tips for removing head 998 MPV

at last! after months of waiting i can now get the bloody head of the van and send it off for testing/skimming!

so.. any tips before i start?

i will be removing the handbrake mount to get better access
the front passenger/driver seats have been unbolted from the engine covers
going to have a big piece of cardboard to place each head bolt in a hole as it comes out to keep them in sequence.+ any other parts that need to go back where they came from.

Distributor- this has caused us the most agro, due to no information in the manual even mentioning it had to be removed.. or how.
line the engine up TOP DEAD CENTER (TDC), remove the dizzy cap and MARK where the metal tip of the rotor arm is pointed, now mark the slide bar to where the timing is set to. now you can remove the rest of the distributor from the head....

How much do i need to strip out (or leave in) for pressure testing/skimming?--> remove manifold, distributor, EFI/fuel system, cam pulley, & alternator bracket.

As I'm currently doing mine for the third time you need to have a clothes peg handy for the top right hand head bolt so you can lift it up about an inch and hold it there as it's to long to get out whith the head in situ and you can leave the manifold attached just undo the three nuts that hold the exhaust system on and use a rachet strap to hold up the induction system which needs to be unbolted off the head also the alternator belt and water pump pully so the cam belt cover can come off you can leave the bottom of the belt on if you wind the lump onto the timing marks before you start and make sure you mark the dizzy so you can refit it back where it came off.

cheers.. dont think i have any clothes pegs in the house! lol pilfer one off a neighbours line!

got ratchets
got the gasket kit
will get oil/filter/anti-freeze/gasket seal when we get the head back. let it pass test first!


on average... how often does one have to do this with these vans?
i know it could be hit or miss and depends on how its driven/serviced.

I started mine on Saturday, 1.3 though. I'm taking plenty of pics thought i'd put together a how to guide. Maybe worth knocking one out for the 1l also. Would make a couple of good resources.

if i was doing it on my own.. i would, but am doing it with a mate who doesnt hang about (but doesnt rush) when it comes to jobs like this.
i have a good memory and can often quote from it...

I have changed 5 of these for myself friends and others,first off make sure your timing marks are in line .Behind the drivers seat on the gearbox is an inspection port (should have a rubber over it) shine a torch into the port and line up the timing marks, there are 2 marks on the fly wheel make sure its the one nearest the edge of the wheel. check that the marks on the cam are lined up.remove timing belt.remove water pipes along the engine,It is probably better to remove the thermo housing as you should change the thermostat anyway.Remove the distributor compleat and there is a spring washer behind this. Better to have a rag to stop oil spillage.Then remove the exhaust from the manifold and take a couple of rubber hangers off to give a bit of room.once all the bolts from the head come off you should be able to remove it with the manifold still attached.once off remove the manifold and you should be able to have the head skimmed and tested as it is.when removing it is better for sombody to hold the inlet manifold back from the engine it dose not have to be removed.Hope this helps and when refitting make sure the timing marks are right as i have seen some bad damage from this.GOOD LUCK

cheers, going to ask boss if i can print off some pages on A£ printer of the head/torque settings etc
take van over to mates tomorrow eve, as soon as i get there will remove the drivers seat from the engine cover.

That information was from Tony not me. Surprisingly(not).

you don't need to remove the seat from the engine covers you can undo the two bolts where the hinges bolt to the cross member instead of the four for the seat.

lol too late... they were easy to undo... ask me later if they are easy to put back!

they are piss easy I swapped the worn drivers seat with the one behind it almost as soon as we got ours.

seats arent bad in my van. i did want to clean them this summer with a vac or sammat. but dont know if they'd dry out now.

Well the head is now off.
no nuts or bolts snapped anywhere.
scraped 2" of skin off the back of my hand while removing a water pipe!

we used some rope to hold up/away the Fuel/efi system.
removed the dizzy, alternator,
sadly skimming co will not skim with manifold still fitted so thats off too.
cat converter and the rest of exhaust is still in situe. may need to unhook some rubbers to fit the head back on.
all bolts we undid have been screwed back on to where it came from.
will be flushing the water system and draining the oil today/next few days.
2 day turn around with test/skimming. will re-fit the head next weekend.

picked up the head from Ivor Searls in Soham
£64 inc VAT for pressure testing AND skimming.

http://www.ivorsearle.co.uk/

apparently it was very warped! 10,000th off

Don't forget to run it up to temp, let it cool then re-torque the head bolts. Then again after 400/500 miles.