Originally posted by ZetecNinja:
I'm not sure how u would turn a bolt clockwise without loosening it.



Clockwise = tighten
Counterclockwise = loosen

Originally posted by ZetecNinja:
Which means I'm just about there, just gotta clean, seal and torque to spec.



Did you have the head checked to make sure it's not cracked or warped? The usual advice is to have the head checked at a machine shop to make sure the gasket surface is perfectly flat, and inspect for fine cracks. They can machine it flat if necessary. Sometimes they can weld up cracks.


Originally posted by ZetecNinja:
My head when it was first removed...no wonder the car wouldn't stay on unless I gave it gas. Now I'm wondering how a perfectly intact head gasket let all that coolant in there?



Your car would not have run with that coolant in the cylinders. It looks like you didn't drain the coolant before you took off the head, so the coolant that was in the head must have poured into the cylinders.



Originally posted by ZetecNinja:
puddles gone after a little cleaning from me, although I'm not sure how I'm supposed to get the coolant in the little cracks



You mean the coolant in the coolant passages? The way to get it out is to drain the coolant from the bottom of the radiator.