Getting A Head Gasket Changed

[SMiFFAD]

Right, im 70% sure this is my problem, after finding a nice deposit of emulsified oil under my filler cap....would also explain where the oils going..

My question(S), can someone give me a rough idea of cost, or even better a few quotes from peeps who have actually had this done?

Are there any major pit falls in doing it your self, me and a mate are just about finished changing th HG on his vectra SRI, and its been a doddle so far, just waiting to get the head back from being skimmed. Anything that put the mr2 out of the reach of the humble mechanic? Know doing the coolent needs to be done properly to stop air pockets for example.....

One more thing, :censor:

[BenL]

You don’t say which year or model MR2 you have. Before you replace the head gasket take it to a garage and have the coolant sniffed for exhaust gas. That will tell you for sure if that is your problem.

Replacing the head gasket isn’t that hard on the MR2, refitting the cam belt if the part that makes you swear!

There aren’t really any problems which you will come up against. Just remember that the head bolts are the splined type and not the torx type, also the head bolts are designed to stretch and shouldn’t be reused (you’ll find the old head bolts won’t torque up properly).

You will want a friend to hold the crank when doing the cam belt. Allow a good couple of hours for this part alone, because although the belt goes on, after rotating the engine the cams rarely come back in line first time. Use only a Toyota Cam belt as the Blue Print ones always seem to be half a tooth out, and if you have a turbo you will need a vice to reset the tensioner.

Make sure you clean the mating surfaces of the head and block thoroughly and if the engine has done a lot of miles it’s a good time to regrind the valves and replace the valve stem oil seals. I recommend using the TTE 1.2mm layered steal head gasket, never had one fail on me yet!

[SMiFFAD]

Cheers, most informative, its a 1992 G-limited i.e. non tubby.

Gonna do a compression test on it at the weekend to see if its the HG or not.....

We shall see.

[BenL]

A compression test may not show up a failed head gasket unless the engine is very smokey. Pop along to your local Toyota service department and get chatting to the guys in the garage. One of them will probably perform a coolant sniffer test for free.

It's just a chemical in a jar with a hand pump which you place over the coolant filler neck and squeeze the pump a few times. If the chemical goes red, you've got problems. Doesn't take five minutes to do either.