The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Head Gasket Replacement

Is replacing a head gasket on a 216 as simple as removing the head, getting it machined and putting it back together with the gasket?

Well yes. One thing I would suggest is to retorque the head after the motor has been warmed up to temperature. I found that some of the torque values were down about 20 ft/lbs at that point. One year later they haven't changed.

There is no lever to pull & remove it but it is not a hard job as head gaskets go. You need to unbolt the manifolds & set them aside. Remove the valve cover & rocker shafts. Pull out the push rods & keep them in order to go back in the same hole. Remove the headbolts & take off the head. You will have to use a torque wrench when you replace the bolts & adjust the valves. A manual is a must.

OK, if we are getting into details, here is a helpful hint.

When installing the manifolds, it is helpful to loosen the nuts holding the exhaust and the intake manifold together before mounting the assembly on the head. After the manifolds are seated the nuts can then be tightened.

just replace one on my 235. some help would have been nice! man that is one heavy chunk of iron. i bought a couple of bolts that matched the head bolts and cut the heads off for guide pins. after warming motor fro 30 mins or so, very important to retorque head bolts. i referenced torque specs and patterns from
http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/shop/1954truck/index.html
good luck. cc

As CCB points out the head is HEAVY. It would make an excellent anchor for a large boat. Get some help unless you like having a bad back.

I used to lift them off and on, but that was 40 years ago. Making a couple of guides out of old head bolts or buying a couple of bolts is very important. While you have things apart, I would suggest taking the intake/exhaust manifolds off and either lay a straight edge across them or take them to your machinist along with the head. Quite often they will be warped and will crack when you reinstall them. A machine shop can true them with a belt sander. Since I have gotten too old to lift heads and I usually lift heads by myself, I take the hood off and use some kind of lifting device. I also have a couple of bolts that fit in the rocker mounting holes with a T welded to them. It sure makes it easier to carry the head around.

I lift the head off and on myself as follows:
I make a support area on the fender using cloth padding, then bubble wrap or something to fill in the low areas and then a flat board. I then climb in under the hood, lean over, remove the head and place it on the board. I usuully unhook the fuel line from the pump to the carb to give me some foot space in there because I stand on the frame. I think the AD truck almost has more room under the hood than in the cab! I am six feet tall and this works for me.

I see no one has mentioned the little oil line that feeds the rocker shaft.

Do take care not to damage it , it's a little tricky to replace.....

Oh, and you only need to get the head machined if it is warped. Otherwise , save your money.

I had to replace the headgasket on the '40 a year or 2 ago. it blew between 2 cyls. But there was no warpage , just old gasket that decided enough was enough. It's all good now.

I was just reading the other post about this head. Lode51, if your motor has hydraulic lifters then it is from a car, not a truck. If you remove the side cover, you will see the tops of the lifters. Solid lifters have a cup shaped socket protruding above the lifter whereas hydraulics don't but you can see a spring retainer in the lifter. The adjutment is different for each type.