Blown Head Gasket

[Tobycat]

My daughters 1991 Lebaron, 3.0 6Cyl, had blown head gaskets. When I removed the heads, 4 out of 6 cylinders had coolant in them. I made sure to place the #1 cylinder TDC before removing the heads. While cleaning out the cylinders, I had to rotate the crank to clean all the cylinder walls. I placed the #1 back to TDC then installed the heads, piston was even with top of cylinder. When I was reinstalling the timing crank pulley, I lined up the front one with the mark, the rear pulley would not line up with the mark, it would go to about 1 inch before or after the mark due to spring tension on the cams. Now the car will only turn over and not start. I followed the Haynes manual as closely as I could. Any sggestions?

[madmanmapper]

You mean the only problem is the fact that you can't line up the cam shaft with the mark? Why can't you just hold the cam's timing pulley on the mark with a wrench while you put the belt on? Or get someone to hold it with a wrench while you put the belt on?

By the way, I think it's wonderful that you had the initiative to keep a LeBaron on the road and out of the junk yard.

Couple of other suggestions: get a new timing belt (while you're at it), and although it's too late, you should have had the heads machined. Aluminum heads (or anything for that matter) warp once you take them off. So you should really have taken the heads to a machine shop to have them shave them off a bit, to make sure the gasket suface is perfectly flat. I don't know what will happen if you don't have them machined. I myself am about to replace my 3.0L Baron head gaskets and my dad (the mechanic) insists upon machining the heads as well as replacing the valve seals. And I hope you changed your oil, because it might have water in it.

[Tobycat]

I did have the heads machined and resurfaced. I am gonna try to line up the timing pulleys now. I took off the covers and I did have them miss-aligned. Thanks for the advice

[madmanmapper]

No problem! Hope you get it working. BTW I'm sure you know that you have to check the alignment of all the pulleys after you put the belt on and let go of the tensioner, you know because the tensioner moves the belt when you let go of it.