Resurfaced head on L20b. Need a shim?

[hang_510]

tighten the cam tower bolts

 

cam just slid right out of the towers, which makes sense,

torque as is.

 

towers are (positioned)fine if the cam slid out/in

[zed]

do the head bolts on the L motor run through the cam towers? I don't think so. Do they not run in a groove alongside the towers? I did grind a bit off my 10mm allen head to get clearance when torquing the head bolts

[banzai510(hainz)]

I just put slide it all the way forward and make sure the dowel is in the 11:30 position.

 

 

 

How about put the sprocket on for a sec and line the V and the dash on the timming plate. That pretty much lines it up. than take sprocket back off.

 

If you put it a 11 30 as YOU JUST MADE UP the sprocket is more to th left and how you going to pull up that chain. Youll end up turing the sprocket to the right anyways.

 

 

 

The machine shop made it sound so EZ why didnt they do it. You making this harder than it is Torg the Towers down. This had nothin to do with the head bolts. towers are about 10-13 pounds. It not much at all

 

Datsunaholic/Datzenmike take over.

 

Im done

[justin720]

I just put slide it all the way forward and make sure the dowel is in the 11:30 position.

 

 

 

How about put the sprocket on for a sec and line the V and the dash on the timming plate. That pretty much lines it up. than take sprocket back off.

 

If you put it a 11 30 as YOU JUST MADE UP the sprocket is more to th left and how you going to pull up that chain. Youll end up turing the sprocket to the right anyways.

 

 

 

The machine shop made it sound so EZ why didnt they do it. You making this harder than it is Torg the Towers down. This had nothin to do with the head bolts. towers are about 10-13 pounds. It not much at all

 

Datsunaholic/Datzenmike take over.

 

Im done

 

Great. I think I got it. I'll report back. Sorry to be difficult, I'm just not familiar, or at least wasn't until now. But sure do appreciate the help.And I guess I learned my lesson about the machine shop. There were very small shavings of metal in the valve chambers that i had to clean out.

[hang_510]

do the head bolts on the L motor run through the cam towers? I don't think so.

yes!

not all of them... just 4

[justin720]

yes!

not all of them... just 4

 

Yeah, so do you recommend that I undo all the head bolts, and retorque them AFTER I've torqued the cam tower bolts?

[hang_510]

Yeah, so do you recommend that I undo all the head bolts, and retorque them AFTER I've torqued the cam tower bolts?

the book recommends doing this periodiclly.

 

ONE at a time. un-torque, retorque. follow the sequence in the book.

[justin720]

the book recommends doing this periodiclly.

 

ONE at a time. un-torque, retorque. follow the sequence in the book.

 

Ok, I'll do that.

 

Still having trouble getting the sprocket up onto the cam. I can get it to rest on the dowel but not high enough to go into the hole. I've tried putting a bar into the sprocket hole and lifting up but it's not budging. I've tried rotating the cam a bit to get it in, but also not working. I've shined a flashlight down into the cover and I can see the tensioner against the chain but not much else. I can also see the the tension side and guide side of the chain seem to be right next to each other.

 

I've tried turning the crank a little bit and it moves the chain as it should (I kept upward tension). So I don't think it's off the sprocket or anything, but can't understand why it won't go back on the cam, even with the upward pry. I'll take the front cover off if I have to but really don't want to if there is a work around.

 

Here's a pic:

[banzai510(hainz)]

turn cam more to the right as it will put slack on that side. Of caorse the tensioner has to be IN. so it can give you the slack from the left side to move it the the right side.

[justin720]

turn cam more to the right as it will put slack on that side. Of caorse the tensioner has to be IN. so it can give you the slack from the left side to move it the the right side.

 

I tried turning the cam. It allowed me to get onto the dowel but couldn't get the dowel in the hole. I just couldn't budge it that extra 3/16". When I originally put the wooden wedge in I put it in there pretty firmly. Could I have popped the tensioner out of alignment or something?

 

Here is a pic where I've got upward pressure, and holding the chain over to the right so you can see the tensioner

[motavated]

O geez! DOnt you guy think that maybe the tensioner popped out? I had this shit happen before and the chain tensioner popped out and I could not with all with the strength in the world place the sprocket in the dowel. You might have to take the chain cover off and check it all up!

[motavated]

Yes there is a possibility. I had to order another tensioner since I f'd up the spring and tensioner that it had inside for trying to lift the chain with a engine hoist..... HAHAHAHAH! Had to buy a new chain too!

[justin720]

Yes there is a possibility. I had to order another tensioner since I f'd up the spring and tensioner that it had inside for trying to lift the chain with a engine hoist..... HAHAHAHAH! Had to buy a new chain too!

 

Oh man, I wanted to do something like that, but stopped putting pressure when I saw my industrial screwdriver start to bend. I've been think I'm going to have to take the cover off for a while. I already started taking the radiator off tonight. At least it will give me a chance to inspect more parts. Thank God for Hainz's video!

[motavated]

His video kicks ass! It helped me when I had this problem. Let us know what u find!

[hang_510]

I'll take the front cover off if I have to but really don't want to if there is a work around.

i sneezed at that point once... had to pull the cover! :angry:

[justin720]

i sneezed at that point once... had to pull the cover! :angry:

 

Ha! That's a good way to describe how careful to be.

 

So since I'm taking the water and oil pump off is there any maintentance/parts replacement that I should do as well as a standard procedure?

[datzenmike]

This is what it should look like:

 

This may be what has happened:

 

When out this far it's all but impossible to position it with a pry bar and get it back in.

 

 

This picture does not show the wedge. Where is it??? It should not be removed until the sprocket is on. Any movement of the crank will introduce slack on the tensioner side and it will move outward... that's it's job.

 

 

 

 

 

 

.

[justin720]

This picture does not show the wedge. Where is it??? It should not be removed until the sprocket is on. Any movement of the crank will introduce slack on the tensioner side and it will move outward... that's it's job.

 

Mike thanks man, that is so helpful. That is exactly what happened. I didn't realize the importance of leaving the wood wedge in until the sprocket was on. I thought that as long as I kept upward pressure on the chain I was all good. Anyway, I know what I need to do now. Can I put the tensioner back in or do I need a new one?

 

Any advice for breaking the crank nut without the pulley attached to the cam for leverage? Do you know what size it is? I need to go pick up the socket.

 

thanks!

[motavated]

Mine looked like this but since I was fucking with it so much I damaged the spring showed here...

 

Also see if the tensioner has lots of chain marks. Maybe it best to replace the tensioner or change as well... Maybe invest in a timing chain kit?

 

Ebay has a chain kit for 35$? This is a l20b kit...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Nissan-200SX-Pickup-510-610-620-L20B-Timing-Chain-Set_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem1c10b32c43QQitemZ120539262019QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

 

Or you can just buy a new tensioner, chain and timing cover gasket for that much at the autoparts store...

[datzenmike]

Sure you can re-use if not damaged. Seeing as how you will have to remove the timing cover to get at it anyway, this would be a good time to replace it and the guides. Like Hainz, I've never heard of a stretched chain but they and the sprockets and guides can wear and add slack. This is why there is an extra adjustment hole on the cam sprocket.

 

The timing cover will NOT come off with the water pump on and there is a bolt behind the oil pump that's easy to miss. Loosen the oil pan bolts around the front and a few down each side. There are 4 10mm bolts around the front of the head that also have to come out to release the timing cover.

[justin720]

Sure you can re-use if not damaged. Seeing as how you will have to remove the timing cover to get at it anyway, this would be a good time to replace it and the guides. Like Hainz, I've never heard of a stretched chain but they and the sprockets and guides can wear and add slack. This is why there is an extra adjustment hole on the cam sprocket.

 

The timing cover will NOT come off with the water pump on and there is a bolt behind the oil pump that's easy to miss. Loosen the oil pan bolts around the front and a few down each side. There are 4 10mm bolts around the front of the head that also have to come out to release the timing cover.

 

Great info fellas. Thanks. Not sure if I want/need a whole kit. The cam sprocket looks like it's in great shape, so does the chain. The truck has 168K miles so I'm assuming that the chain has been replaced at some point, but not sure.

 

Datzenmike are you saying I don't need to take off the whole oil pan? I just got back from the garage and everything has gone really smoothly. I just took the idle arm mounting bolts off, moved the cross bar down and loosened ALL the oil pan bolts. My manual says to remove it in order to get the cover off. I had to go, but was having trouble getting the oil pan off.

 

Here's some pics:

 

I don't remember what this is called, but this is what it looks like at TDC. Is that close enough to 11:28?

 

Water pump seems to look OK

 

Oil pump. What should I look for to see if it needs maintenance:

 

 

[datzenmike]

Remove the front bolts and a few on the side of the pan and maybe loosen a few down the side so that the pan will drop slightly and the timing cover will slide forward and out. Maybe slip a paint scraper between the pan gasket and the timing cover or a dull kitchen knife and try to separate it without tearing. If it gets ruined buy a new pan gasket and trim to fit the timing cover/oil pan area and put a dab of RTV in the two corners.

 

 

Looks more like 12:30 than 11:28 but could just be me.

 

 

To get the crank pulley bolt loose, place in high gear and use a 24mm socket and a ratchet with a piece of pipe over the handle to lengthen it. With the handle hanging down, suddenly kick it towards the driver's side with the flat of you foot. Use care and do suddenly and you'll loosen it the first try.

 

Alternatively (I've never tried this) is to use a longer pipe and rest it against the frame and bump the starter. This will turn the crank while the bolt stays still. Use caution and think before doing.

 

 

.

[justin720]

Remove the front bolts and a few on the side of the pan and maybe loosen a few down the side so that the pan will drop slightly and the timing cover will slide forward and out. Maybe slip a paint scraper between the pan gasket and the timing cover or a dull kitchen knife and try to separate it without tearing. If it gets ruined buy a new pan gasket and trim to fit the timing cover/oil pan area and put a dab of RTV in the two corners.

 

Oh man I already loosened all the pan screws and tried to get the pan off. It was pretty stuck on there so maybe I can just put all the screws back in except the ones you mentioned.

 

To get the crank pulley bolt loose, place in high gear and use a 24mm socket and a ratchet with a piece of pipe over the handle to lengthen it. With the handle hanging down, suddenly kick it towards the driver's side with the flat of you foot. Use care and do suddenly and you'll loosen it the first try.

 

Alternatively (I've never tried this) is to use a longer pipe and rest it against the frame and bump the starter. This will turn the crank while the bolt stays still. Use caution and think before doing.

 

Ok I'll try that and report back.

 

And I think the camera angle on the pump wasn't good. I'll take a new after I reinsert the pump.

[datzenmike]

From now on you can follow Hainz's video as what you are now doing is a chain install.

[banzai510(hainz)]

one step fwd 2 steps back.

 

You didnt need to drop the lower pan completely off just get bolts loose so you can lower the front of the oil pan so the timming cover can have just a little extra room to you dont damage the oil pan gasket when putiing it back ON.

 

oil spindal is OK in photo.