I am going to tackle a big project. I have a badly-leaking rear exhaust manifold, broken studs, etc. I have decided to bite the bullet, remove the heads and replace all of the studs. I just can't imagine that I could do it with the heads still on. The car and engine have about 200K miles on them. So, I have a head gasket set, including valve stem seals. I have no reason to suspect that the heads are warped at all. Should I have them checked? Can they be planed still assembled? Or, do I have to remove everything just to get the new seals on anyway? Should I even bother with the seals? I am also replacing the fuel injectors, at least one is bad. At the same time, I am going to replace the timing belt, water pump, and front main seal. I have the factory service manual, the Haynes manual, and have and will read any applicable page on Wiik's cardomain site (very informative and helpful. Thanks Wiik!) I am a retired auto tech, no special experience on Maximas. Now... any special advice or comments on my plans? Am I crazy? I am dropping over $500 on parts ($200 just for the head gasket set and $200 for a new exhaust manifold that I may or may not actually use). Any thoughtful comments are appreciated!
-mike w