What else to do during head gasket replacement?

[CARRisma]

What else would be worthwhile getting done if a head gasket needed replacing? Valve guides (if that's their correct name?) have been suggested and a de-coke / cleanup. Anything else?

[Scott560]

Are you doing the work yourself? If so - id do everything, since its so much easier when you have access.

If your paying to have it done and most other parts are in good nick - then it just comes down to the cash aspect - the more you add on to the list the more it gets.

last car i did a headgasket on i did:

all fluids / thermostat
waterpump because it was cheap
oil filter / air filter / plugs / service items
cambelt kit (tensioner was ok but some kits come with them)
alternator belt
should have done the front crank seal (ended up doing it afterwards)
relapped all the valves / new valve seals etc
all the seals for the head cam seals etc

Regarding valve guides, unless you believe them to be worn beyond spec - they generally don't need doing.

[CARRisma]

Are you doing the work yourself? If so - id do everything, since its so much easier when you have access.

Nope, I'll be paying a garage to do the work.

relapped all the valves / new valve seals etc
all the seals for the head cam seals etc

Regarding valve guides, unless you believe them to be worn beyond spec - they generally don't need doing.

This is the sort of stuff I need to know about. Stuff like spark plugs and filters I can do myself, without removing the cylinder head, so currently just interested in stuff that can only be accessed while the head is off. Wanna make the most of it while it's being done.

So what seals did you replace other than valve seals?

[Scott560]

You would normally buy a 'headset' which would include all of the seals which would be disturbed to replace the head gasket so:

head gasket itself
inlet gasket
exhaust gasket (sometimes to include downpipe gasket depending on sequence required to remove)
all camshaft seals - distributor o ring - other oring for cam oilers if present on H series.
16x valve seals (inlet and exhaust are different)
any other gaskets or seals for things that bolt to the head (sometimes valve cover, vtec solenoid multi-oring, things like that)
sometimes come with headbolts depending if they need repacing - not sure on the H series.

Depending which kit you get you may have varying levels of the above. Have a read of the manual, its a big section but will give you an idea of whats in involved or if anything must be replaced.

Say you completely go to town on the head side of things, that still leaves cambelt/tensioner, front crank seal, waterpump if suspect, alt belt. There is also a balance belt and seal there aswell.

On a simple/cheap car, these parts dont cost much so the difference between replacing a head gasket minimum, and doing everything, may only bump the cost up 100/200 quid (a water pump for the peugeot (RIP) was less than 30quid, thermostat 12, alternator belt 15 etc etc) very small costs vs time/effort to replace them - this makes me tend to do everything - its just not worth a lost saturday to take all the cambelt off again to repace a seal or waterpump that should have been done first time round.

The Honda however, unless you have water from the pump weep hole, or the cambelt was done in the last few years, because the original parts are expensive (and not crap in the first place) you can probably get away without doing them so much.

If my 122k mile H22a8 led me to think it needed a HG doing - id probably replace everything regardless - i'm sure the last owner said the cambelt was done - but id probably replace it anyway since my crank seal needs doing. But that's just me...