Head gasket replacment/ Can replacment

[Dune Surfer]

This will lead you through a head gasket replacment. This will also take you through the steps to replacing a cam. This is about a four hour job. Turn on some tunes, grab a drink. Lets get started!

This wiil not replace using a service manual!!!

Tools you will need: metric sockets, allins, wrenches. screwdrivers, feeler gages,rubber mallet. assembly lube, copper gasket sealer, a peice of cardboard about 10 in. by 10 in. some shop rags, two quarts of oil and a filter. a two foot piece of wire, blue locktight, and engine degreaser.

Here is how you start.

Organize your tools
Put something under your quad to protect your floor from oil
Take it out of gear
Turn off the key
Turn off the gas
Remove your seat
Remove your front plastics (you can leave the lights connected)

[Dune Surfer]

Turn off the gas

[Dune Surfer]

Remove the tank and heat shield. Find a box to keep you parts in, also when ever possible leave the fasteners in the hole they came from.

[Dune Surfer]

The heat shield removed.

[Dune Surfer]

Remove the Carb. (no need to remove the cable, let it hang off to the side) Remove the spark plug wire and the oil supply line from top of the valve cover.

[Dune Surfer]

Remove the valve adjustment caps

[Dune Surfer]

Remove the timing mark and flywheel caps on the side of the engine.

[Dune Surfer]

With a 17mm socket or T wrench turn the motor clockwise until you are on top dead center. Look through the upper hole untill you see two vertical lines followed by one horizontal line. ll-. Carefull there are other marks there. If you are at top dead center the rockers in all four valve adjustment holes will be slightly loose. If not turn the engine clockwise one full revolution untill the are.

[Dune Surfer]

Remove your exhaust. Carefull with the exhaust studs. You might want to apply a little assembly lube or oil before you take it off.

[Dune Surfer]

Take your piece of cardboard and draw a outline of the top of the valve cover. Mark where each bolt goes. This is important because the bolts are all different sizes. OK art is not my thing:ermm:

[Dune Surfer]

Remove the bolts in a criss- cross pattern and put them in your cardboard pattern

[Dune Surfer]

Now you are ready to remove the valve cover. Tap around the cover with a rubber mallet untill it breaks free. Do not use a hammer!! It can crack. Remove the cover. Carefull with the gasket. You can reuse the valve cover gasket.

[Dune Surfer]

Remove the cam chain tensioner. Carefull with this gasket also.

[Dune Surfer]

OK it's time to remove your cam. Take a deep breath. READ THIS CAREFULLY BEFORE YOU START. This is a little harder. (If you are at top dead center the lobes on the cam will be facing down and the line on the cam sprocket will line up with the head) It is best to remove the botton allen bolt first so turn the motor clockwise untill the botton allen faces up. stuff a rag in the opening where the cam chain goes so you won't drop the bolt down there. Remove the allen bolt. Remove the rag.
Turn the motor clockwise until you are back at top dead center. Put the rag back in the hole. Look at the bearings to see how they are installed. you will want to install the the same way later.
Remove the allen bolt. Slide the gear off the cam without removing the cam yet. Keep tension on the chain. Tie your wire around the chain and keeping tension on it, tie it to your handlebars. Being very carefull to not drop anything into the hole remove the cam and gear.
Good job.

[Dune Surfer]

This is how you tie up the cam chain

[Dune Surfer]

If you havn't already, remove the gasket. You can see four acorn nuts. Remove the acorn nuts. Under the acorn nut are washers. Remove them. The washer closest to the front of the motor if bigger. Remember that when you install the head. Tap the head with a rubber mallet until it comes loose. Do not pry it off with a screwdriver!!! Work your way around it with the mallet. It will come loose. Remove the head pulling the cam chain and wire through the hole. Always keep tension on the chain!! There are dowels mounted around two of the studs. Do not let them fall into the case. Once you have the head removed tie the chain back up and put a rag into the hole where the cam chain goes into the case. You can now see your piston and head gasket. Remove the gasket pulling it over the cam chain and wire. tie the wire back up.
Great your almost half way done. Easy huh?

[Dune Surfer]

It should look like this now.

[Dune Surfer]

You need to clean all of the gasket surfaces now. If they are not free of any oil or debris you will be doing this again. I like to take the valve cover, head, and cam tensioner and clean them all with degreaser.
While your at this point inspect you piston. If it has excessive carbon build up you can remove it with solvent.

[Dune Surfer]

Clean the cylinder also.

[Dune Surfer]

Once everything is clean and ready to go spray the gasket on both sides with copper gasket sealent and slide it over the wire and cam chain. Slide the head over the wire and cam chain and tie the chain back up. Install your washers and acorn nuts. Tighten the acorn nuts in a criss-cross pattern. tighten them to 33 ft lbs.
You head gasket is installed:)

[Dune Surfer]

So far so good. Its time to install the cam. Lube the surfaces the cam rides on in the head. Follow the procedures you did in reverse to install the cam.

[Dune Surfer]

Check to make sure your still at top dead center. Make sure you lube the cam lobes with assembly lube before you install it. You do not attach the gear to the cam yet. Install the bearings on both ends, set the gear behind the bearing and slide the chain over the cam. set the cam in place. Untie the wire.
When you install the cam place the lobes down and the gear with the out marking facing the outside. Install the cam chain on the gear and line up the horizantal lines on the gear up with the head. When it is in correctly the horizontal lines will match the top of the head exactly and the lobes will face down. Do not pull on the chain and turn the engine. You must get everything lined up and slip the chain on the gear. Now move the gear into position to be bolted on. Apply some blue locktight to the allen bolts and install the top bolt. Double check to be sure you are still at top dead center. Turn the motor clockwise until you can install the bottom allen bolt. Then continue turning clockwise to return to top dead center.

[Dune Surfer]

After the cam has been installed you need to install the cam tensioner. Use a small regular screwdriver to retract the tensioner. Install the tensioner and release the screwdriver. Look down the cam chain and make sure the can chain guid towards the rear of the engine is pressing tight on the cam chain.

[Dune Surfer]

Lube the rocker and sub rockers, pour in a little oil around the cam. Install your valve cover gasket and install the valve cover. Tighten in a criss-cross patern to 9ft lbs.

[Dune Surfer]

Your basicly done. You should adjust you valves, change your oil and filter and reverse your steps to install the carb, gas tank, heat shield, plastics ect... When you start the motor take it easy untill the oil works it's way into the top of the motor.
That wasn't so hard was it??

[mopar 400]

great thread very good pics alot of good info keep up the good work....:)