Replacing Head Gaskets

[BMGmotors]

Hi, it seems I have a blown head gasket on my 4.0 1997 Defender 90 so I'm planning on replacing both of them this weekend. Can anybody give me any tips, points of reference, how to's, etc.? Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[antichrist]

Do you have the shop manual, head set, new head bolts, a machine shop lined up to check the heads for warp, a torque angle gauge, know how to calibrate your torque wrench?

 

[BMGmotors]

don't have a shop manual, what do you mean by torque angle guage? I have a torque wrench that indicates lbs./square feet

 

[BMGmotors]

I'm changing the head gaskets because there is a small coolant leak, but the engine has never been overheated in its 63,000 miles, is it really necessary that I get the heads checked for warp?

 

[joey]

It never hurts to have the heads checked while you have them off... manual or RAVE if you don't have it can be found via the link in my signature

 

[TS888]

You should get a shop manual. Even a Haynes will be cheap insurance if you have never cracked open an engine before. It's not rocket science, but it's a bit more complex than changing a flat tire.