97 Etc N* Head Gasket Project

[tateos]

My primary purpose for posting this, my first thread, is to chronicle my project for the benefit of others. I have learned a lot by reading posts from those that have braved this project before me, and I want to pay back and/or pay forward. I may also have some problems or questions as I go along, so thank you in advance for your help.

First, a little about me. I am 51, born and raised in the Boston area (GO RED SOX!), but have lived in the Phoenix area for 6 years and have been a DIYer since my teens. I have no formal training but have learned from reading and through osmosis, and have rebuilt engines from the 60's. 70s and 80s, but nothing since then.

The first engine in my car was replaced at 34K. It is a long story, but there was a noise and I think the dealer ruined the engine trying to fix what ended being the catalytic converter. Anyway, they put a new engine in the car at 34K and that engine was great until about 2 1/2 years ago, at 121K on the car when the head gasket let loose. I was not aware at that time that this was a common malady, and since I thought it was a fluke, I had a used engine and trans (there were TCC issues) put in for $2,500. Everything was perfect until 6/07 when the HG on this engine let go at 144K on the car and 102K on the motor. Well, I was going to junk the car, but I like it too much, so I decided to try to repair the engine myself.

I waited until things cooled down here in AZ and started on extricating the engine on weekends in October (I have taken a few days off from the project). My initial plan was to use the alternate method, and take the engine out the top, but some of the exhaust manifold and coolant pipe bolt are pretty much impossible top get at, and I have resigned myself to drop the entire cradle with engine/trans/steering. I plan to change the steering rack, since it has morning sickness, especially in colder weather. I think I finally have almost everything disconnected and the engine will be coming out this weekend.

I hope I will see some light at the end of the tunnel soon, because I am really wondering if I should have tackled this or just driven the thing to the junkyard. I must say, this is the most difficult, most complex, and overall most miserable job I have ever attempted. More posts will follow as thing move forward.

Richard Moore

[Ranger]

You're a brave man Richard. When you are finished you will join the very few in the HG hall of fame.

[tateos]

Thanks for the encouragement, Ranger. Brave? Maybe just foolish? I am not doing this to save money, so much as a fun project, and it hasn't been fun - at least not yet.

I have removed engines from cars before, but the list of steps is almost never ending, and there is never enough room to do what you need to do. Maybe I'm just getting old and tired, but this seems like a real tough job to me, and I'm just talking about getting the engine out - not the repair and re-assembly and re-installation. I bought a 2nd car when the HG on the first engine blew, so the good thing is I do have the use of a car and can just work on the thing on weekends as time allows.

I plan to post some pictures once it gets interesting.

RM

[97Concours1]

I think Bill Clinton said it best - "I feel your pain!". It's not exactly the type of project one does for "fun". I've read some of your previous posts about starting this project and I could tell you didn't realize quite what you were getting into. It really is sobering once you get into it. I had all the confidence that it couldn't possibly be that bad - wrong! Part of the problem is that cars today are very complex. I rebuilt a lot of cars in the 70s and 80s too. Other than a million vacuum lines, they weren't that bad. This Caddy is a different story. All of those fancy options have systems under the hood that make them work - cruse control, anti-lock brakes, a/c and many more. Unfortunately, you have to disconnect or take apart many of those systems to get the engine out and the heads off. The wiring harness alone has more arteries than the human body.

The somewhat good news is, it goes back together fairly easy. There are so many unknowns while taking it apart, but you kind of know your way when putting it back together. And then it's kind of like how a woman naturally forgets about the pain after childbirth. Once your baby is up and running again, you forget about most of the pain and effort. Good Luck.

[zonie77]

This will probably be the longest project you will ever do (barring building a house). There are some advantages...this forum and the internet in general.

In the end I hope you think it was worth it!

[ramdge]

Richard,

I just wanted to offer you some encouragement on the head gasket job.

I am very similar to you in both age and experience. I have also been
working on cars since my teenage years with no formal experience.

The head gasket job I did on my 95 STS was the first time that I had
worked on a cadillac.

I didn't have access to power tools so everything was done the old fashion
way.

I can offer a few suggestions. First, I'm hoping that you have a Factory
Service Manual because if you don't then you are in for a VERY, VERY,
hard time. Second, you will need several tools that you might not have
(for example, the puller for the water pump pulley, the puller for the
crankshaft damper, etc.). I was fortunate in that I had plenty of time
since the cadillac wasn't my daily driver at the time.

I left the engine and transmission together and on the frame. Make sure
you note where everything goes that you take off (use pictures, labels,
drawings, notes, or all of above). Make sure that you ask questions if you
run into anything that doesn't seem right. For instance, retiming the cams
can be confusing if you are not familiar with the procedure.

The job itself wasn't extremely difficult but it is time consuming and you
need to be very detail oriented.

I have over 10,000 miles on mine without a problem so far.

It's a big job but it can definitely be done in the garage if you have the
time and patience to do it.

[tateos]

Thanks for encouragement Zonie77 and 97Concours1. I need all I can get right now. I think part of my stress is that I am starting to get anxious that I will never remember how to put it all back together.

A couple things I learned on my own so far that I had never seen anything about on these forums:

1. The electrical and vacuum connections at the firewall the manual refers to are on the passenger side. The connector is held to the firewall by 2 small (8mm head?) screws. Then, you need to go under the dash on the passenger side and remove the 3 (I think) screws holding the hush panel on under the dash. You will see the vacuum and electrical connections there. Just unplug them and pass the line through the firewall. It is not a hard job, but the manual doesn't address the details.

2. The pinch bolt on the steering rack is best reached through the left wheel well. Drop the back of the cradle a few inches and push the boot up a little, reaching through the wheel well - use a long extension - I think it is a 10mm socket. Again, not that difficult, but there is no mention in the manual about the how - "disconnect pinch bolt".

More to follow

[tateos]

Ramdge - yes I do have the FSM which I bought from Helm back in '97 when I bought the car. I also have the water pump drive cam puller - used it already in fact. I think I have a puller for the crank puller, but I am having a problem getting the bolt off. I have tried a socket and breaker bar and pipe, but the head is getting pretty stripped. I will try again once it is out of the car. i do have an awesome $200 Ingersoll Rand impact wrench, but that won't do it either - I don't think my air compressor is strong enough. If the crankshaft bolt head gets totally stripped, I'm not sure what to do - file down the flats to the next smaller size? Use an angle grinder and grind the entire head off? Any ideas anyone?

[tateos]

Thanks everyone for your interest and moral support so far - it means a lot to me!. I have been working on this beast all by myself, and I feel better knowing I am not alone.

[zonie77]

Harmonic Balancer bolts are a PAIN! I never had as much trouble as I have on the 90 and up cars. I think they soak them in loctite!

I almost bought a 3/4" set for my son's 4 cyl Ranger. Not sure what to tell you. We got them off but it wasn't easy.

[tateos]

I have used the trick in the past of putting the socket and breaker bar on the bolt and strategically positioning the breaker bar handle, and then using the engine starter to break the bolt loose. I didn't do that this time and like I said, the head on the bolt is getting pretty mangled. I might have to grind or drill out the head on the bolt and then use th puller to get the balance off and then vicegrips or something to get the remaining portion of the bolt in the crankshaft - it should be easy at that point - maybe even finger tight?

The good head bolts were really locked in there also. I snapped and broke a cheapo 3/8" drive extension taking the head bolts out. It was pretty amazing because the first 5-6 bolts were perfect, and then I got to a couple that were different and one which was total trash - #1 cylinder was the bad one, so far I think. The bad ones are easy to remove - obviously. I still wonder which came first, the chicken or the egg; I mean does the gasket go and that screws up the threads, or the other way around?

[zonie77]

I believe the gasket goes and lets the bolt corrode. The HG had failed near the bad threads.

[97Concours1]

Harmonic Balancer Bolt removal - Yes, this was a major 4 hour road block. What I finally wound up doing was using an OxAcy torch and heating up the center of the head of the bolt (quicky before everything else gets hot too.) The heat expands the bolt slightly realitive to everything else, and then the impact will take it off. Even then it comes off hard.

Chicken or egg first?: My vote is for the threads failing first. When I took mine apart I didn't see corrosion, I saw sheared threads. Now mind you, a microscope and a metalurgical lab might have shown reduced mechanical properties of the aluminum. I do know that sometimes failures can be caused by something way out in left field (like corrosion).

Have you decided what inserts to use? Are you going to do all 20 threads?

[tateos]

I am doing all 20 threads - why not? I think I will use Norms - they seem to have a better rep.

That balance bolt is a problem! I don't have access to a torch, so the first thing I will do is try with the 19mm socket again once it is out of the car. If that doesn't work, a neighbor has a better air compressor than mine that might work with the impact wrench. If that doesn't work, I might try filing the flats on the bolt down a little and using an 18mm socket. Last resort, I will drill and/or grind down the head.

What a PITA!

[Ranger]

If I remember correctly, that bolt has 300+ lb/ft of torque. Even more important than removal is the proper installation torque. Under torque it and you'll have oil pressure problems. This may not need saying, but better now than later.