1993 Mercedes 190e 2.3 head gasket and thermostat housing is at least...

[dc]

...partially Clogged! ? Help! Let me first say that I've mostly replaced the normal maintenance stuff like oil, oil filter, fuel filter and exhaust, installed Nitrous in another car as to the level of my experience and am now trying something a bit more difficult.

First I realize my car has a busted head gasket because it's smoking antifreeze burning white smoke in the back:

That being said, I replaced the thermostat and thermostat gasket thinking it will flow better into cooling the engine. It is squirting with a stream where the housing metal and the plastic cap meet. Several Questions:

1. Did I install the Beck Arney thermostat upside down that's forcing it to squirt out like this? I'm assuming the thermostat assembly being busted wouldn't do this.

2. Second, anyone know of an actual DVD in video format that shows a step by step method of replacing the head gasket?

3. If not, I don't mind doing the Book/Software method of replacing it. Do you know of a good one?

4. Aside from being tedious and most likely lengthy, how difficult is it to replace the head gasket from a rating of 1 to 10, with a 1 being something like replacing your oil and a 10 being rebuilding your transmission or engine?

5. How hard is it to achieve the Top Dead Center prior to getting to the gasket?? I'm guessing this is a correct assumption.

Please answer all questions by copying and pasting.
RE: Knowledge of Blown head gasket:

(Murphy's law: It just got worse and worse and I was truly hoping it wasn't going to be a head gasket problem and treated it as everything else but that):

[EricF]

Ok..
1) installing the thermostat backwards wouldn't cause the condition you're describing. at worst the thermostat housing wouldn't be able to mount correctly and you'd see that.
2) no step by step for replacing a headgasket on dvd, however you can get a step by step by buying a Haynes manual or you can pay for an online subscription from indentafix or Alldata
3) See #2
4) You have a 4 cylinder motor, you wont' have to hard of a time doing it.
I'd say it's like a 7 because it will take some time and tools.
you need to remove the valve cover itself, break loose the head bolts, which are probably torque to yield (tty) and they will be a bear to remove.
5) you shouldn't need to remove the distributor, so mark the rotor.
find cylinder #1, move it to the compression stroke, and mark the rotor to the distributor, so you have that. when you get the head off, it has to goto the machine shop so to make sure it's straight and it might possibly need to be shaved. a Haynes book will tell you how to find TDC if you need it.

I"d like to comment as well on what you initially did...
swapping the thermostat thinking you'd get better flow.. won't matter because the head gasket is torn/stretched, etc.. there's nothing that can cure that but a replacement.
you can try head gasket sealing additives, they work for the most part, but are not a permanent solution.
If you have a stream of water flowing out, check that area, if it's coming from the housing, make sure the housing didn't get a hole in it.

[kelly_f_1999]

wait if you knew you had a blow head gasket why would you replace thermostat makes me wonder and replacing head gasket is a 12 you have to remove top of motor and you wil need a book and water leaks is eithe ryou tighten it down to much a busted it or didnt clean old gasket off right better go buy a repair manual or take to a shop