CA Head Gasket

[chris]

so, looks like i'm gonna be replacing my head gasket and probably the studs while im in there. Any tips or tricks tanner? is the gasket the same as the ca18de? any specials studs i have to get?
thanks
chris

[dymz999]

yeah don't re-use studs, never good idea. Just buy OEM nissan japan. I'm not even sure if ARP makes studs for the CA18.

I wont touch the headgasket topic. But buy new bolts!!!

[chris]

for the studs, i meant do i have to get ca18det or are ca18de's a crossover?

[braden883314]

Originally posted by chris
so, looks like i'm gonna be replacing my head gasket and probably the studs while im in there. Any tips or tricks tanner? is the gasket the same as the ca18de? any specials studs i have to get?
thanks
chris

Its my understanding that its the same as a CA18DE, the entire bottom end can be bought here through part source, my guess the only difference is compression. The cylinder head should be the same tho, so same head gasket.


Originally posted by chris
for the studs, i meant do i have to get ca18det or are ca18de's a crossover?

They should be the same as well.

~Braden

[chris]

alright, sweet

[Lo)2enz0]

its the same chris, damn you could have just asked me over the phone, and no I can only handle one head gasket at a time.

[chris]

have you done yours yet? did kurt replace his? how was it for him?

[Lo)2enz0]

its not hard, it just takes time. kurt did his on the crx and no I haven't done mine yet. right now I am just thinking about slapping a stock head gasket on and selling the ca18 and picking up a new one.

[chris]

^^^why not, you do nothing all day

[TypeS]

Well my extent of ripping the CA apart was all bottom end, we never touched the head. I am confident that as long as it comes from a CA18DE it will fit because the dual cam CA's are identical except for the turbo. CA18E or ET wouldnt fit.

[chris]

alright, thanks

[dymz999]

I would imagine doing a CA18 headgasket would be a joke. I mean I can do a headgasket on my SR in roughly 5 hours or s complete. The CA18 is way easier to set the timing on it afterwards.

Stick to stock Headgasket though and avoid upgraded metal headgaskets. Nissan using pretty good headgaskets as it is. All metal headgaskets do is keep together under bad circumstances, aka when there is detonation. The headgasket blowing out is more like a warning. I've seen engines running trust headgaskets that get crazy damage when they happen. Instead of the headgasket blowing worse things happen.

The studs from nissan should be like $4 each.

[chris]

^^ok thanks, so, i should just stick to what the fsm says and i should be fine

[Lo)2enz0]

here is that write up I was telling you about. This is how I am taking mine apart. you should have seen how much oil was in my #4 cylinder

http://www.davidrawlinson.org.uk/car/head_gasket_change.html

[chris]

yeah found that, so you got your head off? easy? hard? wanna help me out?

[Boost Infested]

it should be pretty easy if you have all the parts..

do u need a mechanic?

[chris]

^^parts are coming, head's almost off

[dymz999]

I didn't see on the site where you should be taking the head bolts out in a specific order to prevent warping when removing it? Maybe i'm just blind though.

[chris]

it's in the fsm

[PorknBeans]

Originally posted by chris
^^^why not, you do nothing all day

hahaha

[Lo)2enz0]

Originally posted by PorknBeans


hahaha

basterd

I have been a bit lazy watching movies lately so I am still in the process. but I took the coils out and damn my #4 was full of oil.

I am kind of delaying it since I am flat ass broke and I am some how going to edmonton next weekend. plus I wanna get the head rebuild.

on ya does anyone know a good way to loosen those screws in the valve covers. I am so worried about stripping them that I don't wanna do it. oh ya I have soaked them in wd40 already, many times

[chris]

you have to get a torque wrench and loosen them in 2 or 3 steps, man those bolts on the bottom of the manifold are being such a little bitch, how'd you get them off??

[Lo)2enz0]

i have scares on my hands from battling those bolts. thats why i wear gloves now.

[chris]

werd, got the timing belt off, just need to get that stupid manifold off and im good to go, wanna come over tommorow and give me a hand?

[Lo)2enz0]

I was out golfing sorry, but call me back I need a bit of your help as well.

[camaro]

Those bolts suck balls. I was so frustrated I dented my fender for no reason at all!

[RPM]

so on a scale of 1 to 10 how hard was it to replace your headgasket on the ca18

[Lo)2enz0]

if 1 was the easiest I would say a 3. It just takes time but its actually not that hard to do.

[dymz999]

changing headgaskets on RWD nissan's 1/2 the difficulty will seriously be if you have a stock fan shroud or not. those stock shrouds are a serious pain in the ass. they make so much extra work to have to do.

I did my SR headgasket in roughly 8 hours from start to finish. one day not bad all in all. CA might be worse because of the timing belt i'm not sure though lol.

[finboy]

timing belt would probably make it easier :dunno:

[Lo)2enz0]

thats what i was thinking compared to a chain.

[RPM]

ok ive already begun i got to taking the belts off and couldnt get the power steering to come off ive loosend the 2 sliders on the front and back but it wont move unless im not pushing on it right?

also is there anything i should watch out for or buy to make things easier on myself


any advice would be kickass

Oh and where did you go for the repacement parts and what all did you need

not sure i fully understand this part ither

http://www.davidrawlinson.org.uk/car/head_gasket_change.html?5

[dymz999]

the chain is idiot proof though, seriously a monkey could do it blind folded. its really hard to mess it up. all you need to do is line everything up take the head off and then switch gaskets stick back on and done. The chain is kind of nice that way. the first time when i changed my cams to HKS 264's it was a bit tricky but it was a good learning experience lol.

[Lo)2enz0]

Originally posted by RPM
ok ive already begun i got to taking the belts off and couldnt get the power steering to come off ive loosend the 2 sliders on the front and back but it wont move unless im not pushing on it right?

also is there anything i should watch out for or buy to make things easier on myself


any advice would be kickass

Oh and where did you go for the repacement parts and what all did you need

not sure i fully understand this part ither

http://www.davidrawlinson.org.uk/car/head_gasket_change.html?5

in that part you are suppost to disconnect your throttle cable by opening it up the throttle so that the cable is loos than it just pops off with a twist. he is also talking about disconnecting anything that is connected to the head that needs to come off. like that grounding wire and the vaccum line that goes to the canister.

as for parts go to nissan and say you have a 89 pulser nx, and tell them what parts you need. almost ever part from the usdm ca18de will match up with the jdm ca18det. while you are doing all of this don't just replace your head gasket, do the manifold gaskets (intake and exhaust) at the same time so that you won't have to worry about them down the road. If I remember correctly the whole gasket kit costs $240 from nissan, this includes the head gasket as well.

as for the power steering belt, there is just the one mount and its a 12mm and you loosen that and push down and the belt will come right off. Than with the altenator belt you have to take the water pump pulley off to get that one off. than everything is straight forward after that.

[RPM]

i got most of that but this is what i dont get

"Also depressurize the fuel system by cranking the engine without the fuel pump fuse until it has stalled"

[chris]

Originally posted by RPM
i got most of that but this is what i dont get

"Also depressurize the fuel system by cranking the engine without the fuel pump fuse until it has stalled"
otherwise you get gas in your face, like laurier learned. So take out the fuel pump fuse in the engine compartment, then try to start the car up. For the power steering belt, just leave it on, you dont need to take it off

[Lo)2enz0]

hey, that was 2 years ago. you basterd. Call me up if you want to finish your car tommorow.

[chris]

^^autocross saturday, havent driven in a month and a half, but put me in coach

[Lo)2enz0]

your on, the t28 will be ready for your car tommorow, to bad I couldn't get the gabs for saturday

[chris]

body roll here we come

[RPM]

"The head bolts must be loosened in 2 or 3 stages, loosening all bolts to matching torques at each stage in the order specified in the manual. A long 10mm Allen key and a torque wrench are needed to undo and retighten the head bolts."



Anyone know what this order is?

[chris]

Originally posted by RPM
"The head bolts must be loosened in 2 or 3 stages, loosening all bolts to matching torques at each stage in the order specified in the manual. A long 10mm Allen key and a torque wrench are needed to undo and retighten the head bolts."



Anyone know what this order is?
refer to the factory service manual, the link is in the s13 thread

[Lo)2enz0]

finally took my head off and guess what I found, a damn metal head gasket. But the 4th cylinder was full of oil, now i am going to take the block out and take a peak at that.

[chris]

gay town, piston rings maybe?

[Lo)2enz0]

I have no idea I am going to take pictures today, I think i will take the block out as well this weekend. Damn this engine.

[RPM]

ok i shouldnt have to replace my timeing belt will I?

I was told I HAVE to


im thinking no

[Milk2%]

Originally posted by RPM
ok i shouldnt have to replace my timeing belt will I?

I was told I HAVE to


im thinking no


If the belt is in good condition. Then there is no need too, just look at the belt for wear and tear

[chris]

Originally posted by RPM
ok i shouldnt have to replace my timeing belt will I?

I was told I HAVE to


im thinking no
no, you just have to make sure you set your timing marks well, so when you reset your timing it's accurate

[RPM]

ok i got 2 bolts left on my exhaust manifold and there not the easiest to get at

what did you guys do to get the 2 middle bolts on the bottem side of the manifold off

do i more or less just have to try harder than I actually am

[chris]

ok, first you have to use a flat wrench, NO SOCKETS, make sure you use wd40 before so the bolts come off easier. for the left bolt, put the circular part of the wrench on the bolt, with the otherside of the wrench pointing towards the front of the car, push down on the wrench. for the right bolt, put the circular part of the wrench on the bolt with the other end pointing towards the firewall, pull up on the wrench. It took me 4 hours of frustration before i figured that out, let's just say my 14mm wrench has a pretty cute little bend to it now.

[Lo)2enz0]

got i would have loved having a rhd car for those little basterds. crap, on the lhd the steering collum gets in the way and its even harder. Remember to wear gloves, cause when you are pushing down sometimes it slips and you will have some nice scares like mine.

[RPM]

ok i got those bolts off no problem it just took time...that i dont have


now where did you guys take the turbo off from on the exhaust

did you undo it from where the downpipe connects to the exhaust (those three insanly rusted on bolts)

did you take the downpipe off from the turbo?...I figured this would be easiest but wasnt sure about re using the gasket that is there

or did you unbolt the exhaust from farther back?


these are pretty minor questions ive been asking but i just wanna know so i dont have to make life hard on myself

[chris]

downpipe to exhaust is the easiest, the downpipe to turbo is really hard, just use wd40 and safety glasses and a long ass wrench, the exhaust bolts were really easy to get off

[RPM]

oh i wish they were as easy for me as they were for you mabye ill go out and pic up the right socket for my impact gun

[Lo)2enz0]

are you talking about the 3 bolts to the dump pipe from the down pipe? let it soak for a couple of hours and the should come off. Trust me it worked for me.

[RPM]

ok got em off with the old impact gun with no problem


know i got this one cunt of a line that wont come off it looks like i could take it off with my fingers but its stuck in place i put my wrench on the 14mm bolt but no dice

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/RPMX7/turbo.jpg

once again am i just being a pussy or not doing it right


thanks for all the help

[chris]

don't even bother taking that off if you're not changing the turbo, just pull the manifodl/turbo off with that attached and pull it to the side

[RPM]

ya im taking it off with the oil line attached to the turbo but it wont come free from the block it looks like you just turn it from that 14mm bolt that is attached to the line but u cant do shit with it so my question was how do you disconnect it from the block

this is the only thing holding the turbo/manifold on for me

[chris]

ok, the picture you showed me was of the coolant line coming from the block. If all the other lines have been disconnected, just pull the turbo/manifold off and put it so it's still in the engine bay but out of the way of the head. SO basically just pull it off the studs sticking out of the head. this is wat i did, i had the same problem with that line.

[RPM]

ok the heads off now i got a few questions

how can i measure to make sure my head isnt warped

and what did you guys use that worked well to clean the old gasket material off both the head and the exhaust manifold

[Lo)2enz0]

just wipe hard....

i am exacty where you are. i am ordering my parts on friday to finish everything

[RPM]

you mean wipe with a cloth? thatll work?

[Lo)2enz0]

thats all i did, and scrub HARD

[RPM]

ya ur not lying about scrub hard..

should i take it somewhere to get checked out for flatness or can i do it at home

[Speed_Dreams]

Originally posted by RPM
ya ur not lying about scrub hard..

should i take it somewhere to get checked out for flatness or can i do it at home

Just get a Square or a straight edge and lay it on the head deck and look along the surface just make sure there isn't any gouges or places where the straight edge is more that like .001" below

[RPM]

was there any sealant you put on your head gasket when putting it back on?

what about the intake and exhaust gaskets was there any sealant used on those?