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Short belt mod lengths have been put into a bit of turmoil after one or two issues were posted. But most folks are having good luck with the GM partnumber or its equivalant as posted many times.
Do the pully ASAP and get to the belt when time or weather allows. The pully is a fast and easy job. Else getting a tow truck is the down side.
The head bolts are relatively easy. You need to remove the DI then remove the VC torx screws, #40 I believe. The gasket can be reused, but its probably hardened at that age. They can be had for a reasonble cost on the web. The PVC hard pipe back upstream of the turbo may be in the way. Be careful with the nylon PVC Tee on the VC. It will be brittle and needs to be handled with care or replaced. Other than the gasket and the Tee, perhaps its gromlet too, there are no other consumables. You need a torque wrench and a protracter drive would be neat, but you can work without that. You need a torx socket for the HB's. #E-16, thats what T.G. posted years ago. The E stands for External.
It you find some loose HB's near the leak, there is a chance that you can have a good result.
The torque needs to be done on a cold engine. Perhaps not frigid, but not hot or warm. Room temp would be good.
Now, the HB's changed at some point and the torque was reduced. Haynes states stage 1 44 ft.lb, stage 2 59 ft.lb, stage 3, another 90 degrees. The Haynes manual was based on 1996 production. I don't know when the head bolts were make weaker, you will have to sort that out.
Swedecar stated: "It didn't become a real problem until around 98 when they changed head gasket style and head bolts."
Loosen one at a time and retorque it. I would also first go over them to find any loose ones and make them right first to avoid having more than one loose at a time.
If it does not work out in the end, you will feel better knowing that you did not possibly do an unecessary HG job.
The VC bolts are 11 ft.lb. If too tight the threads in the head will strip. So go by feel with a small 1/4" ratchet. As you tighen these down the VC rubber gasket will deform and you can tighen a bit more. Perhaps you can drop on the DI, idle till hot, pick off the DI and tighen once again. As the VC gasket settles the bolts can go loose, one as rattling around on my 03 Aero and others have found the same problem.
Release the coolant tank pressure when hot and then tighen down the cap. When the engine is cold, there will then be a lesser pressure at the HG for when you are loosening the bolts.
posted by 66.142.222...
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