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Mk2Cav owner needs help!!!

Guest lou1984

By Guest lou1984
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Guest lou1984

Guest lou1984

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Hi all im new here,

I am a girly n a proud owner of a 1987 Cavalier LX with the go faster stripe the racing bucket seats n alloys as standard. one biiiig problem!!! The head gasket has blown and from reading my trusted Haynes manual I kno I may be able to dismantle it and replace the gasket but i dont think i will b able to put it back together again. Im not sure i have a torque wrench either!!! is it worth me trying or should I wait til i can afford a mechanic?? ???

HELP!!!!

Lou xxx :'(

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Karol CDTi Newbie

Karol CDTi

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Hi Girlie and welcome to the site. If you are fairly mechnacial minded you can do it your self. It not an easy job to be done as the timing belt has to come off. So you will need to know how to set the timing on it again. Also as you are a girl you are going to be in bother lossing  the head stud as these can be tight as times. ;)

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Frisco Contributor

Frisco

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Also as you are a girl you are going to be in bother lossing  the head stud as these can be tight as times. ;)

Do you find you get slaped alot at the weekend Karol ;D

Welcome to the site lou

Id say if your questioning weather you can do the head gasket or not then dont.

Its not worth spending time and money tring if your not sure if you can, there is a bit of work in it ;)

If you do try it make sure you get the head skimmed as you'd be wasting your time otherwise

What would Gordon do?

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Calibre Turbo Newbie

Calibre Turbo

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Valid point there Frisco!!I'd say it depends how confident you are,and how skilled as in my measly opinion the 8 valves aren't too complicated.If not,Where abouts are you from Lou?I'm sure there must be some of your friends/or members here that may live locally to point you in the direction of suitable help!? ???But as Frisco suggested def get the head checked/skimmed,as my friend did his 1.3 once,didn't check it,and had to do it all again!! ::) P.s don't kill me,but only recently just broke an f plate lx  :'( if your stuck for anything! James

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Guest lou1984

Guest lou1984

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Hi all thanx for replying. I am fairly confident at most things, I dont doubt i'd be able to strip it down and replace the gasket (skimming aside) im jus not too confident i could get it all back together again!! lol >:(

No i wont kill you for breaking an F plate its a shame but life goes on. im not sure right now of any bits i need but if anyone wishes to offer a girly help i live in poole in dorset?? my hubby reckons i should get a new car with power steering and air bags?? who wants that?? with a MK2 Cav if im in an accident the other car is guna come off worse. i kno iv seen it lol!!

New Car!!! Sacrilege!!!

:) :) :);)

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Guest zero-defects

Guest zero-defects

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What's the WORST that can happen ? 

It takes longer than you thought ? 

The Haynes manual is just about up to the job although I'm sure a few people have tips which might help.  My tip is : Budget on a new water pump, once you've got the head off it's an easy job and at least it will be easy to adjust the timing belt.  U Should put new Studs in and a decent Torque wrench can be had on Egay for buttons. (I have one on Permanent test loan from work ;D ;D)  Oh and a head skim is usually worth about 40 to 60 quid.   

I believe Dougie did a head gasket on a 2.0 SEH for a total of 8 quid. but my recent one was done by a garage and cost me more than the car might actually be worth (My excuse is : I'm a chartered manufacturing engineer, so why would I want to get my hards dirty in my spare time too) (My other excuse is : My Saloon is needed for work and I could not afford to be without a car for too long, and it was raining and blah blah blah)

Your Hubby sounds like a Registration number snob and we expect lots of laughs when you recount his misapprehensions over the years. 

Power Steering ? well on the 1.6 I had, the lack of it was the one reason my wife did not like to drive it.  On the Cdi Auto I had, I enjoyed the luxury, of pas, but was always paranoid that it might start leaking.  Wifey would not drive it cause it was an auto and smelt of oil (leaked a bit!!! ;D)

When I bought the SRi I was debating what could be swapped from the Cdi, but Dougie was quite influencial in my descision not to swap anything.  Something about POwer to weight ratio and PAS sapping power and weighing more.  Now that my wife has a mark 3 with PAS she finds the SRi impossible to park.  I love it the way it is with lots of feel.  but I think I'd like Jill to be able to enjoy it a bit (she hates it but loves me) more.

As for Crash worthyness ?  Cars today are designed to pass the NCAP ratings, and rusty cars fall apart in an impact, and the Cav was not bad in it's time, but your hubbies comments about airbags make me laugh. 

If the car companies were really interested in safety, they would fit a full titanium roll cage, pumped in fire extinusher, 5 point harnesses, etc.  What would you rather crash ? a rally car with NO airbag, or a new car?

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Calibre Turbo Newbie

Calibre Turbo

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What's the WORST that can happen ? 

  What would you rather crash ? a rally car with NO airbag, or a new car?

lmfao you have a very good point there chap,so far mine has survived TWO :o french cars performing lemming impersonations into the side of it,one of which was a write off!!lol (thats what happens when a 106 tries to push a mk2 across a round about) cavalier 2 *cough* peugeot 0  ;D :laugh:

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corey Newbie

corey

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Hi all thanx for replying. I am fairly confident at most things, I dont doubt i'd be able to strip it down and replace the gasket (skimming aside) im jus not too confident i could get it all back together again!! lol >:(

No i wont kill you for breaking an F plate its a shame but life goes on. im not sure right now of any bits i need but if anyone wishes to offer a girly help i live in poole in dorset?? my hubby reckons i should get a new car with power steering and air bags?? who wants that?? with a MK2 Cav if im in an accident the other car is guna come off worse. i kno iv seen it lol!!

New Car!!! Sacrilege!!!

:) :) :);)

hi there im a mechanic in salisbury, probably not very far from u 30mins, it wouldnt be a problem sorting your head gasket

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Guest lou1984

Guest lou1984

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Hi Corey No Salisbury isnt too far away the million dollar question is.... How much would it cost?? sadly I'm a housewife on vvv little money and have an expensive year this year as it is?!!! :P

It would be great if you could help tho!!! I'd be enormously grateful!! Were u thinkin of me bringin the car or u comin to see it?? :)

Thanks everone for your replies and not for jus laughing me off the site!! Iv had plenty of people laugh at me for being female and fixing my own car cos somehow having breasts makes me incapable of doin it??? i think not!!

Lou xxx

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corey Newbie

corey

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Hi Corey No Salisbury isnt too far away the million dollar question is.... How much would it cost?? sadly I'm a housewife on vvv little money and have an expensive year this year as it is?!!! :P

It would be great if you could help tho!!! I'd be enormously grateful!! Were u thinkin of me bringin the car or u comin to see it?? :)

Thanks everone for your replies and not for jus laughing me off the site!! Iv had plenty of people laugh at me for being female and fixing my own car cos somehow having breasts makes me incapable of doin it??? i think not!!

Lou xxx

hi lou,it wouldnt cost very much at all as its a very simple job, having breasts mates no difference, as my missus fitted a carb on her own ! nice to see the ladies getting stuck in, if u pm me and we could arrange to meet up and ill have a look, corey

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