Changing head gasket on 87 spider

I have a small leak on the rear aft left side at the head gasket. I would like to replace the head gasket and would like any tips and to know how hard/easy this job is. Anything else I should do while I am at it and have the top off.? Many thanks. Cheers

Check the engine mounts when the head is off. It will be the best chance you have to change them. If your car is a US import, they may have dried out, as mine had.
Are you planning to strip the head as well or just replace the head gasket?
Is your car injection or carb, and lhd or converted to rhd?

Originally Posted by rkjcooper

I have a small leak on the rear aft left side at the head gasket. I would like to replace the head gasket and would like any tips and to know how hard/easy this job is. Anything else I should do while I am at it and have the top off.? Many thanks. Cheers

It's not a job out that's of the realm of the average enthusiast but it shouldn't really be attempted without a copy of the parts manual and the service manual. Having these makes doing the job properly a lot easier and takes away the guess work and ensures you get it back together properly. Assembly / disassembly sequence, that sort of thing. Nice diagrams too.

I just paid $50 plus postage for a complete set for most models from CarDisc.com (note to self: must pick up commission check for continual plugs I seem to be giving them) - worth it if you are serious about maintenance otherwise perhaps a kind member might have a set as PDF's that they would be willing to share with you. I would if I had a copy for the '87 model. Sorry mate.

Good luck,

Chris (....wishing there was a website to download Alfa manuals from for free and thinking "Hmmm... it may just happen".)

Originally Posted by rkjcooper

Anything else I should do while I am at it and have the top off.? Many thanks. Cheers

It's a good time to get the head checked - are valve seats and guides OK? It also needs checking for flatness and may well need a light skim to get it clean. It's also a good time to drop in a new top timing chain if the old one is showing signs of wear. If you are on carbs check the condition of the rubbers. You can buy a head gasket set from somewhere like Highwood or ClassicAlfa which contains all the consumable bits you need. Get a decent head gasket like Reinz and not an Ebay special!

One thing which makes life a lot easier is to take the bonnet off before you start. Gives you a lot more fighting space! Remember the head has to be lifted over the studs so you can't just slide it off the block like on "normal" cars.

great thanks for that. I will look into Cardisk. I have a another disc from another compny and is not worth mentioning, really badly put together. The car is a US import, I have owned it in the States since 1990! Yes the mounts are dried up and is on the list to do. Those look easy to swop out. The car is injection and still LHD as I am taking it to use in France this summer. I also want to replace the door handles and headlight chromes to smarten her up a little. Any good ideas for a good supplier and same goes for new Head gasket, mounts.

Cheers again....

Originally Posted by rkjcooper

Any good ideas for a good supplier

Where are you based?
I would recommend Alfa Romeo Parts and Spares www.highwoodalfa.com then Classic Alfa Romeo Parts & Spares Worldwide - Bertone, Spider & More and Classic Alfa Romeo cars for Europe and CenterLine and Welcome to International Auto Parts if you are still US based.

I bought my Cardisc CD from Highwood, and it is spot on for your car since it appears to be the same model as mine - US import, LHD, injection etc. It is basically a scanned Alfa manual, which is a bit thin on information in some areas such as interior trim, but excellent for the engine/gearbox etc. Well worth the money. In some respects, you will be better off than if your car was European spec, since Cardisc are American.

I agree fully with RicksAlfas with regard to checking the head. Mine was removed because of strange noises, running on three cylinders and lots of smoke when ticking over...... (Otherwise perfect!). When examined, one of the exhaust valve seat inserts had come loose, the exhaust cam had started to wear on a couple of lobes, and the valves were rattling loose in their inserts like spoons in teacups!

You don't say where you are in the UK, but if you're in the Midlands, you're welcome to come over and compare notes.

You may want to try just retorquing the head. Many an oil leak have been stopped when the head is torqued to specs. Another thought would be to check the half moon seals at the back of the head. If they're leaking, oil can drip down the back of the head and give the appearance that the head gasket is leaking.

Originally Posted by christo65

...perhaps a kind member might have a set as PDF's that they would be willing to share with you.

Guess that'd be me. If interested, please email me at alfalibrary@optonline.net .

I have thought about retorquing but the last thing I want is to break a head bolt! It is actually quite hard to see exactly where the oil is comming from but from feeling and using a mirror I reckon it is the head gasket. But I will look again at the half moon seals. WOuld i still need to remove the head to replace these? First i thought it was the plug that sits on that upper side. The car is now in Hove/brighton and I am waiting for the reg papers to arrive and I am in Cannes ,France. When the papers arrive I want to bring it down here and then carry out the work. The car does have really low miles at only 25000!! Well i think thats low? And I think that this is the reason for the leak and other problems because lack of use. This is why i imported it so I can use it.

You won't be far from Ian Ellis Classic Alfas if you want someone to look at it before you take it to bits.

The head won't have to be removed to check or replace the half moon seals, but if you are going to check them, you may just as well replace them anyway, since they will also have dried out a bit. These seals are between the head and the camshaft cover, so while you have the cover removed, you can also take the time to check the valve clearances and torque the head down, as previously suggested.

Be prepared to replace the cam cover gasket as well. Remember that the rearmost cover screws have the aluminium washers, whereas the others are fibre. (The aluminium is stronger to pull the cover down onto the half moon rubber seals).

With such a low mileage on your car, you may find that it has actually done as many sea miles during it's life...... Are you sure it is an Alfa Spider, or is it an Amphicar....?

Originally Posted by rkjcooper

I have thought about retorquing but the last thing I want is to break a head bolt! ...... The car does have really low miles at only 25000!! Well i think thats low? And I think that this is the reason for the leak and other problems because lack of use.

You won't shear a head stud by retorquing them to correct specs because the first thing you have to do is loosen them off. Get your hands on a good quality, not cheapie Chinese, torque wrench and make sure you understand how it works. Then proceed as per the manual's directions and recommended settings. You can't really do any damage - unless the studs have been completely over torqued by the PO - either way, it would be better to get the covers off to inspect. BTW, how high does your odometer go numerically? Many Alfa odometers only go up to 99,999 so it may be worth considering whether the old girl has been around the dial once already. Maybe not but worth making sure.

I have ordered the Cardisk cd and will first check the torque of the head bolts to what they say in the manual. I have owned the car since 1990 and I know that the miles are correct as I have kept the car in storage for so long and it had only 9000miles when I bought it. Once I get it down here in Cannes it won't stay low miles though! Thanks again