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Can you stick a headgasket on without taking off the intake/exhast?

S

SimpleXJ

NAXJA Forum User
Location
east coast
This is on the inline 6. I've got this old motor that seems to be leaking oil from the headgasket. I don't wanna pull it all appart and waste my time on a motor with 180K miles. I'd rather just throw a new one in there. The only way I'm gonna fix this one is if I can unbolt the head and lift it up off the block high enough to pull the old gasket out and stick the new one in. There are two problems that I can see:

1. cleaning the surface will be impossible
2. this will only work if the headgasket is steel and there's nothing to clean.

So what I'm asking is: do I have to pull the intake/exhaust manifolds off to do this and is is the headgasket metal?

Thanks all

SimpleXJ
 
You will definitely want to remove the head completely, as any residue left from the old gasket will cause problems quite quickly. The old gasket will have metal inserts around the cylinders. Removing the manifolds isn't difficult, just time consuming and a bit frustrating. Do it right the first time, save yourself a whole pile of work and expense.
 
Ok, thanks for the advice. Let me ask this now - is it possible to unbolt the intake and not unhook anything from it and sort of leave it on the side along with the exhaust... would that give me enough room to pull the head off the motor? I'm trying to make as little down time as possible, unless I'm swapping the motor.

Thank You

SimpleXJ
 
The gasket that I got from the dealer was metal - it was actually more like two thin metal plates sandwiched together. Get some head gasket spray from the dealer. It will make the surface tacky and will help with keeping it in place. And for gosh sakes - stay away from the RTV.
Yes, you will have just enough room if you unbolt the manifold from the head. I was able to pry mine back just far enough without unbolting it down further.
 
disconnect the manifold from the exhaust pipe then pull the head and manifold off as one piece. You can accomplish this job in it's entirety in about three hours if you take your time.
 
gettinbetterXJ said:
disconnect the manifold from the exhaust pipe then pull the head and manifold off as one piece. You can accomplish this job in it's entirety in about three hours if you take your time.
Click to expand...

If you're lifting out the head by hand and by yourself, I wouldn't recommend this - it's pretty heavy.
 
If you're doing it yourself, I'd take the manifolds off the head first. It's that heavy. Remember, it's a 6cyl cast iron beast. You'll still have a variety of electrical, fuel, vacuum and sensor connections to take off first.
 
I never said it was easy but at 2 in the morning before a trail run with nobody to call you can get it done alone. If you didn't have to be so damn careful not to mar the head surface which will cause leaks later it would be real easy. It's just a matter of finding the right spot to crawl on in the engine compartment.
 
I did this in a Mitsu Eclipse pretty much out of desperation. I unhooked the exhaust, removed the head bolts and using a hoist, I lifted the head/intake 2 inches, enough to clean things as good as possible and to slide the new head gasket in. It ran good until I sold it.
 
Thanks guys, I realize its a heavy iron head. But I'm not sure my question is answered... I'd like to leave all the electrical and vaccuum crap connected to the intake and just unbolt it and the exhaust manifolds from the head. Would I be able to lift the head out with intake still there and all its wiring/hoses connected?

Thanks

SimpleXJ
 
Most of the stuff you can leave attached but some of it will have to be removed since it will get in your way in removing the head. It seems like a pain to remove everything but in the long run it will make the job a whole lot easier. When I did my rebuild I tried to take off as little as possible and I ended up taking most everything out of the way in the end. There are one or two bolts to the intake/exhaust manifolds that are hard to get to and you will want as much space to work as possible. Good luck and let us know how it goes.
 
Seemed like when I swapped motors in my MJ, all I unhooked from the intake was the 2 fuel lines and the rubber 'snorkel thingy' that connects the airbox to the TB

I tied the intake/TB assembly as high as I could get it to the hood bracing.

There was room to swap the 4.0 so there would also be room to pull the head.

The exhaust/intake gasket would need replaced too, along with a set of fuel line O-rings.

I second to insure it's the head gasket and not the very leak-prone valve-cover... gasket.
 
The reason I think its the head gasket is because I've already replaced just about everything else (that was also leaking) like oil pres. sender, valve cover gasket, timing cover gasket, took out the distributor and didn't see a gasket there so I put a dab of RTV on it. Still losing oil like crazy. I see some leaking right where the head meets the block. This isn't enough to explain ALL the oil I'm losing but I'm sure a lot of it is leaking into the cylinders on the inside.

Do these pics help?

leak1.jpg


leak2.jpg



SimpleXJ
 
Looks like you correctly diagnosed the source of the leak. What year is your Cherokee? I read a TSB for my '90 4.0 that described a new head gasket that was made available to fix a leak from the pushrod holes to the outside. IIRC the new gasket has a small bead of RTV around this area.
MoFo
 
The jeep that's leaking is an '88, so I suppose it would fall into the "old" headgasket category. Are you saying this is a common problem on the older models? If so, this further confirms this IS the problem. I didn't wanna find out the rings are bad or something, but I still may. If the headgaskets are common for leaks that gives good hope.

SimpleXJ
 
Last edited:
When I pulled the head off my old ford I-6 300. It was a hoss. I left the exhaust manifold on it, but removed the intake. I actually used a chainfall to remove the head I removed the hood to help lift it almost straight out.
 
SimpleXJ said:
Thanks guys, I realize its a heavy iron head. But I'm not sure my question is answered... I'd like to leave all the electrical and vaccuum crap connected to the intake and just unbolt it and the exhaust manifolds from the head. Would I be able to lift the head out with intake still there and all its wiring/hoses connected?

Thanks

SimpleXJ
Click to expand...

As to your question of unbolting the manifolds. That is the normal shop method of doing it. Just unbolt both manifolds from the head and pull/tie them out of the way enough to clear the studs. There will be planty of space to get the head out. Good luck
 
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