Originally posted by Stryker:
Originally posted by ZetecNinja:
ok I'm about to attempt to change my headgasket.
is there any advice you guys can give me? things to look out for? where to start first? how to make it as easy as possible? level of difficulty?
i'm scared. 
clean the piston tops as best you can when you get in there. start at the top, remove the valve over, TB, intake mainfold, Exhaust manifold (possibly, not sure on those last 2 though...never done one on a tour.). then get at the head. dont forget to remove assorted hoses and stuff. your "oil" and "coolant" (more accuratly decribed as cooil and oilant seeing as they will be all mixed together) will basically be a light brown sludge...depending on how bad it blew anyway. but from what you described to me, you were losing compression so fast that the motor couldnt stay running...
level of difficulty: 6/10...(thats IMO, i havent ever done one a contour)
i could already see the brown lookin oil just from pullin up the dip stick...is anything gonna come out of the hoses I disconnect? guess it doesn't really matter anyway but I don't want any surprises...
i need a damn ford service cd
edit: oh yea does anyknow the socket size i need for the valve cover/intake manifold/exhaust manifold/etc...they all appear to be the same size. I tried a 3/8 socket and it was barely too much...I'm thinkin the next available size up is what I need? I'm borrowing tools so I need to tell them what size I need.
Last edited by ZetecNinja; 07/16/04 07:33 AM.
