hi_im_nysa

Hi, I've searched for this answer already and cannot find it. I have a blown head gasket on my KA24DE and I just wanted to know what I could keep bolted onto the head and still be able to remove it. Would it be alright if I kept the upper half of the intake manifold on the head and still be able to remove the head?

Thanks.

Joel SX

First, buy the gasket kit. its much cheaper at the long run and the engine will be more reliable. Seond, i'll be such a humongus pain in the rear to remove a head with like 2,343,445 parts on top of it. You'll have to remove the intake and exhaust manifolds and separate them from the head, the valve cover you'll have to remove to get to the head bolt, thus using another gasket. the intake and exhaust manifold also use gaskets, so do it right, change those. you don't need to remove anything from the intake manifold, but I see it imposible to get to the lower bolts that hold the intake manifold without separating it, and to separate it you'll need to remove a lot of stuff. and add another gasket.

So to answer your question, there's only 3 things bolted to "the head", the exhaust= needs to be removed. intake manifold= needs removal. Valve cover= needs removal to remove bolts that hold the head. Anything after that you need to find out.

hi_im_nysa

Thanks a lot for the info. I'm having a hard time removing the bottom bolts on the upper intake manifold that connect to the head. Has anyone figured out a way to get to them? Or would I just have to remove anything thats in the way?

TeDDY

The most important tool to have is experiance.

Couple Questions..

Have you done this type of work before?

do you know how to find TDC?

Do you have access to the proper tools? (ex: torque wrench)

Also, If you dont Have a manual for doing this, I suggest getting one. (for torque specs and what not.)

I havent Done A 240sx headgasket before, but usually its easier to get the lower intake bolts off from the bottem (but i dont know if there is anything in the way with this engine.)

Good luck!

hi_im_nysa

Hmm. Well I haven't really worked on engines. Just mostly body and maintenance things. Guess I'm kinda new at this. Top dead center, don't know how to find that. Proper tools I have and manuals I have. My engine is pretty much stock. So I guess I'll just have to take everything out thats in its way then?

TeDDY

Yea, If you start taking alot of stuff apart Label or mark what bolts go where. TAKE YOUR TIME. And for TDC you HAVE to know those types of things other wise you could extensivly damage your engine (ex: try to start the engine and a piston smashes a valve) Ive seen it before. It's common and costly.

So.. Find someone that knows what thier doing and help you threw it. just take your time. triple check everything, dont be cheap, or you could also just get it done by a professional (if you have the money).

Good luck

chiroke

dont forget u gotta remove the timing chain no1 mentioned that

BigVinnie

iTrader: (2)

nysa follow the FSM and you will not have any complications.
You can down load the FSM at www.zeroyon.com
You can find it in there tech pages, under the service manuals.....

KisorPerformanc

I have Your Answer... took me a day to get registered so i hope its in time...

i just did this exact thing on mw 90 with a 92 DE swap in it.

as a note to anyone doing this swap, the small vacum port in the back of your DE intake DOES NOT go to the wiper fliud hose behind the pass strut tower...... this results in a bent rod on number 4 cylinder

but it does give you the chance to use the piston/rods out of the 12valve engine... wich gives you about 11:1 compression in your dual cam KA..

anywho.... you can leave everything attached to the head including ehxaust manifold..

remove the hood for more room..

unplug the two main connectors at the throttle body area and the rest of the top injector harness. lay the harness to the driver side.

remove fuel lines and heater core hoses.
remove throttle cable.
remove downpipe and three blots on bottom of intake bracing.

grow a small rubber hand and remove the bypass hose on the back of the thermostat housing and the pcv hose from the vacume tree under the intake.... (best done with a long set of "stork" needle nose pliers between the intake runners)

deal with the vacume lines from the t body to the fan shroud.
mine dosen't have these anymore

ok. now remove valve cover, distributor, front top timing cover and observe timing chain orientation...


put engine on tdc no.1 by aligning red notch with pointer on crank pulley, and note that cam lobes are pointing outward on no. 1, if not go 1 turn with the crank and re-align.

there is a lock on the upper chain tensioner, push tensioner back and secure. mark chain with paint pen where dots are on sprockets. remove pass side sprocket (intake cam) and remove upper chain.

mark lower chain with dot on sprocket and lock lower tensioner back, remove long bolt for upper sprocket and let chain and sprocket lay in front cover..

now you must remove both cams... evenly back off all cap bolts so not to bind cams and keep caps in order, they should be marked but try not to mix them up..

now you can unbolt head and with help lift entire assembly off of engine...


note the heat shield and dipstick tube must be removed also....




hope this helps out if you haven't already finished the job by now...

if you need help on this project or anyone else has questions just post them and i'll try to help


Thanks,
Brad
Kisor Performance
Cincinnati, OH
(513) 891-2295

KisorPerformanc

this is major sugery so if you aren't comfortable with this go to a reputible shop in your area.. have your torque specs and proper tools ready... the cam bolts go like 130#'s and the head is a 5 step sequence...

hope this helps anyone on this board


Thanks,
Brad
Kisor Performance
Cincinnati, OH
(513) 891-2295