What would be the best way to change my head gaskets with the engine still in my car?

Is there any thing I should do while the heads are off?

How painful is it going to be to remove the A/C system?

The car has 129k miles, a L03 TBI 305ci V8, and has been poorly maintained the last 10 years of its life, so she's rough.

 

Ya I would do it still in the car. Take pictures with your phone as you take things apart. You don't have to dissemble every thing just take apart enough to move out of your way. I label things with masking tape and sharpie and make notes on things it makes putting it back together a little faster. Some times you forget which way a bracket went or if a long bolt or short was in something. You can punch bolts through cardboard and rite on it were they went to keep them from getting mixed up in a box or can too. Would be a great time to do a cam swap

 

Thank you for the tips.

I was thinking about cams the other day actually. Is there any brand you can recommend more than others?

 

No, I have had friends use summit cams, crane erson, lunati and I have used a lot of comp cams stuff. Just make sure your realistic with your cam and don't try to get something that's more than you need. Its better to go to small on a cam than to big. Even a small cam will be larger than stock. I think your motor is roller but I might be wrong. If its not than it would be drilled to except all the factory roller stuff. Getting a used LT1 cam might be an idea for ya if your wanting to stay on a budget and stick with the TBI. Roller cams don't ware out the cam lobes like older flat tappets. The only major thing you have to worry about is the journal were it rides on the bearing and making sure some one did not bend the cam. You can get used LT1 cams on Ebay all day long for cheep. The GM ram jet 350 cam might be another option. Its about as large as I would go on TBI and would probably require some larger injectors and a tune.

 

The best thing you can do for deciding on a cam, is to call Comp Cams, Crane, Lunati or one of the other cam builders specifically and ask them. They'll be able to recommend a cam that will fit your application based on the specs. That said, remember that EACH company will tell you that "I think ours is the best for your application", so take that with a grain of salt. The key will be, they should all be in the same neighborhood for specs. If one is way different, it may be worth asking "why".

 

You will have to remove the distributor to remove the intake manifold and heads. Be sure to mark the distributor and don't turn it when it's out. Also don't turn the engine. Leave it in neutral. I did all that but had it in gear, so when I jacked up the car to get at the exhaust, the engine turned and it took me a long time to get the distributor gear lined up right when the engine didn't start.