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head removal directions here!

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OWGTI

20+ Year Contributor
105
1
May 9, 2002
Wisconsin
typed these up for a buddy and figured id share. If anything isnt right, let me know ill fix it. I typed it from memory so i dont know how close i came.

1. Go get some PB Blaster from farm n barn, put it on the exhaust manifold bolts, manifold to turbo bolts and stud and very importantly the nuts that hold the downpipe to the 02 housing and to the block.
2. Take the car on a 10 minute drive beating on it to get it nice n warm then take it home, and immediately jack it up put some more PB Blaster on the bolts and loosten the bolts and stud holding the turbo to the exhaust manifold and nuts holding the downpipe to the o2 housing. Do this wearing gloves while its still warm. dont take them off yet just make sure they are loose.
3. Drive the car outside pull the fuse for the fuel pump (under the hood near the battery I think). (depressurizing fuel system, also covered in factory service manual) The car will run for a few seconds and die
4. While outside drain and remove the radiator and take the upper and lower radiator hoses off. Do this on the pavement, then just hose it down and hope the neighbors dont see.
4.5 Might want to remove the hood if you can get a helper
4.75 REMOVE battery.
5. Push car back inside. Jack it up again and remove downpipe from engine block and o2 housing. Also remove the brace along the back of the engine block that holds up the intake. If you cant get it off, at least remove the bolts that are on the INTAKE, if the ones on the block are pulled out, you still will have a #@%#@%#@%#@%#@% of a time removing the head.
6. take the drivers side wheel off and remove the belts, timing belt cover, remove tension from timing belt and remove that. Don’t worry about the motor being correctly timed at this point.
7. Remove all the guards and shields from the timing belt area. Unplug all connections into coil pack and ignitor, remove ALL small vacuum lines, its okay to cut them, remove vacuum line going between intake and brake booster don’t cut it and remove fuel return hose (be ready with a rag)
8. remove all spark plug wires and disconnect throttle cable and cruise control cables (just snap out of their holders)
9. start unplugging the wiring harness that goes across the intake (in square covering) it plugs into the o2 sensor, water neck, injectors, throttle position sensor, idle control motor, closed throttle switch, knock sensor, ac compressor, and ignition coils and igniters (should already be unplugged from step 7)
9.5, remove fuel feed line from the fuel rail.
9.75 Remove the bolts and nut that hold the turbo to the exhaust manifold
(steps in 10 about unhooking lines from turbo optional for now)
10. disconnect the coolant line from the firewall to the water neck, disconnect the coolant feed line and return line from the turbo (disconnect the big line fed from the hard coolant crossover pipe at the turbo, disconnect the small line at the rubber hose fed from the water neck, disconnect the coolant to oil cooler line on the water neck, disconnect oil return line from the turbo to the oil pan, but you can probably leave the turbo oil feed line connected to the head for now.
11. this SHOULD be everything that holds the head on. Now is the time to do a once over check of everything. Look on all 4 sides of the head for anything that isn’t unhooked and take appropriate unhooking measures.
12. Remove valve cover and then remove the bolts that hold the head on. Make sure you untorque them in small steps and in the opposite order of the torque down procedure.
13, lift off cylinder head, if it wont immediately come off, try prying it up a little bit. But don’t pry on the sealing surfaces.
14. Make sure to set the cylinder head on a piece of wood or cardboard or something, probably laying on the intake manifold would be the best way. Then you can take the exhaust side off then the intake side off. Then pull the cams and lifers and rockers out, making sure to note which lifters and rockers went to which valve (I used egg containers, one for intake side one for exhaust side) wrap cams in oily rags and then put them in plastic bags.
 
one thing to add... at least when i was taking my head off the old engine tonight... DONT USE AN ALLEN WRENCH THAT HAS A BALL ON THE END OF IT FOR THE HEAD BOLTS!!!! IT WILL BREAK RIGHT OFF!!! and be prepared to put some elbow grease into those as well... those fuggers are on TIGHT!!!
 
Originally posted by blackvr4
i bought a long snap on one deep 1/2 inch unbraekable.

heh... unbreakable... LOL.. can't count the number of times i've broken unbreakable parts! but i'd rather break tools than have a bold snap off in my engine - now /that/ is a pain
 
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