# New to group and tackling blown head gasket in B210



## mrsnak (Aug 29, 2011)

Hi all,
Pretty sure it's an A13 ('74) motor, and I have a manual for specs on the way, but have started disassembly for a blown head gasket.

Is the intake manifold only held on by the 4 upper visible bolts? Not budging with whacks with a rubber mallet and the motor appears untouched.

What's the proper way to coax this off?

I think exhaust will be easy with everything exposed.


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## mrsnak (Aug 29, 2011)

I notice that not too many mechanical questions get answered on the Classic Datsun forum. Is there another area I should post this question to?
TIA


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## SPEEDO (Jun 9, 2003)

there are 10 head bolts... 2 different lengths, so make sure you know what goes where... if I remember, only one bolt is different


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## mrsnak (Aug 29, 2011)

Thanks, Speedo, but it's not the head I'm having issues with, it's the intake manifold.
Maybe this will help:


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## SPEEDO (Jun 9, 2003)

sorry... there are 4 more on the bottom, (pull the exhaust with the intake)


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## mrsnak (Aug 29, 2011)

So the two are one piece? The only thing throwing me was that a couple of the exhaust manifold nuts seem almost impossible to get to without first removing the intake. Need to get at these with swivel sockets, I guess.


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## smj999smj (Jan 1, 2006)

It's been a long time since I worked on one! ...But, "back in the day," when replacing head gaskets on "A" and "L" motors, we would remove and install the cylinder head and intake/exhaust manifolds as an assembly. If the head needed to be resurfaced, we would remove and install the manifolds on the bench prior to reinstalling the head back onto the engine block.


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## mrsnak (Aug 29, 2011)

Thanks - that make so much more sense. Been more than a few years since I've done one of these, and I seem to remember having done exactly that in the past for my small motor cars.


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## smj999smj (Jan 1, 2006)

Yeah, don't think I've worked on an "A" motor since the late '80's! Good ol' cars, those B-210's! I wish they had used some undercoating from the factory, though!


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## mrsnak (Aug 29, 2011)

Thanks - this motor and transmission is currently in a 1961 Morris Minor Pickup.
It was a good conversion and the motor has done well for the few years I've had the car. No idea if the motor had been taken apart before but everything is very tight to remove so far. Also fitted with a carburetor from a '65 Dodge Dart.


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## mrsnak (Aug 29, 2011)

Got the head off and found the culprit.

Needed to take off the manifolds because someone welded an angled pipe right where the manifold bolts to the pipe, making it impossible (without cutting the pipe) to remove because the bolted stud on one side comes right down to the pipe (WTF?).

That being said, the gasket probably blew because the intake manifold was cracked (and broke off upon removable) at #4 piston. The ensuing vacuum leak probably overheated that area. (broken area circled)
Everything else looks good.

My problem - how many bolts hold the intake manifold to the exhaust?
I thought it was just the two (circled) Don't see any others.

The break was clean and I'd like to get it welded. Probably impossible to find a used one for a decent price.


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## mrsnak (Aug 29, 2011)

Hello?...Hello? (makes tapping noises on the screen)


;-)


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## SPEEDO (Jun 9, 2003)

I was looking at some old pics, one says 9 and another says 11... total
I'll see if I can find a different pic


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## mrsnak (Aug 29, 2011)

Thanks for getting back (thumbs up)

Just for the intake manifold for where it bolts to the exhaust below?
I have both manifolds disconnected from the head, but I need to separate the intake (top manifold) from the bottom (exhaust manifold) I can only see two bolts (circled) and I already unbolted them. It's as if there are two (or one?) more somewhere still holding it in place. I don't see them unless you need to get to them from underneath.
I do know there is a gasket sandwiched between the two.
I have a Clymer book on the way, but the company that I bought it from send books media mail. Two weeks after shipment, still no book. :-(


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## SPEEDO (Jun 9, 2003)

yep! two bolts from the bottom...


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## mrsnak (Aug 29, 2011)

Thanks Speedo. Didn't see them. Will feel around for them.


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## mrsnak (Aug 29, 2011)

More than just 2 bolts, bolted line from exhaust to intake.

Methinks I need the Datsun 1200 forum for this project.

Thanks to both you guys for trying to help.


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## mrsnak (Aug 29, 2011)

This was really a situation where I needed to remove the manifolds on the bench, rather than in the car.
Was really shooting the dark trying to find all the bolts. Ended up cutting the exhaust underneath the car so I could bring the entire unit out. Could not unbolt the manifold because one of the manifold studs actually touched the pipe (someone welded it so that it would fit) When I did reassembly, I put a shorter stud on the one that touched:










Got a friend of mine to zerox some pages from a good repair manual as well as found myself a Clymer book, and got all the tolerances and torque settings. 

Imagine my newbie surprise to find out that I had a 1400 motor from about 1980. 
Didn't realize "A14" was stamped on the block until someone alerted me.
This was after (of course) I got an A13 gasket set - mostly good except the bore is larger on the A14. It was the cracked manifold that caused the head gasket to blow, and I caught it so quickly, no other damage was done. Overall engine temperature stayed cool, so no warpage at all in the head. Had it mic'd just to be sure. Both the block and the head cleaned up very nicely.




























Got my intake manifold welded up and milled the intake and exhaust together to get a smooth fit










Easy solution for where I cut the exhaust, now I can simply unbolt from here if ever I need to do this in the future:










Anyway, got it back together myself and here was the moment of truth:

Morris running - YouTube


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## mrsnak (Aug 29, 2011)

mrsnak said:


> "Didn't realize "A14" was stamped on the block until someone alerted me.
> This was after (of course) I got an A13 gasket set - mostly good except the bore is larger on the A14. "


Meant that the bore on the A13 is smaller ;-)


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