Has anyone successfully removed and refitted a cylinder head on a wet liner engine without disturbing the liners?
I appreciate once the head is off the liners need to be clamped firmly in place if the engine is going to be rotated.
Your advice and experience would be appreciated
never had a problem as i have always locked the crank, if the engine is very old or has had low antifreeze % the seal may suffer but thats how long
your piece of string is.
Thanks for your input.
I should have mentioned that whilst disturbed wet liners can have new bottom seals fitted I'm keen to avoid having to do this unless I have
to.
With cast iron engine blocks (Pinto) I've just removed the head bolts, dislodged the head and lifted it away. My understanding with a wet liner
engine is to remove the head bolts and try and rock the head away from the block to avoid disturbing the wet liners.
Remove the head bolts then see if you can get the head to rotate around the block to release it before lifting .
I had the head off my 907 to change an exhaust valve.
Lotus do different thickness head gaskets so the idea is to use the next size up each time. (I think there are four)
When you run out you then have to replace the bottom seals.
Paul G
Yes, done it a number of times on my Skoda Estelle trials car. I have pieces of steel bar that are drilled so that a head bolt can go through and they jst touch the liners and hold them in place. This allows you to turn the engine over if required and the liners stay in place of course.
What engine are you taking the head off ?
Lock the crank in position if poss and don't rotate anything
You'll already know about using a straight edge and feelers to check the liner height
quote:
Originally posted by myke pocock
Yes, done it a number of times on my Skoda Estelle trials car. I have pieces of steel bar that are drilled so that a head bolt can go through and they jst touch the liners and hold them in place. This allows you to turn the engine over if required and the liners stay in place of course.
quote:
Originally posted by perksy
What engine are you taking the head off ?
Lock the crank in position if poss and don't rotate anything
You'll already know about using a straight edge and feelers to check the liner height
Iirc these have 'paper' gaskets at the bottom of the liners?
Remember speaking to a mechanic at the local Peugeot dealer and he reckoned it was quicker for them to pull the engine and do a 205 GTI headgasket
replacement on the engine stand rather than do it in the car ?
Not sure about that, but I remember losing some skin doing a timing belt on one of these in the car 
One of the cars I worked on, Lotus Europa/Renault or Elite/907 you had to retain one of the centre head bolts
and rotate the head to break the gasket seal rather than lifting/rocking it to avoid the liners moving.
Can’t remember which Peugeot engine it was but a lad I worked with did a head gasket on it and found out on reassembling one of the head bolts is shorter than the others, when he tightened the bolts one broke through the block . Make sure you make a note or keep them in order.
quote:
Originally posted by perksy
Iirc these have 'paper' gaskets at the bottom of the liners?
Remember speaking to a mechanic at the local Peugeot dealer and he reckoned it was quicker for them to pull the engine and do a 205 GTI headgasket replacement on the engine stand rather than do it in the car ?
Not sure about that, but I remember losing some skin doing a timing belt on one of these in the car