It's the small positive things about a weekend like that which ease the aches and pains: for example the relationship you cultivate with the people at your local parts shop, who give you a smile when you purchase your first head gasket, then a smirk as you purchase your second later that day, a sympathetic pat on the back when you buy a timing cover gasket set first thing the next morning, and a cheer when you flog the tyres in the carpark that afternoon :)
Richard Clough wrote: > Just finished what could only be described a Datsun Weekend. > > Saturday afternoon, casually started to repair a simple blown head > gasket on my sons partner's car. Removed the head to find no > apparent breaks in the gasket but water gallery corrosion in the head > is close to the gasket metal surrounding the cylinder bore, suggesting > may be water could be getting past the gasket. Discard the head. > > Fortunately we have a recently acquired A87 L20B head which is sitting > on the bench. So lets clean it up and drop it on temporarily, despite > the 7.5 to 1 compression. > > Install head and, guess what, the timing chain wedge has come loose! > > Out with radiator, off with the front pulley, water pump, oil pump, > front timing cover, and reinstall the cam chain tensioner. > Reverse all removals, with new gaskets of course, and tension the > head. Replace oil pump and set it at 11.25, drop in the dizzy, > connect the battery and crank, and crank, and crank. It has spark, > fuel in the bowl but no fire! > Its 9.30 pm, we're outside working with a small flouro light, its mid > winter. Off to bed. > > Today. Assume compression is too low to get the fire started, so > replace A87 head with a W 53 head currently on a recently acquired > Stanza motor. Off with the A87 head, chocking the chain very tightly > this time. Off with the Stanza head, what a beauty, it looks like it's > brand new! The gaskets haven't even stuck to it. Bolt it on to the > 1600 block, bolt up everything else and, *&%$#, the original hardened > heater hoses are splitting along their length as I try to install > them. Fit new heater hoses and clamps. > > Check all bolts are tightened. Whats this? A stripped thread in the > thermostat housing and water is pissing out!. Replace housing by > canibalising spare car in shed. Finally ready! > > Crank, and Crank, and Crank. Silence. Sounds of spanners hitting > ground hard and loud swearing. Short think break. > > Check timing, spark, fuel. Fuel? Yep the bowl is full, but hang on, is > fuel is flowing down carb throat! No. Place hand over carb while son > cranks again. A few coughs, then action! At last, engine settles to > it usual very smooth idle. > > Ask son what made him think he'd blown a head gasket. > Answer, car wouldnt start and he figured as the head was "sus" and the > engine was loosing water, the head gasket had blown! He also thought > there was water on no 3 plug. > > Did I just do two head jobs for a blocked jet in the carb and a > leaking heater hose? > Who knows, but the car is purring again like a good datsun should. > > > > --membersozdat------------------------------------------------------- > OZDAT Mailing List Please Note:- > Send (un)subscribe requests to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Send submissions to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > No unauthorised redistribution of this email > http://www.ozdat.com/ozdatonline/index.htm > http://www.ozdat.com/ozdatonline/listindex.html > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > --------------------------------------------------------------------- --membersozdat------------------------------------------------------- OZDAT Mailing List Please Note:- Send (un)subscribe requests to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Send submissions to [EMAIL PROTECTED] No unauthorised redistribution of this email http://www.ozdat.com/ozdatonline/index.htm http://www.ozdat.com/ozdatonline/listindex.html http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------
