Well these cold winters in Northern Illinois sure play hell with my pro. Every morning I start her up after a cold night out in my parking lot, and the "blue smoke genie" comes out of my exhaust pipe. I finally have come to a decision, take the head off and change those worn valve seals.
Any of you out there that have completed this task, please submit some information to how you accomplished it. I figured I am probably going to take the head off, might as well change the head gasket too along with the valve seals. Also change the valve cover gasket too. But I do not know how to begin. Here is what I think has to be done, correct me if I am wrong

1. Remove spark plugs and wires
2. Remove valve cover
3. Remove the HLA's
4. Remove cam bolts (using criss-cross pattern)
5. Place bolts, cam brackets, and HLA's in upside down valve
cover as you remove them (so not to mess up location)
6. Remove exhaust and intake cams
7. Remove head bolts (using criss-cross pattern)
8. Separate head from block and flip upside down on workbench
9. Remove valve, one at a time, and change the seal along the
spring seat

This is all I know right now. I still have not started anything, this is my only car and I need it to drive to work/class everyday. But if you have better ideas, have done this before, or have pictures that would clear things up, please help me out. Thanks

 

Be sure to get new Head and Valve Cover gaskets, and you'll prolly need to scrape some of the old head gasket off the block, so be ready for that too.

 

if u got air compresor it can be done easierwithout removing head. i can get hose from compresoin gauge and screw wher the spark plug goes and hook up to the compresor that would kep valves from falling into engine and that u can compres spring and repalce valve seals. make sure when u do that u do all 4 valves on and then swich that hose to difent cylinder.its much easier than doing by rremoving the head

 

I am thinking it might be more time/cost efficient to have car quest do it. I am going to give them a call and I will let you know. But thanks for the help, guys.

 

Just about 2 weeks ago I completed replacing the head gasket on my '94 SOHC 5 spd. It wasn't that bad at all. I believe that I spent a total of around $280. That includes replacing my belts, timing belt, water pump, fuel filter, and a gasket kit that included head, exhaust, intake, plenium (spelling?), gaskets, and I believe the kit included the valve seals. It wasn't all that bad of a job either.
There is a specialty tool required if you plan on removing your timing belt from the crankshaft, but if not, then it's all straight forward.

 

The guy at carquest said 195 for valves, resurface the head, and clean the head. Then an extra 85 for the head gasket and labor. Only 24.50 for a set of 16 valve stem seals. He didn't mension all the other gaskets, which would put the grand total over 400. I don't know what I should/am going to do?