hi Scotty! I own a 1985 Plymouth Reliant Wagon and she is in need of a new head gasket (I assume as the coolant is leaking outwards between the block and head). I am wondering if you have any advice on how to make this job as painless as possible!
I've done head gaskets. It's a big job and on a nearly 40-year-old car almost certainly there will be unexpected problems. Frankly if you have to ask how to do it and don't have someone locally to assist, you'd be better off having a mechanic do the job. However if you want to give it a try:
http://www.minimopar.net/headgasket.html
Welcome new owner. Unfortunately, that’s a really big job. The concept is simple, but in reality it’s a massive job. Maybe 10-20 hours shop time for an experienced mechanic. I don’t think “painless” is part of the equation.
See if your local library can dig up an old Chilton’s manual for your car and see if that service is in there. Should give you a good idea.
