6 replies to this topic

[chadd123]

~~~~~Please delete this text before posting the topic~~~~~~
Please give your topic a title that quickly describes your problem. Just putting 'Help my Mini doesn't work' is useless to anyone trying to help.
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Model: mayfair
Year:1987
Description of problem (please be as in depth as possible):
head gasket gone


[b]Any non-standard parts that might be involved with the problem?
how esy is it to change the head gasket

[chadd123]

~~~~~Please delete this text before posting the topic~~~~~~
Please give your topic a title that quickly describes your problem. Just putting 'Help my Mini doesn't work' is useless to anyone trying to help.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Model: mayfair
Year:1987
Description of problem (please be as in depth as possible):
head gasket gone


[b]Any non-standard parts that might be involved with the problem?
how esy is it to change the head gasket

[jaydee]

Depending on how much are the nuts are stiff, how much residue the old galsket left on you head (sometimes u'll need skimming) and how much are u experienced.
How to do it is covered on haynes manual step by step, theres nothing tricky. Once fitted and head torqued to 50 lbs U have to re-torque head after 500 miles.
I've got to do one tomorrow, blown head gasket on a 1275 cooper spi..hope it wont require skimming..

[Pauly]

Without the need of skimming, then I would be surpised if it takes you a day, straight foward enough to do, just follow haynes religously, takes me about an 1 hour/ 1 1/2 hours to do?

Paul.

[chadd123]

How can you tell if the head needs skiming cheers chad

[jaydee]

Yes, one hour. Tomorrow i'm gonna have 4 hours to: replace head gasket to the cooper, fitting lower arms to the checkmate and removing rear hubs, and obviously having a coffee break with friends every 30 mins..lol

[MRA]

How can you tell if the head needs skiming cheers chad

You have to use a calibtated straight edge and a set of feeler gauges........ ensuring the head is clean, no not cleanish..... clean ! then place the straight edge on the head (gasket face) and try to get a feeler gaufe underneath, with just gentle sliding.... a few thousandths of an inch will not give you any issues, its fairly rare for an "A" or "A+" head to warp, primarily because they are cast steel, warping is more commonly associated with alluminium heads and blocks

Another reason to skim a block or head which is definately more common on the "A" & "A+" heads is gasket failure..... causing blow by between cylinders, especially so on turbo or supercharged engines, where it melts and burns away a small section of the head or more often block...

Edited by mra-minis.co.uk, 01 May 2009 - 10:06 PM.