I have a fluidyne radiator with a stock fan and last night my car overheated when it was running in the parking lot. I toped off the coolant in the morning and now my car has white smoke and stutters at idle. I think i blew the head gasket but was wondering if it could be someing thing else. The oil and coolant did not seem to have mixed when i changed them but the oil and coolant were both old and dirty so it was hard to tell;

if it is the headgasket i have researched and found some DIY have me taking off the valves and cams is this really necessay? I have a JDM B18C with basic bolt ons (intake manifold,headers, exhaust...) and I am pretty confidant at replacing the head gasket if i don't have to play with the cams and valves.

so do i have to take off the cams & vlaves or just the timing belts with intake and ezhaust manifolds to reaplce the gasket?

thanks and any help or advice is appreciated

 

to replace the head, u need to take off the exhaust manifold, the cam caps, cams timing belt and intake manifold if u want but u can just unplug everything connected to the car to it. just take the 14 if its stock head bolts or a 13mm if its arp to the head studs and it should come right off, u dont have to take off the valves to change the head gasket. just make sure everything that connected to the head from the car is disconnected and it should be simple

 

what about the actual cams, can i leave them in just remove the cam pulleys

 

you have to remove the cams just leave the cam gears attached to the cams. you have to remove it because the head studs are right under the cam itself. the holes are where the head studs are

 

thanks for the input; will i have to take the vavles out and then do a valve adjustment?

i found this how-to but not sure if i have to all the steps

http://www.lightningmotorsport...I.htm

 

as you see in the head above, all the valve and valve train are still intact when it was removed. removing all those is not nessecary to just remove the head from block. you remove the valves only if u wanna do a valve job, port and polish and so on. its just a waste of time if your just changing the head gasket

 

good info and it is very useful

 

thanks for the input; will i have to take the vavles out and then do a valve adjustment?

i found this how-to but not sure if i have to all the steps

http://www.lightningmotorsport...I.htm

 

take a comp check/leak down test before removing the head.