Taking the head off...?

91civichatch2571 · #1 11-26-2003, 06:39 PM

Im taking the head off of my a6 to put on a new gasket set. I loosened the 10 bolts holding the head to the block but it wont come off, its still held on there real tight. Am I missing something or is it just kinda stuck cuz its been under so much pressure for so long? Thanks in advance.

cot · #2 11-26-2003, 09:34 PM

Taking off my head was basically the same - all the head bolts were out but it was really stuck. I think that's not uncommon.

It's sketchy as hell, but you can pry it off with something like a large flat screwdriver. If you do this, try to do it off in a corner so that any damage you cause will not affect the seal, or at least only affects the water jacket (you can goop it up with liquid gasket later if you munged it)

but yeah... i dont know if there's a more elegant way. Pushoff bolts would be nice but i dont think there are any.

4GZChatch · #3 11-27-2003, 02:10 AM

You should be able to pry get some leverage on it without banging it up too much, and definitely be as careful as you can, but you just have to pry it off in most cases, as my experience has been. Just try to be conservative, and once you get something in there, put a rag over the end so it doesn't dig in quite as much...

aces1980 · #4 11-27-2003, 03:51 AM

are you taking off that bracket that is bolted from the intake maniflod on to the block?

91civichatch2571 · #5 11-27-2003, 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aces1980

are you taking off that bracket that is bolted from the intake maniflod on to the block?

That was it! I knew I was forgetting something real dumb. Thanks for that. After I took that off, I just lefted from the intake manifold and it came off pretty easy. Now I just gotta spend some time with my gasket scraper and get it all off. yay...

kris · #6 11-27-2003, 04:21 PM

I hate how the a6 gasket is designed. Almost like they are made out of lead or something..

91civichatch2571 · #7 11-27-2003, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kris

I hate how the a6 gasket is designed. Almost like they are made out of lead or something..

Ive been using a gasket scraper but once in a while it digs into the block a tiny bit. I was wondering if I should try like a wire brush attachment for my drill or something like that. Any suggestions?

kris · #8 11-27-2003, 06:16 PM

Get the head milled.

91civichatch2571 · #9 11-27-2003, 07:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kris

Get the head milled.

Money definitly isnt my best friend lately, but if it costs under like $50 then maybe... What are the advantages to doing this? Doesnt it raise the compression too?

cot · #10 11-28-2003, 01:34 AM

If you pull the head off, you really ought to get it milled

and honestly, if there are >100K miles on the engine, i'd think seriously about getting the valves done. It can give your engine back some life.

I got my head milled and valves ground and whatnot for $300.

I dont know how much they'd charge just for the milling but I would expect under $100. If you dont mill the head, i think the chances of a head gasket leaking are greatly increased.

mrchris1979 · #11 11-28-2003, 02:08 AM

Use a the finest wire brush you can get to attach to your drill. I've done head gasket replacement on both my Hondas and the wire brush removes all the carbon build up on the head and block. Use a blade to take the thicker material off, just don't score the surfaces. The wire brush also does a good job of poilishing the mating surface. Also use paint thinner as a degreaser before you put the new gasket in. Milling is only necessary if the head is warped. To check, just use a straight edge, and see if it runs along the head with no gaps between the surfaces. Milling will increase compression and the machine shop can help you figure out how much to take off, but you will need to retune the air/fuel ratio to make it effective.

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