At 06:02 AM 6/17/2002 -0700, you wrote: > > David, you can't replace rings without removing the > > engine from the car, as far as I know. > >Never say 'can't' to an engineer! OK, I withdraw the "can't" and replace it with "very tough, so tough that it may not be worthwhile"! How is that Mike? >Putting that fresh head on an old short block will >cause more oil leakage and blowby in the bottom end. >Best to do a ring and piston job if you're doing the >heads. Mike, if the rings and bores are still within specs, they should be able to handle the compression. Its quite common for the heads to "wear out" while the bottom end of the engine is still serviceable. WHether the bottom end is still serviceable can be determined by a compression test. And David, there were some suggestions to confirm/ensure you indeed have a head gasket problem before you start removing the heads. I also agree with those suggestions. D^2