Replacing the head gasket without having to find Top Dead Center or remove the intake/exhaust
manifolds

This procedure should apply to all 2.2 & 2.5 liter SOHC Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth engines
(It won't do any good if your head is warped or cracked)

To do this you will need:
Basic tools: good socket set, extensions, wrenches, screw drivers, etc.
Torque Wrench & hardened socket (14 or 15mm) for tightening head bolts (regular sockets may crack under high torque)
Jack/stands or ramps (needed for turbos only to get under car and disconnect turbo lines)
Paint (to mark timing belt)
Rope or cord (to hold timing belt in place)
A good repair manual (for torque specs)
Engine Hoist (to lift cylinder head) or a couple extra people & some wooden blocks
Mirror, Long arm scraper, paper towels, shop-vac & mineral spirits (for cleaning block & head)
New head gasket (don't open it up until you need it)
Valve cover gasket / RTV sealer
New head bolts (old ones can be re-used a few times but it's not a good idea)
1981-5 use 10mm bolts, 1985½ & later use 11mm bolts

It's also a good idea to change your radiator anti-freeze, thermostat, oil, & accessory drive belts while you're at it

Mopar makes four "high performance" gaskets for our cars  (cross-drilled blocks have little extra cooling holes closer to the cylinders. (O-ring gaskets are for race cars that use O-rings to seal the head)

Part Number	Applications
P4452005	Carb'd, TBI, & Turbo I
P4452006	Turbo II & cross-drilled
P4452007	regular blocks with O-rings
P4452008	cross-drilled with O-rings

Procedure
1. Disconnect battery
2. Remove upper radiator hose/thermostat
    If your car was overheating due to exhaust gas in the coolant you should drain & flush the radiator
3. (carb'd cars only) Remove the air-box & intake hose
4. (carb'd / TBI only) Remove throttle cables
5. (Turbo only) Disconnect turbo oil feed line next to the pressure switch.  Disconnect the water line under the water box.
    Jack up the car or put it on ramps (observe all safety precautions) Disconnect water & oil return lines behind the engine.
    There should be some clamps holding them on the turbo. (You may not have to undo the water line)  If you replace the hoses with longer ones only use silicone tubing.  Regular rubber tubes will crack due to the extreme heat.
6. (Turbo only) remove the turbo support bracket under the engine.  You can now put the car down. (you'll need to lift it back up to re-connect the lines and bracket later on)
7. (air conditioning only) Loosen the air conditioner compressor idler pulley and remove belt.  Remove the bolts that hold the compressor to the bracket and move the compressor out of the way (don't disconnect the hoses)
8. (air conditioning only) Loosen the alternator belt (turn the screw between the alternator & radiator) and remove the belt.  Remove the long pivot bolt that holds the alternator in place and remove the alternator.  You should now be able to remove the big compressor bracket
9. Remove the top plastic timing belt shroud(s).
10. Remove the valve cover.  It's a good idea to check out the top of the head and make sure the camshaft & rocker arms are in good shape.
11. Place a mark on the timing belt and camshaft sprocket (so you put it back in the same place later) Then loosen the timing belt tensioner (the factory has a special tool to do this, otherwise use a regular wrench & offset wrench or screwdriver) and take the belt off the camshaft sprocket only (Don't remove it from the crank or let it come loose) Tie the belt to the hood or antenna to keep it tight on the crankshaft.  Don't rotate the crank when the belt is off or let the belt come loose from the crank.  Otherwise you'll lose timing registration and be in big trouble.
12. (carb'd only) disconnect or remove the air pump (smog pump)
13. Remove cylinder head bolts. (follow the sequence in the picture below, it came from a Chrysler service manual) Save the little washers because you'll need to re-use them

14. Lift up the head.  If you have an engine hoist you can hook one chain up to a bolt in each corner.  It should only lift up 6" max. without having to disconnect the exhaust pipe.  If anything is in the way remove it.  Take out the old gasket and make sure it looks the same as your new one.
    If you don't have a hoist have someone help you lift it up a few inches, remove the old gasket & rest the head on some wood blocks on top of the engine block.  (you'll have to move the blocks around when you clean the surfaces)
15.  Clean the bottom head surface.  You can set a mirror over top of the pistons so you don't get any gunk in the cylinders.  Use as long arm scraper and some mineral spirits.  Smooth it off with some very fine sand paper if necessary and go over it again with some mineral spirits until it's perfectly clean.  You can also check the head for flatness with a straight edge & a feeler gauge.  (if it's warped you have to pull the whole thing and get it resurfaced)
16.  Clean the top of the engine block the same way you cleaned the head.  You can put some paper towels in the cylinders so stuff doesn't get in them.
17.  Use a shop vac or equivalent to clean any stuff out of the cylinders.
18.  Make sure your hands are clean and put the new gasket on the block.  It should fit over the dowel pins.  Some people recommend spraying the gasket with copper spray gasket material. (Chrysler doesn't)
19.  Lower the cylinder head onto the block (be careful not to scratch it on the dowel pins)
    If you have a turbo engine, you'll have to get someone to lower the head while you go under the car and make sure the oil return hose goes back on properly.  Make sure the clamps are tight, put the bracket back on, and get out from under the car.
20.  Torque your new cylinder head bolts (use the old washers unless you got new ones) down using the four step sequence shown in any service manual.

21.  Carefully put the timing belt back on the camshaft sprocket, making sure your marks line up.
22.  Clean off the valve cover gasket surface, put the new gasket on and install the valve cover.
    I recommend you use RTV sealant for the front & back parts of the gasket and use the factory rubber pieces over the camshaft ends.
    In my experience neither the 4-piece cork/rubber gaskets or 1-piece rubber gasket seal well
23.  Re-Install the radiator hose, shrouds, alternator, compressor etc.  Put new belts on if you're going to.
24. Re-fill radiator, (some models have a cap on top of the water box you open to bleed air out of the cooling system, others have a vaccum switch in it's place) check or change oil, make sure everything's hooked back up, and you're ready to go.  Check for water or oil leaks before you go anywhere.

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