Cylinderhead gasket renewal

The head gasket has failed on my 2007 RAV4 T180. It’s only pressurising the header tank slightly, so I’m hoping to just change the head gasket – I’ll skim the head if required – and rebuild it. Can you tell me if there is anything I need to be aware of or do you have any step-by-step advice? I am planning to leave the engine in as there appears to be enough room to carry out the job without removing it. Jason Jamieson

Like you, I would leave the engine in the vehicle. The Autodata book time is 15.6 hours and this gives the necessary step-by-step instructions, starting with removing the engine and gearbox. The head gasket is listed as a known problem and replacing it (checking the cylinderhead when removed) should rectify your problem. The maximum tolerance for cylinderhead distortion is 0.05mm.