Head removal? tips
- Thread starter gmustangt
- Start date
Pull your can and and get a cool whip dish and a gallon bucket. You can prop the cool whip dish to drain into the bucket where the can sits, just pull the hose off of the bottle and let it drain into the dish and then run from there into the bucket you can then drain the hose into the bucket without spilling a drop. I also put a little hylamar on the shoulders of the bolts when i put them back in, probably not necessary but i did it.
Loosen the thermostat bolts before the headbolts. Definately put pipe thread sealant under the head of each bolt. Get a couple of long bolts or some old head bolts and cut the head off, use these at opposite ends of the cylinders to align the head and lessen the chance of a pinched o-ring. Make sure that the o-rings are not twisted in any way and sit in the groove without popping out.
We use a shop vac with gas line taped into the end. Suck the coolant right out of the bottle until you don't see it which is below the head. Therm first plus all wires and hoses. Pull the head and then use the vac to clean out the nooks and crannies. Use a little grease (just hand wet them with it) on your gaskets (always all new) and they will stay seated and in place. Use your spark plugs in place (but loose) to handle the head in and out. Also make sure you don't have coolant down in your bolt holes use your shop vac to get it all out of these holes (it changes the torque specs)...clean the threads on your bolts with a wire brush to new...put on a liquid gasket under caps..torque to 25ft lbs in sequence...reassemble hoses and wire plugs..new spark plugs..caps seated..(good time to clean your powervalves and make sure the relief holes are non carbon plugged...ALSO this is extra and probably snake oil stuff but I always rub the cylinder walls with a metal conditioner like energy release plus I check for scuffs and damage moving the pistons up and down with your primary.)
heat her up to running while bleeding the therm cap until you see clear coolant not bubbling...hand check the rear coolers and insure that you feel consistent heat on both sides. Tighten screw...THEN RUN THE SLED ROTATING THE TRACK IN REVERSE FOR A LITTLE BIT...bleed again...also not a bad idea to give the coolant bottle some shaking while you do this as it works any bubbles out. (if you get a bubble and can't work it out sometimes you have to high side the sled so the coolant bottle is the highest point and run it while violantly shaking the buggy to work out the bubbles. I've even had to go so far as walk the sled in reverse tipped on the side so the bottle was highest to work a trouble bubble out. Then recheck and retorque your head bolts to insure seat. RIp it up
heat her up to running while bleeding the therm cap until you see clear coolant not bubbling...hand check the rear coolers and insure that you feel consistent heat on both sides. Tighten screw...THEN RUN THE SLED ROTATING THE TRACK IN REVERSE FOR A LITTLE BIT...bleed again...also not a bad idea to give the coolant bottle some shaking while you do this as it works any bubbles out. (if you get a bubble and can't work it out sometimes you have to high side the sled so the coolant bottle is the highest point and run it while violantly shaking the buggy to work out the bubbles. I've even had to go so far as walk the sled in reverse tipped on the side so the bottle was highest to work a trouble bubble out. Then recheck and retorque your head bolts to insure seat. RIp it up