First Head Gasket Job
 

I pick up cars and fix them up for re-sale. I hadn't gotten a head gasket job yet and knew that eventually I would have to do one. It was a mental barrier for me, so I was actually excited/nervous about doing my first job. I felt that once I did my first one then I could pick up cars that need HG jobs in the future instead of passing.

The car was overheating slowly and the PO was told by Pep Boys that a radiator would fix it up. Because it was loosing coolant I figured I just go ahead and pull the head.

After I pulled it I dropped it off at a machine shop and it was not warped. I just had it resurfaced and look how much nicer it looked! The new gasket is below it.

The next picture is the preinstall pic. And finally the last pic is after it was installed. I also got a new valve cover gasket to finish the job up. Since it was all apart I put on a new timing belt as well. Also replaced cap and plug wires.

Then I fired it up. Well the damn thing started overheating! I had put a new thermostat in there before pulling the head just in case. The water pump wasn't making any noise or leaking that I could see. I had also replaced the pressure cap. So I went back down and got another thermostat and this time it ran just like it should. So the first thermostat I got was faulty out of the box!

Anyway, I was excited about it. But my wife thinks I'm nuts taking pictures of all this. I heard her whispering to my company "He's taking pictures of this." I thought some of you here might see the fun in it.

Resurfaced with new head gasket.

Right before I put it on...

And finally back on with new timing belt. So cool!!!

Did you have to dial in the cam after?

no.

It is amazing,,, but I have seen several other posts where people have gotten bad thermostats brand new...
It might be best to test them in water on the stove and a thermometer before going to the trouble to install them...

Nice work! I know exactly what you were feeling. I have a Saab head gasket in my near future, I'm pretty confident about it but still nervous. Kind of a mental block I guess...

Its great that you figured out that your themostat was the problem before you tried a bunch of other stuff and wasted tons of time and money.

That is actually the first thing I thought of (things I've read on this board!) when it happened (I think that's what kept me from freaking out). Another guy on a Honda board mentioned testing the thermo before install too (for future reference). Yea, when I put the second new one in, it ran right below the half way mark. I was so happy, I was doing cartwheels in my driveway!

Thanks! It was a total mental block for me. I did so much work on this car and made less on it than one I sold prior with hardly any work at all. But the learning experience was well worth it. I can't wait to do my next one. Maybe you could take some pics when you do your job too?

I suppose I could, truthfully I'm embarrassed about the car. The guy I bought it from did a great 'shoeshine and duct tape' job on it and I got totally burned. Since I didn't want to do the same thing to anyone else I've been doing tons of work to get it up to a resonable spec. I'll never make my money back but I suppose I've learned alot. Now I'd see this moneypit coming a mile off.

It does photograph well though...

Your right, it is a very pretty car. I almost bought a Saab from a girlfriend back about seven years ago. The car was fast and I really liked it. But she said it was a money pit and really didn't want to sell it to me. It was a 900 or 9000s?? I can't remember...

I gave more time and money on this car than I really wanted to. But in the end it was the experience that I know will help me down the road. I'm sure you'll have no trouble selling her once you do the remaining work.

Sounds better than my first head gasket job...I only got halfway through it before we found that the engine was trashed. The owner had let the truck sit for about a year and a half, with water in the #1 cylinder. Can you say "Rust"? :rolleyes: He decided that rebuilding the engine wasn't worth the trouble, so out it went...

Re: First Head Gasket Job
 

Don't worry, there's always a home here with the rest of us Benz-finatic-dorks!! :D

I knew where I could find people who would see the fun in it.