Hendersauce wrote:
> Hey Mike, Thanks for the response. Turns out pops knows a bit more
> about head gaskets than I thought. He has all the tools, and we have a
> mechanic who's gonna come over and remove the head, and take it to an
> auto shop to get it milled.

do NOT get the head milled unless it is warped. i've seen many an alloy
head screwed up this way. and they get slapped back on the block
regardless so the owner has to go back again in 6 months and gets soaked
for a new motor.

1. remove head.
2. do a rough check for flatness.
3. if ok, clean it up /carefully/.
4. check for flatness again.
5. finish cleaning.
6. re-use.

google this group for recent talk-through of this procedure on an accord.

oh, and the reason milling is such a gamble is because if the cutting
piece picks up a piece of crud, it drags it all the way across the head
gouging a deeper and deeper furrow in the surface as it goes. in old
cast iron heads, this doesn't happen, so in the old days, it was ok to
do this as a routine service procedure. old habits die hard, and in
this case, can be very destructive. the head needs to be finished to
near mirror finish to give a long term seal. if you really /must/ skim
the head, make sure you inspect the work of the shop on other heads
before you let them touch yours. if they produce near mirror, go ahead
and use them. if they produce stuff with milling marks and ridges on
it, move right along. and don't believe any story about the head
needing milling marks to "grip" the gasket - that's bunk.

> I guess from then on it's a matter of a new
> gasket and putting everything back together? Should have the Haynes
> manual in the house somewhere...I really think I'll be able to get
> through this, but I'm keeping your response to look back on if need be.
> Thanks Loads...
>
> Sincerely
> Chris
>