# 87 2.4L headgasket change, help



## jkretzer (Mar 1, 2008)

i recently purchased an 87 nissan pickup, 2.4L, 5 speed, 2wd, plain jane for $400. it has a blown headgasket, that i plan on fixing here b4 i put it on the road. it was not driven with the blown headgasket, no antifreeze in oil or oil in antifreeze, it just smokes white and you can smell antifreeze being burnt. it has 175K on it. if this a pretty straight forward removal and replace. i am a decent mechanic and have no problem replacing the HG, i have done them on cummins diesels and even rebuilt a cummins motor b4. a few questions, is all i have to take off is the head, or do i have to take the timing chain off as well? if i dont move either the cam or crank do i need to worry about retiming, or just reassemble with everything the way it came off. do i need to find TDC on #1? any help is apprecaited. thanks josh


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## smj999smj (Jan 1, 2006)

While it's not necessary, I prefer to line any engine up to #1 before seperating the head and block. It's easy enough to do: just match up the timing mark on the crank to the pointer and make sure that the distributor rotor is pointing at #1 ignition wire terminal.

The trick to the job is blocking the timing chain so that the chain tensioner doesn't pull up the slack when you remove the cam gear. To do this, you install a wedge that jams the timing chain against the guides. The original Nissan tool from Kent-Moore was nothing more than a wedge shaped piece of wood with a lawn mower pull strap. Tools currently on the market are made of plastic. You can make one yourself with some wood and rope or wire. Be careful not to jam it in there too much, or you will have difficulty removing it when you are done. If the chain drops or slips any, then you will need to remove the front cover of the engine. That said, it may not be a bad idea with the mileage to install a new chain, guides and tensioner while you have it apart if you suspect the chain may be original; that's a call you have to make. The original chain and guide setup on the NAP-Z was pretty durable, but any chain and guide setup is prone to some wear over time. 

You should be able to get R&R instructions at the free repair guides at AutoZone.com - Get in the Zone!


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