ok so i have the obvious headgasket leak that is common from what i hear....

i am going to replace the headgasket and install headstuds and hope it fixes the problem,do i need to have the head resufaced? and do i have to remove the cams to remove the head bolts?
after i fix this leak will i be safe to turbo and boost at 6 psi if compression is good?

i have a repair manual for the car and i dont want to go through the trouble of haveing to remove the cams and end up installing them wrong and them screwing up on me.......thanks...rykki/97 gs

The hg is a bitch on our cars, you have to remove the cams to get to the headbolts to remove the cams you have to remove the inner timing cover, to remove the inner timing cover you have to take mounts loose and jack the motor up to hell or drill a hole in the frame. People have done both. If you need a timing belt done it would be best to do it now because you have all of it tore down anyway, and yes it would be wise to get the head resurfaced and buy some copper gasket spray. There are really too many factors to say for sure you can turbo, but when you get through do a compression test and get some numbers, you may be ok and you might not.

If you're going to go that far, I'd seriously suggest you remove all doubt. Order a set of standard bore rings for those pistons.

Pull the entire engine out and strip it down yourself. Then strip the head down to the valves/springs/retainers. It's not that hard. Just keep all your nuts and bolts in zip-lock bags so you know where they go.

Have your machine shop hone the cylinders to freshen them up and gap/install your pistons/rings. Be sure they machine the head gasket mating surfaces for a tight seal, but if you have some extra scratch, consider new valve seals and a valve job.

The valve job isn't as important as new timing belt components, or maybe oil pump, but you can get that engine freshened up enough that you can pretty much *know* it's ready for turbo and gain valuable experience in the process. All this should run under a grand, easily, *if* you put in the wrench time.

Get some buddies together and make a weekend of it. Then bum a ride for a week while the machine work is being done. Put it all back together the following weekend and call it a day.

yea i have pulled the engine out before and i have also pulled a 420a apart before i was just trying to get past pulling the cams off like i did last time.....i have done the timing before and i got pissed at the timing cover so i dont run one anymore.....if i went that far i would go ahead and buy the 2.2 stroker kit that i want and do a total rebuild with new valves and all the goodiesi could get!!!! but the head gasket can hold for awhile......I HOPE.......thanks guys