changing head gasket

[nickeboy 0]

i am in the middle of changing my head gasket on a 93vr6 160.000 miles, i have everything of and i am unsure about a couple of things

 

first to get the chain of the cams, do i need to remove the cams? i hear you can take the sprockets of the end but it is a hard way to do it,

 

the second prob is the chain tensioner pad has worn down and broken at the rivets, can i replace this without removing the gearbox which i really dont want to do

 

thanks

 

Nick

[andy 0]

From memory, you can just take the sprockets off, you shouldn't need to remove the cams separately to remove the head. Tensioner wise, you'll have to take the gearbox off to replace the tensioner pad, just a fact of life with the VR I'm afraid.

[tonedef 9]

If you can take the sprockets off.....mine refused totally even out of the car with the cam shaft in the vice......broke a Snap-On socket in the process even! When I bought the 268s I ended up buying new sprockets, bolts and timing sender as they are so damn tight.

 

It is possible to get the cams out with the sprockets still on although it's a bit tricky getting the first one past the chain, just persevere!

 

The gearbox is not too bad, I removed and refitted it on my own, left hand on the top of the block to prop myself up and lift the box out with the right hand grabbing the gear selector mechanism.......hurts a bit at the time but you feel like a star after!!!

[nickeboy 0]

can any one tell me were i can get a chain upper tensioner and poss a lower one also i have not got that far yet but i imagine it is no better than the top one, also do people recommend new chain guides?, i don't think i will replace the chains as it seems to be the view that they are fine to stay in, i have got most stuff from gsf but they dont stock the guides and tensioners, also i heard on the forum about mk4 parts?

 

if any one can tell me what bolts i need to replace in the proccedure it would be great,

 

here is what i am replacing o far

 

Head gasket, i have a head gasket set coming from gsf so that should have botls etc

clutch, the current one seems fine but i dont fancy taking the gearbox of again

clutch release bearing

chain guides and tensioners

 

thanks Nick