Colbino Posted January 12, 2010 Report Share Posted January 12, 2010 A buddy of mine just purchased an '81 210 hatchback dlx the other day. The car has the A15 motor but needs the head gasket replaced. I'm familiar with L motors but haven't had the chance to work on an A yet. • Is it possible to replace the head gasket without removing the timing chain cover (the wooden block trick that people use for L motors) or am I going to have to pull the timing cover? • Also, does any one know where to get lowering springs and blocks for this model car? Thanks guys! -C Quote Link to comment
Pumpkn210 Posted January 12, 2010 Report Share Posted January 12, 2010 Its a push rod engine so the cam is in the block. Super easy to do, just gotta make sure to do cold then hot valve adjustments after reassembly. I used 510 rears(cut) and stock fronts(cut) then put rubber snubbers in the spring coils to stiffen it up. It will bottom out the shocks in front so take them in to a machine shop and have them cut off about 4in and rethread the shaft. You can also cut off the shock towers and raise them up. Would not recomend this cause all the measuring that you gotta do to make it right. I have a car that was done this way and it is pretty Hack. Drives weird and everything. Quote Link to comment
ggzilla Posted January 13, 2010 Report Share Posted January 13, 2010 Yes, it's like 100 times easier than the L-series engine. Just make sure 1. Get the block and head faces super clean 2. Get the threads clean and chased. Do not oil 3. Use a torque wrench, bolt in three stages in the Datsun pattern Easy swap. You don't need to mill the head unless it's more than 4 thousands out of flat. To lower one inch, just cut 1/4 coil front and rear, no blocks needed. Quote Link to comment
Colbino Posted January 13, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2010 Thanks for the info., guys. I was looking through the Haynes manual and it looks like the rocker shaft needs to be removed from the cylinder head, then the push rods slide out and then the head bolts get removed. Does that sound correct? And I don't need to worry about TDC right? Thanks again! -C Quote Link to comment
ggzilla Posted January 13, 2010 Report Share Posted January 13, 2010 Yes, you can trust Haynes to get it right. Being a non-OHC four-cylinder, you don't need to disturb the distributor. However, after you are done, you will have to adjust the valves, which means you turn it to TDC. Quote Link to comment
JustinB Posted January 14, 2010 Report Share Posted January 14, 2010 I just pulled my head straight off. Didn't need to remove rockers at all. the rods just slid right out with the head. Havn't put it all back together yet though... hope everything's alright. :) Quote Link to comment
ggzilla Posted January 15, 2010 Report Share Posted January 15, 2010 You risk bending the pushrods if you do not loosen them first. But in any case, you'll have to loosen them to reinstall, and certainly to adjust them afterwards, so why not do it to start with. Quote Link to comment
Colbino Posted January 15, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 15, 2010 One more quick question guys... Do you know what size and pitch bottom tap I will need to clear out the head bolt holes in the block? Thank you for all all the help fellas! -C Quote Link to comment
ggzilla Posted January 15, 2010 Report Share Posted January 15, 2010 You can blow out the bolt holes and get them quite clean. If they are crusty, what i did was take a spare head bolt and filed a grove down the side. Presto, a home-made tap. Quote Link to comment
Colbino Posted January 15, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 15, 2010 Thanks for the tip ggzilla, but do you happen to know the size and pitch? -C Quote Link to comment
ggzilla Posted January 15, 2010 Report Share Posted January 15, 2010 No, I generally do not recall small details like that, and have never written it down. You can measure the thread diameter, probably 12mm and the thread pitch probably 1.25/mm Quote Link to comment
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