mercilessltd
+1y
I'm sure my tips below may get some berating for bad practice from some members, so please take this post for what it is: my opinion.
Well, my experience is that, as Cusser said, everyone is on a budget.
I personally just finished my head gasket about a month ago. I definitely suggest, as you said you are doing, to take the head to a reputable machine shop. This was the costliest part of my head gasket job.
For me, since I was on a very tight budget, I knew that the cooling issue was due to a blockage (and no temp gauge). I did fix these issues during the rebuild.
However, I did not remove the block from the truck. This may not be the option for everyone. It is a bit of a risk, and can be costly. I personally did not have the cash to get it rebuilt, so I first checked the best I could to ensure it was in good order. Otherwise, I would be wasting my money into a head gasket replacement.
NOTE: let all of the mineral spirits drain. Below I make many suggestions using mineral spirits. If you use any of these suggestions, ensure all mineral spirits have drained. Pull the oil plug for any that was in the cylinders or oil passages, and the lower water outlet (to the right of the harmonic balancer) will drain the cooling passages. I'd suggest giving the engine a day to allow all mineral spirits to drain. You can even flush the oil passages with some fresh oil.
If you decide to take this route, here are a few tips from my personal experience:
1. Make sure your rings are at least in decent order.
The best test with the head on is to do a compression test with and without oil. However, if your head gasket is cracked, this won't work. Instead, after head removal, you can use mineral spirits. Basically, turn the crank until all four pistons are halfway down/up. Fill each cylinder with mineral spirits to the top (for reference). Wait for an hour and check the cylinders. If the level hasn't moved, your compression rings should be good. If it has leaked just a hair, you should still be fine. If the spirits are gone, your rings are too.
2. Check your water pump.
While the head is off, your water pump should be visible. Obviously if this was the cause of the overheating, this doesn't apply as you should replace it. Otherwise, check for good rotation. Make sure there is no shaft play. Ensure all passages are clear of debris. You can again use mineral spirits to flush the cooling vanes. If you heard any whining from it earlier (indicative of bearings going out), replace it. If you saw any signs of leakage, at least re-do the gasket, but I highly suggest if you have it off, replace it.
3. Clean your head bolt holes while the head is off.
You always need to clean the bolt holes because debris will tamper with the torque readings. As being on a budget, I did not have any "old" head bolts or chasers (never use a tap!) to clean the threads. What I did was filled the bolt holes with mineral spirits (to loosen any debris), and cleaned them with pipe cleaners. This was time consuming, but worth it. I couldn't believe the amount of crap that came out of the bolt holes. I still STRONGLY suggest you chase the holes with a head bolt to double check, but at least this way you are fairly certain they're clean to start.
4. Clean your oil pan.
I didn't have the proper tools to remove the crossmember to remove the oil pan. Instead, after dousing the oil passages in mineral spirits (and leaving the oil plug open for drainage), I flushed about a quart of fresh oil through.
5. Check your alignment dowels.
I posted about this on BScene because I thought I had lost mine. Apparently they are known for recessing into the head (as mine had). You can always use wood dowels to align as you slide the head on, but the dowels will ensure proper placement. You can be a mm or two off without these, and that can be an issue with a head and gasket. Again, this is my opinion, others will tell you that it is okay. Your choice.
6. Replace your oil and coolant soon after.
Due to residual oil/water mixture and possible mineral spirits left over, I suggest that after a few miles of test drive and a few heat cycles, replace your coolant and oil. Yeah, it's another $40, but for someone who didn't have a garage or tools to remove and rebuild the engine, it's about the best way to flush the gunk out that you couldn't see/remove.
This is my experience and my opinions. Take them at your own risk.