Down to the Block

The last four days were BUSY! With a move on the horizon and a 96 hour deadline, The Project went into overdrive (no pun intended, ok maybe.) To ensure that I could get things knocked out in an expedient manner, I enlisted the help of my neighbor Bob.

July 30 - 7am-1pm: The timing belt came off. After extensive reading and computer research we figured out where the timing marks were, so we could figure out how to get everything lined up again. Then the Alternator came out and the coil packs (which I should have removed earlier *shrug*) We finally got that stubborn intake bolt off, FINALLY! When the head was unbolted, there was no dynamic, extensive damage to the gasket, but there was a spot near the 2nd cylinder which appeared to be the culprit.

Though a pressure check and head resurfacing and the like would have been the smartest route, I neither had the money, inclination or (most importantly) time, to do that. Under those circumstances, the only thing to do was clean everything, put the new gasket on and pray.

Head, with lower intake manifold still attached.

I spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning gasket residue off of the head, block, exhaust header, intake manifolds (upper and lower) and the throttle body.

With the head off, I was finally able to get to that spark plug with the plastic melted around it. turns out it wasn't as bad as I thought. When the engine overheated, at cylinder 2, it melted the plastic cover on the spark plug wire. I was able to chip out the plastic and the plug was fine, no damage. whew!

Side note: Parts are numbered and designated as if you were sitting in the driver's seat. I didn't know that. I thought it was from facing the vehicle. I've been calling left right and calling right left etc and counting bolts back wards, calling 1 4 and 4 1 ad naseum.

Timing is Everything

Thanks to my excellent Hayes manual, I figured out what this timing stuff is all about. Timing is what coordinates the crankshaft and camshaft and in some cases the oil pump. It is controlled by the timing belt. When you take the timing belt off, the sprockets on the end of the cam and crank are free to move around independently and get out of sync. When you put the timing belt back on you have to line up the sprockets with timing marks, to get everything coordinated, then the belt goes back on and runs everything in time. If the timing is off, valves will open at the wrong time, the pistons could come up too soon and smack them, then we're in a whole world of hurt. So yeah, a little important.

A/C Compressor, Power Steering Pump, Timing Belt Cover

Back to it...

...Today, with some help from my neighbor Bob, I detached the Air Conditioning Compressor (you can't disconnect it entirely or all your refrigerant will vent into the atmosphere, then you'll have no cooling and destroyed ozone and its illeagal) and set it aside. Then I unbolted the A/C compressor bracket with the Power Steering pump still attached and took it out completely.

(A/C compressor bracket, power steering pump, powersteering pulley, idler pulley)

Then I got the timing belt cover off...

...so next I need to take the timing belt off...which is apparently more complicated than it sounds. Something about getting the timing marks lined up...Clearly I need to go read some reference material to figure it out.

Woah...slow down there motivator!

Ok, so as it turns out I got a little ahead of myself on the cylinder head removal front. I have discovered (thanks Bob) that I still have a compressor, compressor mounting bracket, power steering pump, timing cover, timing belt and water pump pulley to remove before the head will be clear for removal. I will try not to get frusterated, because this project just continues to get more and more complicated. Its a learning experience...which also happens to be a giant pain in my a$$!!

Valve Cover, Throttle Body and that DAMN Intake Manifold Bolt STILL won't budge

I've got a 5 day weekend to finish my project, so first thing this morning I jumped right in. Even with the penetrating oil to loosen the intake manifold bolt, I can't get that stupid thing to move, so I went to plan C. The intake manifold hangs off the right side of the engine and is attached to the head, so I can remove the throttle body and the valve cover to get to the head bolts, without actually having to remove the intake manifold (it just makes it a lot easier if I COULD remove it). This should allow me to remove the head, with the intake manifold still attached.

throttle body (at least that's what I think it is. I'm still learning the names of all the components. Please correct me if I'm wrong) detached and set aside (upper right hand corner).

I pulled out all but one of the spark plugs (this thing is a 4 cylinder engine with 8 spark plugs...I don't think that's normal). Anyway, this one particular spark plug melted the plastic cover on the wire that it was attached to and some of the plastic has melted over the plug, so I can't get a socket on it. I'll just pull the head with the plug still in place and see about getting it out then. I've got a bad feeling about that plug. I hope there isn't major damage there.

I disconnected most of the wiring (making sure I marked EVERYTHING) and then I pulled off the valve cover (pictured above)).

And that, ladies and gentlemen... 

...is what a single overhead cam looks like.

I also got the exhaust manifold unbolted, so as far as I can tell the next step is remove the head bolts and see if I can pull the entire assembly out with the intake manifold still attached.

Autozone, Intake Manifold Bolts and 4th of July

I swung by Autozone to grab a filter wrench, drain plug gasket and to pick the brain of my friendly neighborhood mech. Kirke has been incredibly helpful, since I'm doing this project on my own (My instructors up at WNC are gone for the summer) its been great to have someone to go to when I get stuck (case in point, immovable intake manifold bolt). If you need anything automotive related please go see the guys at Autozone on Rt 50 in Carson City, they are AWESOME! (no I didn't get anything for saying that.) Anyway, now I've got a couple ideas about how to get this intake manifold off and with a loooooong 4th of July weekend coming up, I am prepared to wail on this beast until it is fixed!!

The Head Gasket Job Begins

Sunday 6/27

I had every intention of starting and completing the head gasket job on my truck on Sunday. I got the oil drained (it was more coolant than oil...not good) and the the coolant drained. (and the power steering fluid...unrelated maintenance, the fluid was gross and needed replacing.). However, I got stuck on the intake manifold. Those bolts are torqued down @ over 120ft/lbs. I got all of them off except the one in the far back. There is so little room that I could barely get a wrench on it and forget about leverage. I've yanked on it (from a very akward angle using my left hand, and I'm right handed), hammered on it (which is useless, there's no room for the hammer to swing back) and I still can't break it loose. About 4 hours into the ideal, I decided to call it a day and reevalate the following morning.

The offending bolt in question!

Monday 6/28

I went back out to the truck with fresh muscles this afternoon and wailed on it some more (for about 45 mins) and I still couldn't get that Son of a B#&%$ to budge. I'm gonna run by Auto Zone and talk to my buddy Kirke D and see if he has any ideas. I need to grab a drain plug gasket and a filter wrench anyway. I am trying not to get frusterated. The Intake Manifold bolts have the highest ft/lbs of torque of any part of the engine (according to my Hayes) so if I can get this bolt out, I should be home free for the rest of the job...and with 4th of July vacay coming up, I will have tons of time to get this done next weekend...I hope.