Head Gasket Replacement || Part 1: Removal

[@dudewecanfixit]

0:00 Introduction 0:16 Diagnostic 1:06 Remove Intake 2:46 Radiator Hose 3:51 Serpentine Belt 4:05 Battery 4:24 Alternator 5:26 Power Steering Bracket 7:07 Coil Packs 9:43 Intake 16:30 Valve Cover 18:00 Spark Plugs 19:03 Exhaust Manifold 21:35 Rocker Arms & Pushrods 23:36 Head Bolts 25:35 Remove Heads 28:13 Outro

[@pmotorsports8276]

Is it a notched head with wrong gasket?

[@expediteplanb7443]

This is hands down the best “How to” video for removing and reinstalling the heads on a LS on KZbin. Thanks you, and great job!

[@dudewecanfixit]

Thank you so much! It means a lot to me. Please subscribe to our channel

[@TDubYa.79]

Dude I can fix it. Repair shop wanted $1,500 to remove heads and extract broken manifold bolts on my heads. I can do it myself by watching this video. Been a great help and save me a lot of money

[@dudewecanfixit]

Good for you! Also getting to know your truck better is a good side effect.

[@TDubYa.79]

@@dudewecanfixit I was also able to replace rusted fenders new core support mounts and fix a power steering leak while I was in there

[@pmotorsports8276]

There's Dorman parts that don't require removal of head

[@dudewecanfixit]

Please elaborate. I have a 6.0 that has a couple broken manifold bolts

[@TDubYa.79]

@@dudewecanfixit it's a $12 bracket that bolts to the back and front of the head with a bolt that tightens up the corner of the manifold by applying pressure. Works good on the corners. If you have multiple bolts broken it doesn't help too much on the middle ones

[@RamzyTheDad]

This is now my favorite car repair channel. THANK YOU for the clear instructions and advice whilst going through it. I also like how you explained how to do it if your engine has the tow package. WHAT A PRO! Also thank you for the telling us what tools you're using. So many repair jobs could be so much easier if you have just that one tool (like the ractcheting wrench you used). Youre the man! Dude... we CAN fix it!

[@dudewecanfixit]

Thanks, I appreciate the thorough feedback! Please subscribe to our channel!

[@RamzyTheDad]

@@dudewecanfixit subscriber for life!

[@autodidact7127]

Man I love this channel. Just needs a bit more exposure. Better quality than many other car channels in terms of instruction. You've got what it takes man.

[@dudewecanfixit]

Thanks, we are trying to grow our channel! Please subscribe and share!

[@mikeanderson1139]

I am a beginner auto technician, and this video is a lifesaver.

[@dudewecanfixit]

Stoked we were able to help!

[@amsolutions247llc3]

Beautiful video! So happy to see y'all posting regularly again!

[@dudewecanfixitshorts]

It’s amazing

[@mwa1252]

Great video. Seems like the most difficult part of a job like this is remembering how to put it all back together.

[@dudewecanfixit]

Yes, that and hoping that it all cranks up properly

[@eciura1]

Best method is use a legal pad and write down every step when complete, 1, 2, 3, etc. Use painter tape to match mark connections and mark them with a number corresponding to the 1, 2, 3 steps, etc. Work back in reverse order and cross off those written steps as you go back together.

[@ThomasBilt]

I love the trucks, im having to replace one of my 300k mile 706 heads as it cracked, allowing coolant in. They're so easy to work on its insane. Gotta be careful of buying knockoff parts, stay away from amazon.

[@dudewecanfixit]

Yeah, they're great engines!

[@natmidnite]

I curious what caused the head gasket leak in the first place. Is it possible the heads are warped or??? How do you know what to do once you got it apart. Just clean it and put it back together? All the videos I've watched on Chevy 5.3 Vortec the mechanic just slaps it back together with new gaskets like "that's it, all done"!. So did GM just make crappy gaskets is that why they are blowin". What should I be looking for to actually fix the problem.

[@dudewecanfixit]

I always bring the heads to a machine shop to get checked and resurfaced. The original issue (usually overheating) needs to be addressed at the same time. GM head gaskets are just fine.

[@dudewecanfixitshorts]

Finally! So excited every time I see a new video!

[@Vagos-Performance]

Most INDEPTH video i have ever seen. New sub.

[@dudewecanfixit]

Thanks! We appreciate the comment and the new sub!

[@josevaldes5002]

You made it look easy! Great video on removing & installing the heads…I have a 6.2 and the video capture of step by step is awesome and inspiring…thank you!!

[@dudewecanfixit]

Awesome, thank you! That's what we are here for. Hope new gained your subscription!

[@terrymcquade8341]

How many miles were on that engine when this was done? Great instructional video! I always understand better seeing it done step by step.

[@dudewecanfixit]

200k miles

[@saltylegion6288]

Thank you so much for this video! I'm in the process of using your 2 videos on this to do the head gaskets on my 04 silverado! So far so good! Just have to take the heads off and clean stuff up and then start putting it back together again! Great video!

[@dudewecanfixit]

Thanks, keep at it!

[@willgrimsley803]

Great video, got me through my repair! By far the best video on this topic out there. Gave me the confidence to do it myself.

[@dudewecanfixit]

I'm glad it was useful to you!

[@pierreghabache2407]

Merci beaucoup !! It helped me a lot with my GMC yukon. I love these good cars, I want to keep mine alive for decades!

[@dudewecanfixit]

They are very solid, keep it alive!

[@kirtonvincent]

Great video bro ! That ratchet is probably your favorite I have one also I can’t find them in other sizes

[@PRGuanica]

Great video dude, you are by far the best explanation mechanic. This is one project I might have to do to my GMC Sierra 08, and watching this video, I know I can do it. Thanks a bunch. Just subscribed.

[@dudewecanfixit]

Thank you so much for the comment and sub! I'm glad you're part of the team now!

[@dudewecanfixit]

Go ahead and order new intake gaskets and knock sensors, lol. you might as well do the knock sensors while you have it apart

[@4NaturesStory]

The block has "cylinder block drains" on each side of the block down at the bottom for each head/side. I do it like you though, lol, because there are two to get at and they are hard to get at. Thanks for the videos!

[@4NaturesStory]

Also, when doing it without draining the block, like you did, some of the blocks thread holes fill with coolant! And then come out when putting the head back on. o:

[@dudewecanfixit]

You are correct, but removing the coolant hoses will drain most of the coolant and I always change the oil and coolant after a head job

[@rickmanon1687]

awesome video. You made it look easy, and doable. I have to do this and will be using this video for sure. Thank you.

[@dudewecanfixit]

Thanks, glad you like it!

[@brittonmajor3118]

So knowledgeable. Great video, gentleman

[@dudewecanfixit]

Thanks!

[@billysanford9799]

Great video! - I have a 2000 silverado 4.8 with cracked heads. It has 265,000 miles on it. Should I replace just the heads or just replace motor and/or transmission? Many thanks.

[@dudewecanfixit]

I would just replace the heads. The blocks are very stout and the transmission is unrelated to the issue. The heads are known to crack occasionally, so don't spend unnecessary money and time on something that isn't broken... Unless you just want to.

[@PaperroutemoeTV]

I believe I just had a blown head gasket myself , had truck on jackstands running In drive way I put It In neutral and it start idling very differently and a bunch of white smoke came hauling out the exhaust pipe and engine. Im seeing fluid around the heads only on the passenger side. truck wasnt running long at all am I good to just clean up the heads and replace head gasket or will I need to get the truck flushed or more internal work can someone help please ????

[@pbgd3]

Thanks for video. I have to do this to fix a lifter... think I'm gonna hill billy and just keep on with the heads no other issues so far.

[@dudewecanfixit]

Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@mikeblazin-game8345]

So do you not have to set cylinder #1 to TDC first?

[@dudewecanfixit]

If you're going to be cleaning the surface of the pistons, you will need to rotate the engine with the heads off anyway. So, there's no point in setting tdc before removal

[@JasonY02]

Did it actually take you 30min to remove? I think I need to do this to my 2003 6.0 but not sure it has 300k miles. Do you have to get the heads resurfaced? I don’t have that kinda money and really need this truck to get back to the oil filed. What gasket kit did you buy ?

[@dudewecanfixit]

It took a few hours to get it off. I got felpro gaskets from O'Reilly's. I definitely recommend getting the heads resurfaced. It sure would suck to put it back together and still have the same problem.

[@johnnykeoni]

What head gasket kit did you use for this?

[@dudewecanfixit]

Felpro

[@RoyalCaliQue]

How long does a job like this usually take you ? Thanks for the very informative video.

[@dudewecanfixit]

About 8 hours to remove, clean, and reassemble. Just removal, about 3 hours. Alot double that time if it's your first time. It's important to take it slow and be careful

[@RoyalCaliQue]

@@dudewecanfixit Thanks for the reply, how do I tell if my engine components are okay before replacing the head ? I don’t want to replace the head and then come to find out I have a bad engine. There’s definitely coolant going into the engine. There are no signs of milky oil but it’s losing viscosity and becoming like water. Check out my channel to see what my problem is. There’s a video showcasing the problem.

[@TheAsianHammer]

@@RoyalCaliQue You dont need to replace the head. Only the gasket. Youre engine should run pretty well but is overheating/losing coolant/Milky oil cap etc. If that's the case then it is most likely the head gasket

[@micheal7488]

I have a 2000 gmc Sierra 1500 5.3 sle I'm having trouble with the last rear head bolt by fire wall on both heads any simple way to drop those 2 bolts with ease they hit the fire wall so bolts don't drop in is there a trick too it

[@dudewecanfixit]

Maybe place the bolt in the head before you set the head in place?

[@ronniecurry8805]

Well it’s 3/3/22 2am just watched this video going to watch Pt two as I put it back step-by-step I’ve never done this b4 but I really feel confident as this video should help me any suggestions would help it’s overwhelming but I’m at peace of mind with this video

[@dudewecanfixit]

Everything that I can think of is literally in the video. Follow it step for step and you should be good

[@telcodave]

Staring at a giant puddle of coolant mixed with oil on the rear passenger side of the head, going to try and follow your video. Wish me luck

[@dudewecanfixit]

You can do it! Just take your time and be meticulous

[@jamiehall7635]

Dose it matter if the push rods go back in to the same hole?

[@dudewecanfixit]

Technically, no. But I always put them back in the same hole.

[@Mreasytoo]

How many hours would this normally take to remove just the drivers side head

[@dudewecanfixit]

Probably 3 hours or less

[@johnburgess7528]

Beautiful video!! Excellent! Thank you so much! Very professional & well executed.😁

[@dudewecanfixit]

Thank you so much for the comment! Please subscribe to our channel

[@vincehernandez4044]

How much does a job like this usually cost? Might be more than I'm comfortable doing on my own. My Tahoe has 170k miles, should I just get the engine rebuilt since it's getting taken apart?

[@dudewecanfixit]

I usually charge $500 for labor. Expect another $500 to get the heads machined, valves and seals replaced, head gaskets, oil change and fresh coolant. Not necessarily. If you do not have significant blow by and your bottom end seems to be in good shape, there is no reason to rebuild it unless you just want to.

[@jeniffergarcia7393]

You don’t need to have the piston #1 at top dead center????

[@dudewecanfixit]

Can you send me a time stamp, I'm pretty sure it's explained in the video.

[@jeniffergarcia7393]

I don’t think it’s in the videos I’m asking if I need to rotate the crank pulley and line it up with the top dead center alignment dots to put piston #1 at the top

[@jeniffergarcia7393]

@@dudewecanfixit does it neeed to be top dead center for disassembly

[@se9882]

I have a 05 Cadillac ext, after driving it around for a while it starts dumping coolant through the reservoir dump. I thought I would try replacing the reservoir cap but still dumps coolant...I'm starting to think the head gaskets are bad

[@dudewecanfixit]

It sounds like bad headgaskets. Cylinder blow -by pressurizing your coolant

[@se9882]

@@dudewecanfixit thank you for the video it is the BEST one I seen and thank you for the reply , I guess doing a leak down test would seal the deal on the bad head gasket . I have done a intake gasket on a 01 astro (with help) and a heatercore on a 98 honda accord with just looking at pictures online... your video on the head gasket is so clear thank you so much for this guide maybe I'll have a go at it.

[@dudewecanfixit]

You can do it. Just take your time, make sure everything is clean, and use the torque wrench. If you don't have one, you can rent one from the auto parts store.

[@se9882]

@@dudewecanfixit any opinions on head gaskets ? should I go with OEM or Is there a alternative option?

[@dudewecanfixit]

OEM or felpro

[@WendzDarKnight08]

I’m stuck at getting the head bolts off that are located under the exhaust manifold. I don’t want to take off the three bolts to the exhaust

[@dudewecanfixit]

I don't think I took the exhaust apart. Just take the manifold bolts off the heads.

[@WendzDarKnight08]

@@dudewecanfixit I couldn’t do it. So I took the driver exhaust manifold off and that did it

[@mikerusso4775]

New to the channel. How on earth did you get Mathew McConaughey to narrate your tuts for you?! Lol great vid man, thank you for your help

[@dudewecanfixit]

Thanks, lol. Are you comparing me to Mathew?

[@mikerusso4775]

@@dudewecanfixit I heard a similarity a handful of times but at 19:55 it's undeniable that you could do a great impression. You gotta say "Alright, alright, alriiight" in a video one day 😂😂

[@Kenichi_one]

How much do machine shops charge to resurface a head?

[@dudewecanfixit]

I haven't had one done in a while. I think it used to be $150

[@Kenichi_one]

Thanks. I am planning on doing this soon. I had a leak but I added a gasket fix solvent and it has been good for a year already but I know those are only temporary fixes.

[@dudewecanfixit]

Which gasket fix did you use?

[@Kenichi_one]

@@dudewecanfixitit was a small bottle from Oreillys. It was small and greyish color. I don’t remember the name of it. I did end up changing out both head gaskets along with exhaust gaskets and air intake gaskets. Took me 10 days since I was waiting on parts and didn’t work on it on the weekend. Everything turned out great, my oil pressure is up to normal and coolant doesn’t leak anywhere. I hope to never have to do it again 😅

[@Kenichi_one]

Btw my tahoe had 249k miles when I did it. Now 251k miles. If I make it to 300k and more I would be so happy.

[@Kenichi_one]

How can I get the diagram for the bolts ?

[@dudewecanfixit]

I paid a shop to print out the instructions from their alldata account

[@Kenichi_one]

Thanks.

[@Dreadnought69]

Hey, i knownthis is 3 year old video but if the truck is 05+ itll have electric fans only, and 04 and older only had a mech fan unless swapped to electric

[@coolpeanuts23]

Amazing as always!!

[@dudewecanfixitshorts]

Always!

[@MexicanMovie]

Saved to my favorites !

[@dudewecanfixit]

Happy we were able to help!

[@dameionduran1272]

DUDE you're a huge help!!

[@dudewecanfixit]

Thanks!

[@jamiebarrentine2721]

Fantastic video!

[@dudewecanfixit]

You’re fantastic!

[@FieldyTv]

Awesome video thank you so much

[@dudewecanfixit]

You're welcome!

[@thomasbailey9820]

Great job

[@dudewecanfixit]

Thank you! Hope it helped

[@rudolphbarthurton]

Many Thanks

[@goldienakamoto7894]

thank u so much for this u are the fckn man!!!

[@dudewecanfixit]

No problem!

[@SurvivalInFlames]

I would recommend revising this video to tell people to loosen and slowly remove the coolant reservoir cap before removing any coolant hoses like you did. There should never be pressure like that when removing a radiator hose. If that coolant was operating temperature you or someone following this tutorial could get seriously hurt.

[@dudewecanfixit]

You are correct. I will have to revisit this video

[@HF1.0]

Don’t be such a Nelly 😂 it was one of the best tutorials on YT for this job and there’s always one that has to pick out a negative in the video. I’m sure nobody diving into a job like this is trying to remove their heads after running the truck for any length of time. He’s also not responsible for people attempting to do this themselves getting hurt. I don’t think you have to revisit the video at all.

[@SurvivalInFlames]

@@HF1.0 there’s a reason why a REAL mechanic squeezes a radiator hose before taking off the radiator cap, it’s called experience. People are idiots, and if you’re going to give them step by step instructions, you might as well do it right.

[@HF1.0]

@@SurvivalInFlames If you’re a mechanic and want to make a more thorough video touching on these “safety” factors then go ahead and do so. Looked like a great step by step video to me considering how much labor is involved. If you’re trying to be a KZbin mechanic, it’s your own risk. Regardless of what the video creator included or left out. It’s your job to double check and triple check information from multiple sources. Period.

[@dannypalmer7701]

Duh