Head gasket swap do's, don't, tips, extras...?

[Clawhammer]

Blew my head gasket. A month of 18ish psi on an S15 turbo was a no go lol.

Ordered ARP studs, Apexi 1.1mm gasket, and some other misc. gaskets like valve cover and copper exhaust mani, etc. Wanted a Cosworth to save a little money but backorder blows.

This is my first time doing anything this involved. I don't want to say I'm intimidated but this is the most involved thing I've ever done on an automobile (more than an SR and 5spd swap).

For those of you that've been down this road, what advice can you offer? I looked around for How-To's but didn't really see anything. Most threads were about what gasket to get.

I'm flipping through the DOHC KA FSM to get a feel for what I'm getting into. Can anyone provide torque specs and such for the S13 SR? And the order for removing and tightening bolts on the head and valve cover, etc?

While I'm doing this I'm thinking I might as well overhaul my timing chain stuff. Good idea?

If you have anything at all to offer, please chime in. Thanks!

[japslapsilvia]

1st get an s-14 SR20det FSM.

2nd STUDY it

it contains all the data that you need.

[boro drift]

1st get an s-14 SR20det FSM.

2nd STUDY it

it contains all the data that you need.

+1

After you study the S-14 fsm, the only other thing you need to know pertains to your head studs. This is important! You need to bottom tap the holes, not just chase the threads, but bottom tap the holes. It will cut 3 to 4 new threads in the bottom of the hole so the stud will seat at the bottom of the hole. Use A-9 aluminum cutting oil. If you don't do this, the studs willback out(or worse,pull the threads out with them), and you'll be in the same boat you are in now.

[supreamS14]

Get the s14 SR20DET FSM

18PSI!!! If you have stock injectors your lucky you didn't melt a piston like I did. If you had bigger injectors and a good tune the head-gasket should have held up. I melted a piston 2 times. 1st time I had boost creep from 12psi to 15 psi= ! I thought It was just a head gasket but turned out I melted #4 piston! 2nd time My fuel return line slipped off while I was in boost and = , I melted #1! I would take a good look at your pistons while you have the head off. But they usually break around the ring-lands where you can't see them. What I did was looked at the cylinder walls for irregular wear. Both times I got a used piston and honed the wall good and smooth. I also replaced the rod bearings while I was down there.

I will for you!

The most important thing is keep everything in order(rockers, lifters and SHIM'S! Especially the little round shims that sit on top of the valves, DON'T MIX THEM UP!

I always leave the cam gears on the cams and slip the cams out off the timing Chane. I don't like torquing the cam-gear bolts SO fricking tight. Just be careful not to nick/scratch the bearings.
Modified by supreamS14 at 2:58 PM 1/9/2009

[Clawhammer]

I've got the S14 SR manual, for some reason it didn't even cross my mind to look at it. Are the torque specs and such the same between the S13 and 14 SR?

My setup:S15 TurboDeatschwerks 550cc InjectorsZ32 MAFEnthalpy ECU

About two weeks prior to blowing my head gasket I did a compression test...165 165 150 165. Put it all back together and then SPANKED a KA-T.

[Justin35ll]

Just got done rebuilding my sr. It's not that bad just make sure you take the cam bolts out in order and the head bolts too. and keep everything in order like said above.

Once you get the head off lay it down on some paper towels or somthing and I used 3m scotch bright pad the red one and cleaned off the bottom of the head and the block deck real good you can see it in my thread.

Then when reinstalling what I did was installed the studs into the block then dropped the head on the block. That was a ***** cause I had to line up the studs with the head holes. If you do it that way make sure you have a friend to help you lift and support it.

Easier way to do it though is install in the head then drop the studs down and hand tighten them in.

I didn't take the cam gears off either when taking them out it just makes you do more work

Don't be afriad to let the chain drop down the front cover it won't go all the way down

Clean and lube the cam bearings with lube when reinstalling. Comes in small bottle and the liquid is red I bought it at a local store

If you need to know somethin else just ask

[Clawhammer]

On a cold start my motor had the infamous timing chain rattle. While I have things apart for the head gasket, what do you recommend I do with my chain?

[Justin35ll]

I took my timing chain guide out while I had my motor apart. Figured I might as well just take it off rather then have to hear it rattle

[Clawhammer]

The top guide up by the cam sprockets?

[Clawhammer]

So are the Torque specs the same for the s13 and s14 sr? I'm looking at the FSM and it's saying 33 ft-lb but the paper that came with my ARP studs is saying 105 ft-lb.

[Justin35ll]

33 ft/lbs? absolutely not lol. My arp head studs I torqued to 105 after lubing them with the grease they supplied. And using a half inch torque wrench with a 3/8ths adapter to a 13mm 12pt socket I think. I had to go to the store and buy a new one after I stripped the first lol, but it was worn out if you have a solid one you shouldn't have that problem

edit and yeah the top guide by the cam gears

[Clawhammer]

What size hex head dealy do I need for the head bolts?

[Justin35ll]

To take the oem head bolts out it's a 10mm allen key socket. I looked all day for a half inch drive one. Couldn't find one anywhere so I bought a 3/8th allen key socket set and a 1/2inch to 3/8ths adapter and used my 1/2 ratchet. Worked out fine

Did the same when torqing it down except it was 3/8ths adapted to a 13mm 12pt

[hungryjoseph]

follow arp's instructions for torquing the head down, the factory bolts are torque yield so they need a different procedure. remember to lightly cover the head studs in lube or oil, dont drown them. like said above, KEEP EVERYTHING IN OTHER. ROCKER ARMS, CAM BOLTS, EVERYTHING. make sure you mark the cams with the chain and not to let the chain drop after you do this

[240life]

If I remember correctly the sr20 video states that the ARP torque is too high and they recomend in the ball park of 80lbs tq. I went by there specs and have no issues boosting 13lb all day. Definetally chase your threads with a tap to insure all debris are out...I personally would replace and your timing tensioners with the updated ones and even though some people remove the upper guide I would not...I am pretty sure nissan R/d know more then most of us...I keep mine.....Before you remove your chain rotate it untill the colored marks line up with the marks on your cam....When installing your cams and your chain has no marks bring your piston to top dead center and count 20 links between timing marks on your cam gears wit your front cam lobes pointing with the egg shaped part twords the head this will give you proper base timing
Modified by 240life at 4:30 PM 1/18/2009

[Clawhammer]

Yeah I just went to Lowe's and bought a 10 and it was right. Yay me. Then it snapped on the first head bolt...the hex key snapped in half. So I got one at autozone and that one was better. Also had to do the drive adapter thing, no big deal.

I marked the chain and stuff but I accidently let it fall. :/ As I typed that I had the most wicked deja vu ever....holy crap this is crazy.

So now that that's over the head is off, the coolant lines under the intake mani were a big female canine. Unbelievable.

It's cold and raining so I quit there. Making dinner in the warmth...haha FL "cold".

My head gasket looks fine. I don't get it. When the head gasket went on my S-10, it was apparent from looking at it there was catastrophic failure. Not the case here.

[the converted]

My head gasket looks fine. I don't get it. When the head gasket went on my S-10, it was apparent from looking at it there was catastrophic failure. Not the case here.

Did you do a leak down or did you just have bad compression and assume it was the head gasket. You could have gone lean and killed the rings.

[Justin35ll]

haha that sucks the allen broke. I bought my set from wal-mart cause I was really short on cash and needed the tool, suprisingly held up okay though.

Hopefully the head gasket will solve your problem.Did you do a leak down or compression test as stated above?

[Clawhammer]

I didn't do either after I started my car and it was like this:

http://www.btyproductions.com/...o.3g2 (opens in quicktime).

[Sabot]

Did you notice coolant in your oil? or taking the radiator cap off and noticing bubbles? but I guess is too late now. I would also check the turbo. I was about to change my friend headgasket cause the engine showed some symptoms of blown gasket but it turn out to be a super bad turbo even tho it still build some boost but it had like a half of inch of play and it was letting some oil in. It ran some what like in your vid....weird
Modified by Sabot at 8:05 AM 1/19/2009

[Clawhammer]

No, no coolant in my oil.

What happens when the water seals on the turbo go? My oil seals went on my T25 and it smoked like the d!ck....but not white smoke like this did.

Here's 2 pics of my head gasket:http://www.btyproductions.com/...1.jpgh ... m/...2.jpg

Don't mind the cell phone pics, it's all I have.

Also, on these ARP studs for those of you that have done it, these instructions: http://www.btyproductions.com/...s.jpg

Say to just put the studs in hand tight, and then tq. the nuts down. So the studs don't get torqued into the block prior to this? That's odd to me. Just want to make sure I'm reading this right.

Anyway I'm concerned that my head gasket looks so fine. What else could cause that white smoke...and no milky oil?

[Clawhammer]

A quick run down of what happened...

I was driving to my girl's house, and stalled. Couldn't get it to start again unless giving it gas and popping the clutch, and even then it would run like crap for 10 feet and stall again. I wasn't far from her place so I did that about 5 more times just to get it off the road.

It was really characteristic of a boost leak, so I checked everything. Everything looked good so I said screw it, it was like 5 am and I had work at 10 the next morning. Next morning I come out to go to work and the car starts right up, but is running like **** and blowing white smoke like in the video. I took my girl's car to work and then over the couple days that my car was parked at her apt. someone hit my car.

So while working on my car I looked up and noticed the plug in the hot side intercooler piping, the one for the stock recirc valve or whatever in the fender, was missing. There's my magic boost leak! Now things are starting to make sense about that night...

...but white smoke?

[Sabot]

Did you check the turbo? Any play? It have to be coolant leaking in the turbo.

[Clawhammer]

Yeah no shaft play..but that does not mean that nothing else could be wrong internally.

[Clawhammer]

I got the answer to my question on the ARP studs but now have another one concerning water jackets. Which bolts need thread seal?

[the converted]

Smoke could have been from running excessively rich.

[homeslicej2]

Oh man someone hit your car! No!! that thing was immaculate. ^excessively rich would have resulted in spewing black smoke, not white. White is usually indicative of coolant. You need to have the head and block checked and if needed decked, esp. with a metal HG, otherwise it won't seal properly and you will have problems.

[the converted]

Trust me you can get white smoke from running REALLY rich. It's a little grayer than coolant though. If it didn't go away after fixing the blow off then that's not it.

[Clawhammer]

I don't believe that the white smoke was from running rich. The back of my car is still black from running rich for a couple weeks till I found a tear in the coupler on my compressor elbow/hotpipe that was like an inch long. Just idling it would spit out raw gas....if that's not really rich I don't know what is. But Ken at enjuku also said the white smoke could have been from the boost leak...so I trust you.

What was coming out was more like a vapor and disappearing almost instantly...that coupled with the small pool of coolant I had on piston 1 we believe my HG is toast. Ken said they'd pop them on the race cars all the time and they would look immaculate.

Oh and the damage isn't too bad. They hit the rear quarter behind my passenger wheel with the nose of their car backing out...no note. I went around at night with a flashlight for a couple nights after wards and couldn't find the culprit...saw like 8 others no lie but none with red paint...this happens at lot at her place I guess!

[homeslicej2]

Trust me you can get white smoke from running REALLY rich. It's a little grayer than coolant though. If it didn't go away after fixing the blow off then that's not it.

Well, if you're saying it and the fact that Ken at Enjuku is saying it could happen, I'll take your word for it for now until I have the time to do more research. I've never heard of this, but then again, I'm no expert.

Oh and the damage isn't too bad. They hit the rear quarter behind my passenger wheel with the nose of their car backing out...no note. I went around at night with a flashlight for a couple nights after wards and couldn't find the culprit...saw like 8 others no lie but none with red paint...this happens at lot at her place I guess!

Well, QP damage sucks though, but glad to hear it isn't too bad.