my headgasket is gone and i'm in a bad spot right now so i'm thinking of trying to do the headgasket myself but before i try i want to know what am i getting my self in to..... how hard is it to change???

 

year make and model

 

4g63 is cake. 420a is pretty easy too except setting timing is a pita. 4g63's are really easy, expecially with arp headstuds . if you're going to go through all this trouble, take the head to the machine shop and have them resurface it. roughly around $25-50, and well worth it.

 

buy oil, filter, spark plugs, brake cleaner, razors, either oem or felpro graphite, or a mitsu 4 layer mls. if you have the money, arp headstuds are around $80 and definetly worth it. and if your timing belt or water pump is old, now is a good time to replace it.

 

Having never done a head gasket I dove into it on my car. started up fine and has been holding power ever since. I would however recommend a felt gasket instead of a metal one, the metal gasket is going to require that both the head and deck surface are like a mirror if you want it to seal correctly. I also like the idea that a felt gasket will give way before something else in the rotating assembly does.

 

nooo use metal head gasket from the dealer not a felpro your not driving a honda. have the head cut it cost more than 25$ cause the valves must be removed its around 65-75$ i believe and you will need to totally dissasamble the head. the hardest part to do is set the timing. If you have balance shafts still it will make it more difficult get a BOOK and read it and understand it befor doing this,

 

+1 on mls, i had alot of shops quote me at $45 to resurface.

 

i would like to use a mls but i got to take out the block right??

 

you dont have to take the block out lol. as long as it is a smooth, flat surface without any really bad pits it should work. get your head checked and resurfaced, and use copper coat on the head gasket.