Wish me luck...

If you need to buy a torque wrench, check Sears for the old craftsman torque wrench with the deflection guage--about $50 cheaper than the newfangled one.
 
Actually LOT'S of good advice on here, especially Josh's (wouldn't let me add rep!) of getting the head checked at a machine shop. I dunno what the usual thing is these days, but in my day you could get a machine shop to hot tank it, check for cracks (with was it magnaflux?), and do the valves.

Just be verry verrrry careful to have as clean of an environment while putting that puppy back together. A grain of sand at the cylinder wall can be a drag.
 
Wow, thanks guys! Let's see, where to begin? First, I am using the Auto shop on base, they'll be providing most of the tools. Myself and a few friends will push the car over there tonight to avoid words with the MPs (we work night shift). I do have some engine cleaner and plan to do that first thing. It's not too dirty, so a few minutes with a rag should do the trick. Thankfully this car broke so quickly I never had a chance to sell my old one, so I do have transportation if I need parts or anything. I've already got a machinist lined up to resurface the head, and coolant, oil, radiator cleaner, etc. to get it running once it's back together. My dad had a great suggestion to use cheap oil and change it after about 500 miles to make sure all of the coolant is out of the system. I've got tape and a marker to number all of the hoses, wires and such, and I'll be using my digital camera to take snapshots as it all comes apart. Plus I've read through the manual about five times. :) Oh, and I'm changing out the head studs as well as the gasket, since they're probably stretched from the last time it was taken apart. That could easily explain why the gasket blew again so quickly. Thanks again for all of the smoke and advice, I'll post an update tomorrow.
 
zip-ties can be useful for keeping parts together, especially if you thread them through screw holes and such to maintain the orientation of parts once you have them disassembled.
 
Take your time and avoid cutting corners. Someone in the committee will say "just do X 'cause that's good enough." Find a polite way to ignore him.

Your dad's idea of changing oil at 500 miles might be wasteful. But I approve. Thank your dad. It might be the smallest amount of money you waste.

Parts are cheap.
 
You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Roadrunner again.


You are under-going a rite of passage. Purify yourself before-hand, and properly annoint yourself (internally) afterwards.

Great news that you have shop access.
 
Kismet said:
You are under-going a rite of passage. Purify yourself before-hand, and properly annoint yourself (internally) afterwards.
Click to expand...

For changing the head (oil), a nice dark stout is best. For the cooling system, amber ale, for electrical, vodka Collins has brought me good luck.

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I don't like to work on cars, but stay calm, Don't pull a Jim and blow your top. I'll bet you will be fine...
 
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