Hi,

So the head gasket on the Cinq Sporting finally gave up today.

What I've bought so far includes:

Head gasket kit
Cambelt kit
Oil & filter
Head bolts

I've read about the general procedure and it doesn't look to bad, I was just wondering if anyone has any tips from experience?

I'm hoping the head isn't damaged and I can just fit the new gasket.

Thanks

For the money involved you'd be as well replacing the water pump and aux belt, possibly even the tensioner, while you're there and have the belt off. As I understand it a skim is also highly recommended.

Get it skimmed. It's the only way you'll know for sure it's flat, and it renders it squeaky clean. Mating surfaces should be spotless. Use a decent solvent -- panel wipe, acetone, on the block face after scraping. It makes sense to get the valves re-cut (you'll have to re-shim the valve clearances assuming 1108).

Threaded holes (for the head bolts) should be free of crud and oil (Q tip and solvent). Use a sharrp knife to cut off the old valve stem oil seals -- it's easy to break the guides.

Fresh coolant.

Try and work out why the gasket failed in the first place -- it's rare for them to just give up.

So it is definitely a must to get it skimmed? It didn't really overheat as I switched it off about 5 seconds after the temp went above 100 C.

I was going to see how well the valves seal, and check flatness with a rule and feeler gauges.

The cam belt kit comes with the tensioner, I wasn't going to replace the water pump unless it looked like it needs it. It has already had a cam belt change, but I thought I'd change it wile it is off for the sake of £20.

Check it religiously. Face plate/glass sheet or piece of marble recommended. I usually get the head skimmed and the valves re-cut for less than £30.

well none of the bits are expensive, just makes sense to change them while its apart. If your happy its not overheated you may try swapping the HG without a skim, i have done the same a few times and sometimes its ok and sometimes its not.

Are you 100% the HG has even gone or did the car just overheat and you presumed its the HG? I would do a wet&dry compression test first before i start taking it apart..

Well it didn't just overheat. For a while before, it started running very badly, misfiring.

It got gradually worse, then the temperature gauge shot up and steam came out of the bonnet and I shut it off.

There was also steam coming out of what looked like the head gasket when it was running roughly.

I am fairly confident it is the head gasket, I'll only know for sure how bad it is when I strip it down.