Head Gasket Replacement, a few problems

[RatedR]

Sup fellas, me again....

1991 5 speed 148000 miles

I just began working on my engine (blown headgasket, blows out white smoke is what tipped me off) and I am having the hardest time with it~! I got all the way down to the cams, I removed everything on the valve cover and fuel rail. I've unbolted the exhaust manifold, but I'm not sure if I should remove the EGR piping. I cant seem to get the damn intake manifold off the engine. I've gotten most of the bolts on off the intake mani, but I cant access 2 of the bottom center ones ( the ones between each lobes). I drained the oil and coolant and everything. I also took off the coolant pipe to the head and the intake tract to the TB. Here's where I'm stuck:

Am I supposed to remove anything else? How the hell do I get those cams out??? Do I have to take off the "sprockets"??? If I do, how do I do that?

PS - I have an FSM, but all this isnt really helpful if its your first time.....

Thanks everyone~!

-R

[DAEDALUS]

You don't have to (probably shouldn't) remove the sprockets but it's probably much easier to have the timing chain off.

[RaVeD240sx]

:rolleyes ok take the Intake mani off, the exhaust manioff and the EGR pipe too(must).. or unbolt the Intake manifold support and the hole Exhaust system were the Donut gasket is at.. and pull the head off with everything attach tto it... now the cams..you must unbolt the titming cover, time sproket's .. then do the cams.and while your at it take the center sproket form the head.. have fun:ylsuper

[RatedR]

How do I get the timing chain offf? I'm still not entirely sure how the intake manifold should come off, is it in 1 piece or 2????

[DAEDALUS]

Did you take the front timing cover and chain tensioner off?

[RatedR]

No, I havent taken off the timing cover. My Chilton never really said to...guess I'll have a lot more work to do now huh?

[NISTECH]

I realize you already have this half disassembled but this could end up helping someone else too.

set the engine to top dead center. leave the intake manifold and exhaust bolted to the head when removing the head. just disconnect all your electrical connectors and move the harness aside. unbolt the 2 bolts from the support bracket on the intake. mark and disconnect any vac lines going to anything not attached to the head and intake. undo the header pipe to manifold exhaust bolts. undo the heater hoses from the manifold. remove the top portion of the front cover. use 2 24 mm wrenches to lossen the sproket bolts. one wrench goes on the cam shaft just inside the head where the shaft is hexed. push the upper chain tensioner back into its bore. place a large paper clip unfolded into the hole to keep it in. now remove the 2 sproket bolts and lift both the sprokets with the chain off. now un bolt the cam bearing caps. note their direction and location on the cam they must go back on in the same place and direction. remove the caps and the cams. take care when handling the cams they are precisioned machined components. now you have access to the idler sproket. use a chain wrench or something sutiable to hold the crank pulley in place so it doesn't move. take a 6 to 8 inch 1x2 and shove it down between the chain to keep it in place so it dont fall down into the cover. while holding the crank in place use a 24mm wrench to loosen the idler pulley. remove the pulley.there should be some 10mm (socket head size) bolts at the ends of the head outside the valve train area close to where the block meets the head. remove them. at this point your should be ready to remove the head bolts. start loosening the bolts from the out side edges working your way to the center in a diagonal pattern from one end of the head to the otherback and forth till you reach the center. once all the bolts are out have someone help you lift the head from the vehicle. reinstall in the reverse order being sure to follow torq specs and sequences on head bolts, cam caps and gears.

[NISTECH]

now all this is assuming you have an upper cover infront of the cams.

[RatedR]

Man, all this would've helped if I new about it ealier. I took everything out without setting it to #1 TDC. I recently spoke to my friend who is a nissan technitian (at the dealership) and I told him everything that happened. Now here it is:

Got an engine check lightECU threw 45 (leaking injector)inspected fuel injectors, ended up ****ing 1 upreinstalled it under the pretense that it was ok (monument parts said it'd be fine)started car up and got a ****ty *** idle and diedtook it to shop for diagnosisdrove it back (bent fuel rail and leaking injector)White smoke shoots out a LOTinjector 1 dumped about 4 gallons of fuel into the oil panstill have some white smoke, but not as muchdrained all fluids and began working on the head gasket

Now there are other steps I did, but they arent that important. My friend basically thinks that I've corroded the cylinder (#1) and will have to do a rebuild. But what do you guys think?

[NISTECH]

get the head off and inspect the cyl. ..have you removed the cam caps or any of that yet? if not you can bring it to top dead center now. then proceed

[RatedR]

Yeah I've removed the cam brackets (if that's what youre talking about). What are the steps that I can take now? What should I do???? Also, when I try to crank the engine over manually, the pully just slips off the timing belt....

[NISTECH]

Also, when I try to crank the engine over manually, the pully just slips off the timing belt....

huh?? belt???

[RatedR]

Sorry, I meant the power steering belt and the crank pulley and other belts on the engine.....if you know what I mean....

[DAEDALUS]

If it's slipping and you haven't changed the tension on it, then it was probably slipping before. This might be why the engine blew the HG, if the water pump wasn't working as hard as it should have and the engine overheated. You must be certain you have a thorough understanding of how the positions of the pistons and valves are set and controlled before you put everything back together or you could very easily bend a valve and have to remove the head again to fix it.I'm concerned about the Chilton's not having all the info you need. What Nistech mentioned about the torque sequence and procedure is very important...if the Chilton's SM doesn't cover that then do what you can to get a factory SM.