The story is not over, but hopefully will be a happy one.

I replaced the head gasket on my 04 Vanden Plas with 38k miles. My first V8, and far more difficult than all those 4-cylinder head gaskets from my past! The backstory is posted under other threads.
Followed everything I could find and read, downloaded the manuals, bought the tools, and went very slowly. I thought I did everything right, but the engine is not running right: seems like misfires/not every cylinder is firing. I've only surveyed less than a minute's run time so far: I haven't had time to really examine things carefully, so much is left to do.
It does need a battery--I've read that can affect the running in a significant way. I'll get another before going much further.

Will check all the wiring harness again--I expect there may be something not completely connected, or still disconnected.

Hoping this will be a happy ending and that I will be able to share some experience! Fingers crossed.
marc

 

Hi Marc,

The rubber seals in the coil and fuel injector connectors tend to harden and distort over time and can make the connectors difficult to fully reseat after you've taken them apart. It can help to apply dielectric grease around the outside of the smaller half of the connector to help it slide into the larger half more easily.

Looking forward to your next update!

Cheers,

Don