a used Saturn and it will run cheap if not I'll buy another and have no clue how to deal with maintaining the thing. Not knowing what they are doing and arguing about the need to have some idea.
I dunno, maybe I am just getting old and grumpy and worried about Valerie.

 

I am still kicking around. Trying to get absolutely as much info on this project as I can before I jump in. I had to work last weekend, so I couldn't start it then. This coming weekend is looking like a prime opportunity, as I have an extra day to play with it.

I sincerely appreciate the words of advice offered so far, and am taking them to heart. Admittedy I have been very cautious on this project, simply because I have never had the need to dig into a project like this before. I have always tried to be very diligent in my maintenance on my vehicles, and sold my first 94 cavalier after it hit 411K. The next 94 cav was totaled when it was hit while parked out in front of my house. Only had 276K on it.

as for not contributing? I really try not to shoot my mouth off unless I know what I am talking about, and this is my first Saturn. I am still learning this car.
Not too proud to admit when I dont know something and ask for advice.

 

I didn't intend to insult you and hope you didn't take it that way, Conagher. However, I'm curious as to what you're driving in the meantime. I sure hope you're not still driving your Saturn in that condition as you could over heat it and warp the head, thus causing you to have to find a replacement. You can also blow the headgasket completely, causing water to flood the oil system and then you've got a hell of a mess on your hands. Flushing the cooling system and the engine a couple of times after the repair is done. So, you're going about it the right way. Research is a good thing! And once you've done as much research as you can, if you don't feel comfortable trying this yourself, take it to a shop. You really don't want to have to do this job over. It's time consuming, but when you do it yourself and do it right the first time, there's a great feeling of satisfaction that comes with it.

 

I'm glad to hear you are still around too. As to learning something new? There is not a day that goes by that I learn something new.
Some times it is the same thing I learned yesterday and it seems new, Senior Moments you know!

 

The surface of the head needs to prepped so either have a shop do it or do it yourself but the smoother the head surface is the better the chance of no failure. I had mine surfaced at a shop where they removed around .006 to get it straight then I block sanded it until it looked like a mirror with 1000 grit wet/dry paper. I bought the head gasket separate and the valve seals washed everything down and reused the exhaust and intake gaskets. Prayed that head bolts would be fine and reused them cause they are the weak link besides the surface prep. Good luck

 

Hey Charlie, no worries. I am not one of those folks that get offended at every imagined slight or insult. And you are correct in that I have not really contributed much of anything yet. (If someone needed information about polypteriformes or Japanese maples, I would feel much more confident in my ability to contribute something worthwhile)

I have been very carefully driving the Saturn still. Shortly after I posted the initial post of this thread, the silly thing stopped leaking. I am surmising that by carefully limiting the RPM and acceleration rate, I am keeping the motor from seeing much strain on it, and the leak (temporarily) plugged itself. I am also extremely careful keeping track of the engine temp as well throughout my commute. so far so good! (yes, I know that I am pushing my luck a little bit)

As far as smoothing off the top of the block - how do you keep the contaminants from falling down into the cylinders? or just clean them out real good afterwards? When measuring from end to end of the bock, what is an acceptable allowable gap? While I don't have a portable FARO arm or anything, I should still be able to check it to within a thousandth or two.

At this point, I am planning on springing for the whole kit, and a new set of head bolts and replace as many of the seals as I can while I am in there, just to be sure things are as good as I can get them.