gasket on 304

[craig vr]

hi there how hard is it to replace the engine valley gasket on a 304 as i have been told from a dealers thats it is leaking and can it be done with the motor still in the car, is it just a matter of unbolting the injection manifold. any steps would be great help, cheers in advance

[Vee-ard]

I was told by the dealers that I had an $800 dollar hole in my power steering rack back when I had my VY S pack, got it pressure tested... and guess what? bull fu*king shit.

unless you know that its leaking also, get a second opinion. Dealers just love squeezing every cent out of you.

[vncruzr]

hey Craig mate its pretty straight forward if you have a bit of mechanical nouse. grab a workshop manual and you can get the gasket set from holden for about $70. if you do a search on the forums there should be a step by step if you cant follow the manual. should take under a day to do just depends on how much prep work you want to do. my advice would be to be very meticulous with your surface prep before you put the gasket on as if it leaks when you put it back together, guess what ,strip it down and start again. also clean out all your bolt holes and it dosent hurt to retap them to get them clean. also get some new manifold bolts and thermostat dosent go astray either. if youve got coin to spare splash out on new sensors such as manifold temp, water temp etc. put a bit of sealant on the frnt and back rubber seals as well for extra insurance. just remember to use a torque wrench and that your manifold bolts come off and go on in a special sequence. while your coolant is out why not flush and service it and the radiator as well. maybe new hoses..? i know this info is abit all over the shop but i hope it gives you an idea mate. its not as hard as it sounds. i know ive said buy this and that as well but when you compare the total of parts to the cost of a dealer just replacing the gasket you be surprised... good luck mate

[craig vr]

cheers vee-ard and vncruzr priced up the gaskets today and got a manual on watch on trade me so will prob end up doing it myself to try and save some funds, thanks again

[Sgt Santa Cruz]

yeah man not a hard job just dont let any old gasket or gunk fall down the valley! and make sure you plug the coil in the right way lol i know from experience of that issue but wasnt a hard job at all