[joeymannero]

Update people. Before embarking on the head gasket replacement I decided to first try SteelSeal. I tell you what, it’s worked, I’ve checked the coolant for combustion leaks with the very same test I did before and it’s clear. I’ll keep an eye on it but it’s now keeping the pressure and I’m not losing coolant. You have to follow the steps properly for it to work and it took me 2 days to ensure the old coolant was flushed out properly and then following the steps on the bottle. Happy to share the detailed steps if anyone is interested, but I hope this helps others. Especially if your headgasket isn’t badly damaged.

yup, I’ve heard people have had good results with that , if it works it works , at worst it’s going to see the car usable for a spell , at best it may be a permanent fix, depends on how bad the leak is..

I suspect if you like the car you’ll want to sort it properly at some point , but at least this gives you time to source parts and get to know the car.

 

[joeymannero]

Chances of a warped block are slim , I'd be taking the opportunity to skim a little more off the head to raise compression and thus performance....!!

But that's just me.

Having done a few of these it's just a question of going slowly , double check everything as you go , take the opportunity to do some other jobs like cleaning up the inlet manifold and re- lapping the valves ( if you're doing the headwork yourself) things are more accessible whilst the head is off so really think about what you could easily do.

I'd be sending injectors off for cleaning ,and would consider new plugs , coils and definitely a full service .

Sounds fun !

Best of luck with it all.

 

[joeymannero]

What engine is it ? I assume 2.2 JTS as I see 4 cylinders in your pictures ..

In which case you have a timing chain , the 2.2 JTS kit isn't expensive , and it's relatively easy to do.

Alfa Romeo 159 and Brera timing chain replacement

Alfa Romeo 159 and Brera timing chain replacement

www.alfaworkshop.co.uk

The above will help, there are timing marks on the chain, crank pulley and phaser .

In terms of where to buy , try shop4parts , you can get a 10% discount code on here by emailing one of the mods .

 

[joeymannero]

After a head gasket job I did on a BMW E36 a ( good 10 years ago now ) I never could settle with the car again and it was my daily at the time so......

I eventually sold it and bought my first Alfa !

A lovely GT 2.0 JTS , the first of many Alfa's, and my current Brera definitely won't be my last.

The BMW is still on the road with 86k on it ...another 40k since my ownership , so my work was fine , just enjoy the car now , having followed the thread nostalgically it looks as though you've done a fantastic job ..!

It's all too easy to start second guessing yourself but with a job like the one you've just completed , any problems become evident pretty quickly ....