How to Change a Head Gasket on a Chevy 292

A car's head gasket provides a seal between the head (where all the valves and rollers are located) and the block (the "main part of the engine" that houses the camshaft and part of the pistons). If the engine gets too hot while it's running, sometimes the head gasket will fail and cause a leak. This is very detrimental for engine performance and could lead to much worse problems. Here's how to change the head gasket on your Chevrolet 292.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Socket wrenches
• Small sticky notes
• Pen
• New head gasket
• Degreaser

1. Pop the hood of the Chevy, and disconnect the battery terminals with the socket wrenches.

2. Disconnect all the wiring and any tubes connected to the top of the head. Use small sticky notes and a pen to label the location of each wire as you disconnect it, and set them to the side in the engine to keep them out of the way.

3. Use the socket wrenches to unbolt the head assembly; then slide the timing belt off the pulley.

4. Slide the head off the block, and use the degreaser to clean all the mating surfaces thoroughly.

5. Slide the new head gasket into place on the block, and then slide the head back on top of that. Tighten down the head bolts. Slide the timing belt back onto the timing gear.

6. Reattach all the wiring and tubes according to your notes. Reconnect the battery cables.

Tips & Warnings

• Have your vehicle's owner manual handy so you can read the pattern and torque specs for the head bolts as you tighten them down. This will prevent you from breaking them or not getting the head tightened properly, causing another blown head gasket.

References

• HondaSwap.com

Resources

• 67-72 Chevy trucks forum

Who Can Help Sponsored