Replacing head gasket

Unbolt it and remove stuff replace gasket and reverse the order! EASY NO!!!!

best advice is to get a workshop manual for the engine
next
heads can generally be removed in car
next set the valve timing before removing the belt. check and record the position of the cam timing marks
don't move the crank after the head is pulled

Before head gasket replacement have you checked these
Intake Manifold Gaskets May Leak Coolant or Engine Oil
engine or leak. In some cases, an internal coolant leak may occur causing coolant to mix with the engine oil. Our technicians tell us that operating the engine with a coolant/oil mix can result in internal engine damage. Replacing the intake manifold gasket should correct these leaks.
Leaking Water Pump May Cause Coolant Loss and Overheating
A coolant leak may develop from the . The may overheat as a result of the coolant loss. A leaking water pump should be replaced.
Headgasket replacement
step 1. undo negative battery cable or completely remove battery and tray.
step 2. remove air cleaner and associated piping if it is in the way to allow access to head, drain cooling system and remove upper radiator hose.
step 3. remove top portion of exhaust manifold.
step 4. remove intake manifold and fuel injection rail as necessary
step 5. remove spark wires and valve cover.
step 6. remove drive belts and top timing cover before removing timing belt find all alignment marks and paint to improve your visibility and aid in reassembly if no marks are present remove spark plug # 1 and rotate until piston is at tdc and check timing mark on crankshaft that it is on 0 then paint the belt and cams anything that has teeth that the timing belt rides on make a mark to aid in reassembly even if you are replacing t-belt at least you can compare to new belt and transfer marks, release tension on t-belt tensioner and remove t-belt.
step 7. remove head bolts start loosening at inside and work outwards reemove head bolts and pay attention to sizing and placement.
carefully check for anything that is still attached to head and if free tap head with rubber or dead blow hammer to free from block and lift straight up so as not to ruin or bend any of the alignment pegs.
step 8. remove head gasket material with non-scratching tools or scrapers or buff pads made for that job. making note of where it was blown.
step 9. decide if you should send head to machine shop to have mating surface made flat again and also to have valves and related parts inspected or replaced. usually about $300-$400
step 10. inspect block remove all gasket material look for pitting or scarring also use straight edge to determine if it is straight or if it needs to be resurfaced by a machine shop.
step 11. install new headgasket and check fit. If all is good reassemble in reverse order of removal and I always like to replace crank seal ,cam seal, water pump, t-belt and tensioner also thermostat, drivebelts, spark plugs, cap, rotor, wires, pcv valve, intake manifold ,exhaust manifold gaskets.
this is just a broad overview hope it helps you will have to get haynes manual or similar for head torque values and what not

it's very detail orientated proses so if you don't have patience and moderate automotive experience i wouldn't even try. with that said if you have the repair manual for the car it's not that hard,you will have to remove the plug wires and coil pack,valve cover and serpentine belt as well as several small hoses....use duct or masking tape to label each side of the wires and hoses you take off ,this will make reassembly much easier...... then loosen the intake and exhaust from the head they don't need to be taken out just separated from the head now you drain the coolant. now remove the spark plugs,raise the right side of the car ,remove right front wheel,put your floor jack with a small piece of 2x4 on top of it under the oil pan and slightly raise the engine about an inch now remove the upper and lower engine strut and remove the large bolt that go's through the motor mount on the passenger side,you will now be able to raise and lower the engine separately from the car witch will be necessary in removing all the bolts for the timing cover,now pull the harmonic balancer off and the timing cover. now set the motor to top dead center then remove the timing belt....we're almost there :) now you should be ready to loosen the head bolts*****in the order and proses described in the repair manual*****this is very important to keep from further damaging the head. now if you need a new head gasket you probably overheated the engine in witch case the head is warped and needs to be machined by a machine shop...if you didn't overheat the car check for straightness according to the manual.while the head is at the shop clean the block with brake part cleaner or something else that leaves no residue and use a razor blade to scrape off the old gasket.....it needs to be clean like it's new......now don't open the new gasket until your ready to put the head back on,set head in place and re-tighten fallowing the directions exactly...........since you're in there already you should replace the timing belt and water-pump too now if you labeled everything before you took it off you should have a pretty easy time putting it back together

To replace a blown head gasket requires a lot of labor on this vehicle. Its a v6, meaning you have 2 head gaskets to replace instead of just 1. It requires removing air cleaner, disconnecting battery, removing most of the accessories that are belt driven, removing the intake manifold, egr valve and tubing, exhaust manifold on both sides of engine, timing belt removal, valve covers, and a few smaller items. After removing everything on top of the engine, you'll have access to the cylinder head bolts. Removing them will allow you to lift off the cylinder heads. Before replacing the gaskets, you must send them to a machine shop to have the gasket surface milled true flat again. They must also be inspected for cracks (which will sometimes happen with blown head gaskets) which would render them useless.
If this is a vehicle you really like, perhaps consider investing in a quality used motor. Its less labor intensive, less repeat repair, and you may come out saving a few bucks.

UNfortunately, this is a fairly big procedure for a backyard mechanic or diy'er..........you will need to remove the timing belt which would invlolve gaining access by removing all accessory items, such as alternator, power steering pump, air conditioner compressor (if applicable), and crank pulley !!.....after this is done, you will need to remove intake manifold and exhaist manifold, after draining coolant etc......and then the final cylinder head removal to ge to the head gasket.

I would advise purchasing a workshop manual, and reading through the entire process before attempting it !!

if you are going to do it yourself you are going to need the following spares :

New headgasket and the specialized tools.

An engineering shop will need to skim the head for you and while you have the head off you can just as wel do the valve guides, valve seats, replace the valves and the valve springs.

Best is to try and get a workshop manual (not owners manual) and follow the steps in there.

Note that a head needs to be torqued, and for this you will need a torque wrench.

Repairing a blown head gasket is not rocket science however it will require more than basic mechanic skills and typing it out on a help forum like this one isn't really practical. And removing the head you can also replace the timing belt, and THIS is where the workshop manual comes in handy (valve timing is critical or you can for all intends and purposes destroy the engine).

Like i said, its not rocket science but without the right steps and settings its not something you just figure out if you arent a serious mechanic.

What happens is the head gaskets shrink causing the headbolts to loose torgue, and the headbolts are of one time use, whenever you do a headgasket job you will need to replace all the headbolts with new ones. and when ever you remove a cylinder head on any engine you should always chase the bolt holes with the proper tap, then blow out the holes with compressed air, this will help to insure a more accurate torque setting on the new headbolts...

Very difficult, especially if you have never done one. This requires high precision tools and mechanical capabilities. You are advised to leave this one up to the professionals. Believe me, I still remember MY first headgasket and it drove me crazy back in 1969. Okay, yes, I'm getting old. Thanks, Dana.

Yes, driving around with a blown headgasket is BADDDD....

If you've never replaced a headgasket before then I would suggest that you not try it without proper supervision and help.
On a v8 when you replace one headgasket you replace the other as well. The gasket kit comes as a set of 2 headgaskets and all other gaskets and o-rings that will need to be replaced. You will need an array of tools to accomplish the mission - some hand tools and some specialty tools for dismantling the cylinder head.
I'm really not trying to scare you off but this is NO SMALL JOB. It will require patience and it will require tools and prior knowledge - so get the HAYNES RePAIR manual for the car and read up if you decide to go for it. I did the headgastets on my Acura Legend v6 - and what should have taken 30 hours start to finish took about 55.
Good Luck and Happy Motoring!!!!!!!