Headgasket (I bet you saw this coming, eh?)

[ZeroLux]

So now that I have narrowed down a possible part of my problem, I am making plans to fix it. I found the FelPro gasket for about $34 locally, and I've done gaskets before but I have a few questions for this specific application.

1. Do I need to use permatex copper spray sealant on this gasket?
2. Will I need to buy new head bolts (are they un-re-usable stretch bolts like the Neon?) or can I get by with what I have?
3. I could not tell from the information I got a while go, but does the head gasket (not set) come with the intake and exhaust manifold gaskets? I assume those will need to be replaced while I am in there.
4. Is there anything else I should do while I am in there to prevent future internal issues? I had already planned on cleaning the head up a little bit and inspecting for carbon, and possibly taking the head to the local machine shop to have it inspected for warpage/valve seats/anything else. Might even have it tanked to be sure there is nothing sticking abnormally in the valve train.

Zero

[russiankid]

I would honestly use a Honda gasket. You don't need copper spray on OEM replacement gaskets. You do not have to pull the exhaust and intake manifold off when removing the head. Its actually hard to pull the intake manifold when its on the car. You can replace the gaskets when the head is out. If you overheated, get the head checked just to be sure.

[LX-incredible]

Russiankid is right on the money as usual. The head bolts are reusable on our cars, do have a good look at them though.

[ZeroLux]

Any suggestions for how to go about doing this? My initial thought was to remove the intake and exhaust manifold, pull the head, inspect, clean, reassemble. How hard is it to pull the whole thing with mani's as a unit? There any particular advantage to that? My thought before was to not want/have to unhook a bunch of vac and coolant lines and cables that are attached to the whole assembly.

[russiankid]

Any suggestions for how to go about doing this? My initial thought was to remove the intake and exhaust manifold, pull the head, inspect, clean, reassemble. How hard is it to pull the whole thing with mani's as a unit? There any particular advantage to that? My thought before was to not want/have to unhook a bunch of vac and coolant lines and cables that are attached to the whole assembly.

The bottom bolts on the intake manifold are hard to get to with the head in place. Removing the head with the intake manifold just requires you unbolt the support bracket, and unhook any wiring and lines running to it. It's better to have two people pull the head with the intake manifold as its quite heavy. You'll learn new curse words if you try to remove the intake manifold before hand. It is possible, just not worth it.

[LX-incredible]

Well... you don't have to dick with those intake manifold nuts in the back.

They're a bitch even with the engine out of the car. You might get to them with a 12 mm swivel socket, but I doubt it. Only sure way is to remove the water pipe in the back, if you don't want to spend the good part of the day on it... but that's also a pain. My experience is with the FI models, it may be a completely different story with carbed.

[russiankid]

From the looks of it has an LX-i. I know the carb'd motors do not have any room to work under the intake manifold. When I was changing the hose running from the back of the water pump on the water pipe to the intake manifold, it took me a good 4 hours just to get the old hose out. It such a pain in the ass.

[lostforawhile]

nothing wrong with a fel pro gasket, if you are going to do it right,might as well pull everything off and have the head looked at while it's out,you said you planned on doing this anyway. it's not much from having it looked at,to having it rebuilt.

[ghettogeddy]

still even with the head out theres a couple bolts that can be a pain in the ass to get to lol they def did not design that for a simple uninstall lol

[Tdurr]

okay, disconnnecting all the lines is the hardest part with pulling a head. Set it to TDC, pull the cam or just the cam gear off, get a can of plblaster, silicon spray, some pliers, and a friend, spray the manifold bolts, disconnect all the lines(it isnt too many took me like 10-20 min to hook everything back up once the head was back on) then undo the exhaust mani after it soaked for a while, then pull the head.

Its pretty straight forward. BTW, the intake bracket is on the left side of the mani(looking from the top, altho u have to get it from the bottem) and there is 2 lil bolts u gotta take out before its even gonna act like comming lose.

and my felpro gasket is leaking, and i have the head bolts tq to 56lbs....