How to Replace the Head Gasket on a Chevrolet Venture

by Renee Booker

A faulty head gasket can be a very serious problem for the health of an engine, allowing engine coolant to leak into combustion chambers and causing hydro lock. Hydro lock occurs when engine coolant enters the combustion chamber of an engine and cannot be compressed by the upward motion of the piston, usually resulting in catastrophic engine failure.

Step 1

Remove necessary parts, including the throttle linkage from the throttle body, air-conditioning compressor, alternator, power-steering pump, drive belts, intake manifold, intake manifold gasket as well as the exhaust manifold attached to the cylinder head with the faulty gasket.

Step 2

Disassemble and remove the cylinder head by removing the valve cover from the top of the cylinder head with a box end wrench, then remove the rocker arms using a socket wrench and pull out the pushrods. Next, easily remove the cylinder head bolts and the head from the engine.

Step 3

Place the new gasket on the engine block and place the cylinder head on top. Torque cylinder head bolts to 65 pound-feet using a torque wrench while making sure to tighten bolts in a crisscross pattern. Torque should be applied in 20 foot-pound increments to all bolts.

Step 4

Reassemble engine components in reverse disassembly order, starting with the exhaust manifold. Replace all gaskets and tighten all fasteners using the torque wrench to factory specifications.

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