head removal advice needed

[guibo09]

the goal:
- head removal for complete rebuild
- timing belt change
- coolant flush
- leaky AC condensor replacement
- oil leak fixing

removed so far:
- intake system
- ICV
- iginition wires
- valve cover
- coolant hoses
- distributor cap
- plastic skid plate
- coolant flushed

now what?

im guessing removing the hood will make my life easier? then i pull out the radiator and the condensor?

how about removing the head, should i leave the intake manifold on, or remove it first? what about on the exhaust side, where do i disconnect? at the head or at the collectors?

thanks for the tips :)

[BoostMW]

leave intake manifold on with harness still attached, unplug harness from dme and starter wires and take head and intake off together with harness....

[Chells_88ix]

My husband and I pulled the head on ours and left the hood on. We did remove the radiator along with leaving the intake attached on removal. Still have to remove it and attach it to the head going back on in place. Make sure you have help that head is heavy coming up and off.

[SpecM]

remove the radiator (don't have to remove the AC condenser), and start disassembling the front timing assembly. You can leave the hood on, just do this: remove the grills, and lay a rag/towel over the headlights; detach the hood from the shock assembly, and let the hood swing all the way forward (past vertical) and let it rest on the covered headlights. As for the exhaust, remove it at the head, loosen a couple exhaust hangers, and let the manifolds rotate out.

[guibo09]

thanks for the tips, keep em coming.

i have to replace the AC condensor anyway, so i will remove right away.

is there any reason not to remove the hood? seems like it would make life easier.

[Knockenwelle]

Nope, just pull it. It takes all of 3 minutes, and can be done by yourself if you're smart. Be sure to mark the locations of the hinges with a sharpie: outlining works best.

[StereoInstaller1]

If you unbolt the transmission mounts and jack it up an inch or three, it makes way more room at the back of the head.

[guibo09]

If you unbolt the transmission mounts and jack it up an inch or three, it makes way more room at the back of the head.

that same trick worked for my subaru. i will do it.

as for the hood, i dont even think i need to mark it. there is like 4 layers of rustproofing oil that has left a perfect marking :giggle:

[learningcurve86]

removing the hood made it easier on mine... esp. when lifting the head and intake off by hand.

PB blaster FTW on the exhaust

also... the Bentley manual has the proper torque spec.s and order in which to pull the bolts holding the head in place...

[guibo09]

i havent looked since a week, but it seems to me that i have very little or no access the exhaust manifold bolts at the head because of the heat shields?

is it easy or even possible to get in there? how do you remove the heat shields?

[E30_fiend]

i havent looked since a week, but it seems to me that i have very little or no access the exhaust manifold bolts at the head because of the heat shields?

is it easy or even possible to get in there? how do you remove the heat shields?

the heat sheilds are sandwiched between the exhaust manifolds and the head. you need to remove the manifolds to remove the heat sheilds. you most likely need new ones anyway so just buy then. as for now just bend them up and out of the way enough to acess the nuts on the manifolds. they are made of some cardboard with a very thin metal braiding. they will bend very easily and most likely break so just purchase some new ones ASAP.

hope that helps







Taylor

[Fidhle007]

First and foremost, GO BUY A BENTLEY MANUAL. Without one, you WILL break something that didn't need to be broken. Secondly, keep the exhaust manifolds on and disconnect the downpipes. This gives you a good handle when you're pulling the head out. Then you can pull them off on the bench later when you can actually reach all the nuts.

[guibo09]

i do have a bentley, it's just not very detailed for some stuff.

ill see if the downpipe bolts break loose easily, and try that way. They didtn seem all that accessible first time round.

[Fidhle007]

You have to get to them from underneath but it's a shitload easier than pulling the manifold.

[ethirdy]

keep the exhaust manifolds on and disconnect the downpipes. This gives you a good handle when you're pulling the head out. Then you can pull them off on the bench later when you can actually reach all the nuts.

ill see if the downpipe bolts break loose easily, and try that way. They didtn seem all that accessible first time round.

Brendan is right - though I went against this method this time around on my iX. For some reason I decided to separate the manifolds from the head -well, try to at least, as 11 came out no problem, and one is nicely stuck in there. It's the middle bottom one on the first bank of cylinders too - basically the hardest one to get to lol :) The manifolds make great handles though.

Anyways, now I have to break them off and the downpipes, which are/should be 6 15mm nuts. The trick with these is a swivel attachment - without it you can't get a socket on cleanly, and it's just a pain in the ass to try and do it from the top with wrenches. Get two or three long extensions, one short, and a swivel, then get underneath the car and you'll be able to see all 6 pretty easily. The BEST way is to have someone up top line up the socket and hold it on each nut as you turn them - gravity is a little bitch and likes to make your socket fall off, but it's not impossible to do alone. Keep in mind the iX is a bit harder with the axles and goofy motor mounts too - your non-iX should be even easier.

As for the intake manifold - I find it easier to take off first. Makes the ass'y lighter when removing, also gives you easier access to everything. I also took mine off to diagnose the leaking gaskets, but that's neither here nor there. The last nut against the firewall sucks - to really get at it you should remove the battery terminal/post on the passenger side and hang the wires over the driver's side fender, but you can get in there without doing that, just takes longer. Remember to disconnect the coolant hose from the back of the head before removing, and now's a good time to do a valve adjustment too. Pull the spark plugs - makes turning the crank waaaay easier.

Last bit of advice - install the exhaust and intake manifolds to the head before putting the head back on - yes, it's contradictory to removal IMO, but putting them back on outisde the car with clear access and properly torquing everything is way more important. That way you ensure a nice solid seal and drop it on the head only having to worry about the head gasket and bolts. Grab some wooden dowels to line the head up too - works wonders lining up the gasket, block and head while you get some bolts started. MAKE SURE YOU FOLLOW THE DISASSEMBLY/REASSEMBLY ORDER FOR THE HEAD BOLTS OR YOU WILL WARP THE HEAD! :)

Good luck! I'm doing this tomorrow lol.