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How-to 2.2l Head-Gasket job (tips/steps)

225K views 63 replies 31 participants last post by  Rhotpursuit 
#1 ·
*i compiled this during my head-gasket job with all the steps i took to get the job done, to do so i used the info from my haynes manual, along with plenty of other posts here on the forum. I figured this would be a nice in depth "how-to" for those not as dedicated to forum surfing as me*

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2.2L Head gasket job (tips/steps)
Vehicle= 1994 (non-4x4) Chevy s10 2.2l
Job approximate time (about 6hours per day working very carefully and slowly) = 3-4 days
Job approximate cost = $130 (without head resurface)

--------------------------------------------

1. Disconnect battery
2. Begin draining coolant by way of radiator drain
3. Remove air intake assembly (air filter/intake tubing)
4. Remove radiator fan shrouds (upper and lower)

a. Mind the coolant crossover line attached to lower shroud​
5. Remove clutch fan and pulley
a. Rent a clutch fan remover tool from auto store (not the one for the clutch fans with one big bolt and attached to water-pump)
b. Otherwise, remove nuts by jamming a long object in between a bolt to prevent the fan/pulley assembly from spinning while you break and loosen the other 13mm bolts​
6. Remove serpentine belt
a. 3/8 inch socket wrench with extender into square hole of tensioner and crank left​
7. Begin removal of engine accessories (unbolt and move to side)
a. Power steering (3 bolts accessible from holes in the pulley)
b. Ac compressor (2 bolts on accessory bracket, and 2 more on a bracket attached to valve cover)
c. Alternator (2 bolts on accessory bracket, 1 bolt on engine bracket)
i. You also must remove the bracket which holds the alternator, as this is attached the lower intake manifold to the block​
8. Remove water-pump (to drain all antifreeze from block)
a. Will need to replace water-pump gasket​
9. Remove the spark plug boots and set to side
10. Remove upper intake manifold

a. Unhook vacuum lines to successfully lift the piece out
b. will need to replace upper intake manifold gasket​
11. Disconnect connectors/sensors attached to intake manifold and others in that area
a. also disconnect fuel injector connectors (all go in line, so no need to mark)​
12. remove heater hose attached to inlet of heater-core/thermostat inlet
13. remove thermostat/water inlet (2 bolts)

a. remove temp sensor connector
b. You may leave the heater hose (to heater-core) attached, by disconnecting from the heater-core, and removing at one unit.
c. There is a single 8mm bolt supporting the heater hose to the lower intake manifold​
14. Remove dipstick tube (one bolt attached to exhaust manifold bolt nearest to firewall, and pull up and out)
15. Remove the rear engine lifting bracket (one bolt on top of rear external head bolt)
16. Remove exhaust manifold

a. also unbolt the manifold from the exhaust downpipe(2 bolts)
b. may need to remove driver’s-side inner fender to access bolts​
17. unbolt lower intake manifold
a. I found that due to the steel lines attacked, that it was easier to just unbolt the lower intake manifold itself​
18. remove valve cover
a. will need to replace valve cover gasket (to be safe)​
19. remove spark plugs
20. using the “BIC pen method” move piston #1 to TDC

a. the engine cranks to the right​
21. remove push rods/rocker arms
a. when you remove push rods and rocker arms (make note of where they came from for reassembly)
b. also when you reassemble the rocker arms/push rods per cylinder, it is highly suggested to move the piston in the respective cylinder to TDC (otherwise, some valves will be in compression which will mess up your torque setting when you bolt them back down)​
22. remove head bolts
23. lift head assembly out of engine bay
24. After old gasket/remnants are removed check for cracks/warping on both head and block.

a. have mill resurface or replace head/block accordingly​
25. For reassembly do everything in reverse
a. Reinstall head-gasket and new head bolts with specified torque settings
i. If any, use the copper head-gasket sealant spray to seal gasket
b. Remember to put each cylinder at TDC when reassembling the push-rods and rocker arms
i. “also when you reassemble the rocker arms/push rods per cylinder, it is highly suggested to move the piston in the respective cylinder to TDC (otherwise, some valves will be in compression which will mess up your torque setting when you bolt them back down) “​

---------------------------------------

Tools:
• DEEP-WELL Metric socket set (6mm-16mm)
• Socket extensions of a variety of sizes
• Metric open-end wrench
• Razor-blade (or something to remove old gaskets)
• Flat-head /Phillips screwdriver
• BFH (of BFRH for those faint-hearted)

Parts and items to replace (aka shopping list):
• Exhaust manifold gasket set
• Head gasket
• Intake manifold gasket
• Valve cover gasket
• Water-pump gasket
• Thermostat (outlet to head) gasket
• Head bolt set
• Permatex “copper” gasket sealant (suggested)
• “Blue” RTV sealant
• Antifreeze
• Oil *highly suggested*

Things you can replace/upgrade while you are at it......
• Spark plugs / wires ($31 total)
• Fuel injectors ($80+ each = $320 total)
• Change “quick clamps” on water hoses to regular screw-down clamps
• Change old heater hoses to straight heater hosing (3/4” and 5/8” hoses)
• Thermostat/gasket ($10)
• Water-pump *probably why your changing your head-gasket to begin with* ($15)
• E-fan conversion

Notes:
• do not use sealant on rubber or coated gaskets only on cork, composite, and paper
• Using PB-Blast a day or two and on the day of removing bolts is a definite must
• If you start to round off a 13mm bolt/nut, after the first slip, switch to a ½” (it will be a tight fit)

Torque specs
camshaft sprocket bolt ........................................96
camshaft thrust plate bolts ..................................106 in-lbs
crankshaft pulley bolts.......................................... 37
crankshaft pulley/hub-to-crankshaft bolt...................77
cylinder head bolts
step 1
long bolts............................................. ..........46
short bolts............................................. .........43
step 2................................................. .............tighten additional 90*
engine mount-to-engine bolts.................................39
engine mount through bolts....................................38
engine mount bracket-to-frame bolts.......................33
exhaust manifold nuts...........................................115 in-lbs
flywheel/driveplate-to-cylinder head nuts/bolts
through 1998.............................................. ......24
1999-later............................................. ...........17
lifter guide retainer-to-block-stud............................97 in-lbs
oil pan bolts............................................. ............89 in-lbs
oil pump-to-block bolt............................................32
rocker arm studs............................................. ......37
rocker-arm nuts (bolts on 1999-later).......................19-22
timing chain cover bolts..........................................97 in-lbs
valve cover bolts............................................. ......89 in-lbs

head-bolt tightening sequence


how i marked and organized my push-rods and rocker-arms (and identification of both)
 
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#3 ·
Good write up.

I have just one thing to highlight:
Always replace the head bolts! The head bolts are torque-to-yield and must stretch the specified amount for the head to seat and seal correctly.
 
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#4 ·
for those whom may need to purchase a new head due to cracks/warps, for this job i purchased a refurbed head from Cylinder heads international (www.headsonly.com) and i would suggest them to anyone. cheap prices and quick shipping

for the full review and pictures refer to the link below
http://www.s10forum.com/forum/f105/seller-review-cylinder-heads-international-headsonly-com-pics-466942/#post7394349

also if you need to resurface your head, and were wondering price, i think a decent rough number to go by would be what i was quoted at one of my local head shops, which was $125 for the whole clean/crack check/resurface. again, use this as a rough number, because im sure everyone lives in different areas
 
#5 ·
great write up, im in the middle of 2.2l head gasket replacement first time, i think im gonna order one of those refurb heads.... unfortunatley i didnt put the pistons at TDC since im a rookie and jumped right into this mess, i hope i dont run into other problems... its actually on a sunfire so if i F it up im not to worried.. im pretty sure i need a new head, due to the pitting around the coolant holes is nearing the piston/valve circle. ANY COMMENTS GREATLY APPRECIATED! since the labor is almost free im probably gonna go with refurb head....
 
#6 ·
no, its not a big deal putting everything TDC at the beginning, just if they are not, there will be pressure on the rocker arm nuts, and if enough, you might just unbolt a rocker arm stud or 2 (i did, but your going to have to put the old ones in the new head anyway, so its not going to hurt your progress)
however, when you put the rocker arms back on, it is important to put the pistons in TDC s you bolt on the respective cylinder`s rocker arms, again this is because of the pressure due to the cam pushing the push rod into the rocker arm, thus this will mess up your torque spec on the rocker arm nuts. (1st/4th and 2nd/3rd go to TDC at the same time, which might make it easier for you)

ALSO IMPORTANT (From Experience)
when you torque the rocker arm bolts, make sure you use a torque wrench meant for lower ft/lb torque settings. i however did not listen to others who told me that torque wrenches that have marked setting on the shaft only as low as 25ft/lbs may not function properly on lower torque settings, and you may (I did) break the top off of a rocker arm stud. and truct me, they are not fun to find (no one sells them, and oddly they are even harder to find online in single packs).
so a word of advice, especially for the top end bolts, pick yourself up a $10 pendulum torque wrench, to get a good torque, and reduce the chance of having to find one of these hard-to-find tutu rocker arm studs...
 
#8 ·
Just fyi for anyone else doing this job,

If, when you remove your Dipstick tube, the tube seal(to the block) rips apart you can get it from gmpartsdirect.com for 4 bucks.

I wasn't able to find it anywhere else but there.
 
#9 ·
It comes in the Fel-Pro Conversion Set (Part # CS 9469) for this engine. This package states it is part # 93828, but the number doesn't come up on any site, including the Fel-Pro site.
 
#10 ·
replace the your water pump while your at it.. its only $20.

my headgasket wasnt blown, but the water ports were falling apart and 2 were plugged due to dexcool.

replaced the waterpump and thermostat for insurance and its not expensive.
 
#11 ·
I saw the pic of u numbering ur rocker arms and rods....

is the order important? When i rebuilt my 2.2 I did not replace them in the exact spots since I thought they were all the same. Did i make a big mistake?
 
#12 ·
the reasoning for doing that is because of wear patterns, you shouldn't have any major problems, you may get valvetrain tick but thats about it,
 
#14 ·
Thanks for the write-up, it's been very helpful. I'm about 90% done removing the head. I got the lower intake unbolted and was able to slide it away from the head, but I can't remove it from the engine bay. I think I can get the head out without removing the lower intake, but would you elaborate more on what you did with it?
 
#15 ·
honestly, the way i did it was to leave both the lower intake, and exhaust manifolds attached in the engine bay and wiggle the head in/out.

NOW, THIS IS NOT ADVISED AT ALL.

i havent seen any major problems due to this blatantly lazy "technique", but you can seriously damage your new headgasket/head by not dropping the head in straight onto the block.

with that said, more than likely, if all your brackets are removed (alternator and such) the only thing holding your lower intake mani to the truck is probably the steel fuel line that runs directly underneath.
Like i said, i did not unbolt this, but i imagine it unscrews like any other steel line connector, and when removed, some gas will probably come out of it.

sorry i dont have much more to say on this specfic one, maybe somebody else has a good idea about it?
 
#17 ·
I couldn't get the intake out because the heater core (or some AC component, not sure what it is...) was in the way. I think I would have had to remove the studs from the head to get it off. But the head came out no problemo once the exhaust manifold was off.

I got a new head from CHI (thanks for the recommendation--it looks good) and I should be able to put it on no problem (more or less). Since I'm working alone what I think I'll do is drop the head in on a piece of cardboard, then slide the cardboard out.

I checked the pistons, they all look normal except #4--the rearmost piston. It had a lot of pretty clean oil on it. I mean, enough that there was no carbon deposits on it and the face was shiny clean when I wiped the oil off. The plug was a little fouled, not too much. I'm not sure what to make of that.

I mean, it was burning oil and coolant both. It started smoking heavily -- white smoke -- right before I started the head gasket job. It has been a little hard to start for a couple months; then it started misfiring for 20-30 seconds after starting sometimes (after sitting a while, I think). I observed bubbles in the coolant overflow tank. Has to be the head gasket, right? I just hope that's not the only problem--or that the oil leak is from the valves and not the piston. I guess there's no way I could test it with the head off... Any thoughts?
 
#18 ·
I couldn't get the intake out because the heater core (or some AC component, not sure what it is...) was in the way. I think I would have had to remove the studs from the head to get it off. But the head came out no problemo once the exhaust manifold was off.
i see what you mean now, yea i had that problem as well, this also makes for putting it back together a huge pain. a tip if you are doing it this way, is to screw in the studs for the intake AFTER the head is bolted down, otherwise, it will be worse than when you took it out.

I checked the pistons, they all look normal except #4--the rearmost piston. It had a lot of pretty clean oil on it. I mean, enough that there was no carbon deposits on it and the face was shiny clean when I wiped the oil off. The plug was a little fouled, not too much. I'm not sure what to make of that.

I mean, it was burning oil and coolant both. It started smoking heavily -- white smoke -- right before I started the head gasket job. It has been a little hard to start for a couple months; then it started misfiring for 20-30 seconds after starting sometimes (after sitting a while, I think). I observed bubbles in the coolant overflow tank. Has to be the head gasket, right? I just hope that's not the only problem--or that the oil leak is from the valves and not the piston. I guess there's no way I could test it with the head off... Any thoughts?
more than likely if the headgasket was destroyed around the area of where the pushrods come up through the head, then that is where your oil came from. but it could have also been a crack somewhere in the head/valves, but either way, with a new HG and head the problem should be fixed.

best of luck
 
#19 ·
The damn fel-pro gasket doesn't have holes for the water jacket on the front of the block. That can't be right, can it?

Then again, the original one has plugs there too...I don't know. Half the holes are different. It has to be intentional. As often as these POS 2.2ls blow head gaskets they have to know what they're doing.
 
#20 ·
The damn fel-pro gasket doesn't have holes for the water jacket on the front of the block. That can't be right, can it?
dont feel too stupid, as this had me for a second as well.
you need to turn the HG around and flip it over.
look at the water jacket holes on the head not the block and you will do fine
 
#21 ·
You want to talk about feeling stupid, how's this-- The EGR manifold (I guess that's what it is) on the back of the head. It takes a gasket. I put one on. So far so good. Well, apparently, there's TWO gaskets for it included in the fel-pro set. But no note, no, hey, watch out for this, the gasket you pull out first might not be the right one.

I didn't open the gasket kit to look at it beforehand because it was taped with something that said NO RETURNS IF OPENED.

Anyway, I need to find the old gasket and make sure I put the right one on, I guess. They're not the same. Here's a picture of the gasket set:

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=543304

As you can imagine it's not the easiest gasket to change if I have to do that.

The victor reinz set has THREE gaskets for this (one's flipped over): http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=2650720

What's the deal?
 
#23 ·
Well the thermostats don't all have the same bolt pattern and otherwise appear to be interchangeable without a close inspection--right?

You know, they change the ****ing head gasket pattern, how was I suppopsed to know it wasn't some kind of "improvement" like that, when I pulled it out of the box? All I know is that it fit on there. Ugh. I can't remember if I put the right one on or not.

I am at work so I can't look at it now, but is it possible to get that blasted manifold off with the head attached to the engine? If it's not I think I will hang myself here. Hopefully that way they'll say it was work-related for insurance purposes.
 
#24 ·
I leave everything on that won't prevent me from removing the head, that's how flat rate techs do it. I never remove the water pump, just remove block drain plug.
Also to purge air on coolant refill, I remove the temp sensor.
 
#26 ·
Well I'll add another tip: make sure of the positioning of hoses and wires before you start adding accessories. Otherwise you'll have to pull them to reroute everything. You should take lots of pictures before and during disassembly.

I finished the job more or less tonight. It was a little hard to start, smoked a bit, a lot from the exhaust (new gaskets, I believe). Idle was rough for a few minutes but smoothed out eventually. I drove it about 5 miles tonight, got it all the way hot. Made good power, stopped smoking, no more bubbles in the coolant. It may be fixed.

Though I may have introduced an exhaust and/or vacuum leak somewhere. Idle was still a tad rough. Truck sounded different (better) when under load, idle still sounds like crap. Maybe it's supposed to.

I got to go to bed. Thanks again everybody.
 
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