With your Plymouth repair manual in one hand, and a wrench in the other - you can get a lot of DIY mechanical work done. Every Plymouth owner knows that a repair manual is the most valuable tool that you own. A DIYer consults the manual religiously for advice on how to complete routine maintenance measures. If you are undertaking a major teardown project, then your repair manual will be your best friend. So, for example, you are faced with one of the most dreaded projects: replacing a head gasket. A dealership will quote you an astronomical amount for the job, which requires a lot of attention to detail and patience. A lot of car owners will abandon an older model if confronted with the choice of replacing a gasket. But if you have the time and a repair manual to guide you, the job can be done. Or, really ... multiple jobs. When doing a head gasket job, it's always a good idea to do a valve job, resurface the cylinder head and check the head for cracks. Your repair manual will be helpful here, because you must get the head's surface to a specific flatness and smooth finish. If you own a late model Dodge with multi-layer steel head gaskets, you'll need to follow specific recommendations for the Ra (roughness average), which may require a very smooth surface of less than 30 Ra. With help from your Plymouth repair manual, you can save hundreds, if not thousands, on a head gasket job.