head removal advice needed

[guibo09]

ok i got the down pipe bolts off. a total bitch, but i was able to get at them with swivels and my impact wrench. they are 14mm btw.

the rad is also out. next is the hood and the AC condensor. i didnt do the hood cuz i didnt have a helper.

it looks like a total bitch getting to the intake manifold bolts!

[SamE30e]

Keep the intake manifold on then... Just disconnect everything from it.

[ethirdy]

ok i got the down pipe bolts off. a total bitch, but i was able to get at them with swivels and my impact wrench. they are 14mm btw.

the rad is also out. next is the hood and the AC condensor. i didnt do the hood cuz i didnt have a helper.

it looks like a total bitch getting to the intake manifold bolts!

Little trick to the hood - there are four 10mm bolts holding the hood hinge ass'y to the upper radiator support (not the six that hold the hinge ass'y to the hood itself). There's no adjustment or alignment to these four either. Prop the hood open using something other than the stock prop, remove the stock hood prop from the hood, disconnect the washer fluid hose from the pump, and take those four 10mm bolts out. The hood will sit in the upper radiator support once you take all four out - no hands :) Then stand facing the hood and grab it on either side, pick it straight up, and you're done.

Removing the hood is a HUGE help for any work under the hood. Gives you access to stand in front - why wouldn't you do it??? ESPECIALLY for head gasket jobs, timing belt work, etc.

[guibo09]

Little trick to the hood - there are four 10mm bolts holding the hood hinge ass'y to the upper radiator support (not the six that hold the hinge ass'y to the hood itself). There's no adjustment or alignment to these four either. Prop the hood open using something other than the stock prop, remove the stock hood prop from the hood, disconnect the washer fluid hose from the pump, and take those four 10mm bolts out. The hood will sit in the upper radiator support once you take all four out - no hands :) Then stand facing the hood and grab it on either side, pick it straight up, and you're done.

Removing the hood is a HUGE help for any work under the hood. Gives you access to stand in front - why wouldn't you do it??? ESPECIALLY for head gasket jobs, timing belt work, etc.

thanks, great tip. i was gonna undo the bolts that have adjustment. makes more sense to take off the non adjustable ones.

i still dont follow how the hood will stay up by itself, but i guess ill figure it out when i do it.

[ethirdy]

thanks, great tip. i was gonna undo the bolts that have adjustment. makes more sense to take off the non adjustable ones.

i still dont follow how the hood will stay up by itself, but i guess ill figure it out when i do it.

So long as you have it propped open, that will keep it from falling back down/closed, and the hood hinge ass'y stays in the radiator support keeping if from falling down (vertically). Then you just grab either side and lift it out of the radiator support - done!

I had a great 8 hour wrenching day Friday - all by myself, just me, some great music on my ipod through a stereo, and my new iX. As much fun as it is wrenching with friends, sometimes having a day to yourself can be so relaxing and rewarding. I find it very theraputic - though I'm also tapped :)

[Fidhle007]

I had a great 8 hour wrenching day Friday - all by myself, just me, some great music on my ipod through a stereo, and my new iX. As much fun as it is wrenching with friends, sometimes having a day to yourself can be so relaxing and rewarding. I find it very theraputic - though I'm also tapped :)

I hear that! I did my S50 swap on a weekend when my shop was closed and while I had help some times, there were a few nights where I just worked by myself late into the evening and enjoyed the quality time with my car. Now I have a car that I've personally handled just about every piece of in it's a great feeling!

[Knockenwelle]

Nothing in the world can replace the feeling of a job done right on your own machine. Anyone who works on their own stuff and gets it right knows the satisfaction of blasting down the road in YOUR car. As hard as I lean on my stuff, I wouldn't trust anyone else to do the work; I need absolute confidence that every mechanical system is flawless. Those nights of staying up til sunrise working slowly and carefully on a long project and waking up sore at 3pm are some of the things I remember most about my projects.

[ethirdy]

Nothing in the world can replace the feeling of a job done right on your own machine. Anyone who works on their own stuff and gets it right knows the satisfaction of blasting down the road in YOUR car. As hard as I lean on my stuff, I wouldn't trust anyone else to do the work; I need absolute confidence that every mechanical system is flawless. Those nights of staying up til sunrise working slowly and carefully on a long project and waking up sore at 3pm are some of the things I remember most about my projects.

qftmft - finished my head job at 12:30 last night after realizing the rear coolant pipe hadn't been hooked back up to its hose...it's tough sharing responsibilities with others lol. But, night and day difference in the car between the new manifold gaskets (no leaks on intake OR exhaust now) 19# injectors, m30 afm, fresh hoses, new timing belt, valve adjustment...things just feel RIGHT :)

Today I'm draining/filling all the diffs, trans, and transfer case. We ran the car for a few seconds without the radiator and the trans lines (stupid ass auto) spit out what looked to be black tar...

Any idea if I can run the car with the trans pan off or with one of the lines disconnected to get ALL the trans fluid out, or is that unsafe?

[guibo09]

where is the rear coolant hose exactly?

[ethirdy]

where is the rear coolant hose exactly?

Against the firewall, attached to the head. It's an aluminum pipe that's held on by two 10mm bolts, and attaches to a rubber coolant hose that forks off into...I dunno, some other cooling hose lol. In any case, it's best to reattach this with the head off the car, then attach the other end once the head is installed. Trying to install it to the pipe on the head with the head and intake manifold installed SUCKS.

[Fidhle007]

qftmft - finished my head job at 12:30 last night after realizing the rear coolant pipe hadn't been hooked back up to its hose...it's tough sharing responsibilities with others lol. But, night and day difference in the car between the new manifold gaskets (no leaks on intake OR exhaust now) 19# injectors, m30 afm, fresh hoses, new timing belt, valve adjustment...things just feel RIGHT :)

Today I'm draining/filling all the diffs, trans, and transfer case. We ran the car for a few seconds without the radiator and the trans lines (stupid ass auto) spit out what looked to be black tar...

Any idea if I can run the car with the trans pan off or with one of the lines disconnected to get ALL the trans fluid out, or is that unsafe?

I'd probably fill it and then run it with mostly new fluid for a bit and then drain it all again, replacing the trans filter. It's expensive, but I'd do this two or three times (you probably only need to replace the filter once though) just to make sure you're getting as much clean fluid through there as possible. Especially if you're using Redline D4, it will clean out some of the crap. I'm sorry I haven't responded to your PM about fluid types yet, I've been in the recording studio and haven't been back to the shop to see what we're using in IXs. I'm pretty sure it's Redline 75/90 Gear Oil in the diffs and D4 ATF in the T/C and tranny though.

Now back to head advice:

Don't forget to cup the balls..

[ethirdy]

I'm pretty sure it's Redline 75/90 Gear Oil in the diffs and D4 ATF in the T/C and tranny though.

:yikes:

Do you use the 75/90 made for limited slip applications, or the NS stuff?

[Fidhle007]

We put the NS stuff in Transaxles, and This in the diffs.

[ethirdy]

We put the NS stuff in Transaxles, and This in the diffs.

So same stuff that would go in the LSD's of the RWD cars? Didn't know if it was different as they're viscous couplings.

[Fidhle007]

Not to my knowledge... I'll check with my boss when I see him next week though.