96 cavalier head gasket

my girlfriend has a 1996 cavalier with 160,000 miles on it. She recently had a coolant hose replaced and the mechanic said that the head gasket was starting to go. They want 800 dollars to fix it and im wondering if anyone has replaced one on the 2.2 motor. Ive replaced a head gasket on a neon before, so im intrested in what kind of time i might have to devote to this. Im not to familiar with cavaliers so if anyone has some suggestions or if im wasting my time by fixing it myself some input would be appreciated.

i have a 95 2.2L and it was hell for me. its not as easy as the books and manuals makes it seem. the one things thats going to piss u off the most is the fuel line because it goes behind the intake manifold so wierd. i saw that u did it on a Neon before so u do have experience. just make sure ur gilrfriend has a another mode of transportation for a few days just in case u get stuck. go to www.autozone.com for a detailed repair guide on it with pictures. hope that helps

I have done my head gasket on my 96 2.2L and i found it fairly simple. Just take Chilton step by step and take your time and do it right. You will need a good wrench/socket set, TORQUE WRENCH, breaker bar, jack stands, coolant etc. I just took it slow and did it properly over the span of a weekend, it is very easy on a OHV engine in my opinion cause u dont have to mess with cams etc. Good luck, and remember take your time and do it properly.

i appreciate all the info thanks