rbo1577186

Let’s put it back together!!
Now we’re on to making seals. Now you know how much is involved to get to these seals, you don’t want to do it again do you?? Do it right the first time. A second set of hands is a real help on this step. There are 2 studs in the front block that will mate to the front cover. Take note of where these are so you don’t make a mess installing the front cover. If you smear the gasket too much, you have to reclean it and start over with new sealant. Apply sealant to the front cover (except the bottom) per the sealants instructions (use a good sealant!! Nissan recommends Genuine “Liquid Gasket”, I used Permatex “The Right Stuff”). In regard to the head gasket, it’s best to hold the front cover slightly downward and then come up to the head.. Torque the front cover bolts to 55 – 75 inch pounds (I hope you kept up with which bolt goes where). This is app 5 foot pounds. One thing I have learned about gaskets/sealants is you can overtighten them. If you do this you can squeeze most of the sealant out, and a lot of times it doesn’t seal because of this. With a gasket it can warp if you overtighten it.So…. My own rule of thumb is to tighten them down until the sealant starts to pooch out a little bit. Remember this is a seal, so start out finger tight (Working opposite sides), then app ½ the required torque, and increase until correct. Install the alternator bracket into the front cover. It’s important to do this now because the bolts go through some sealant. If it dries, it can be a bear to get the bolts back in. Same procedure goes for the oil pan. It’s easiest to have a buddy hold it up in place while you get a few bolts finger tight. Same torque spec as front cover bolts. I’ll try to attach a pic of the bolt sequence. If not, same as the front cover. Work opposite sides and torque it down slowyly. While you’re down there install the crossmember you removed to access the oil pan and install a new oil filter. Do not put oil in at this time, let the gasket dry for a while (Normally at least 45 minutes)

Install Oil Pump and Distributor, Valve Cover and Crank Pulley
Clean the inside and outside of the crank pulley shaft. Apply new oil to the surfaces you just cleaned. This helps the pulley slide on easily and keeps any dirt from damaging the front seal. Align the key on the crankshaft with the slot on the pulley. If it doesn’t go completely on, don’t worry. The bolt will take care of the rest. Torque the crank bolt back down to 105 – 112 foot pounds. Check for #1 TDC again. If it’s off, turn the crank clockwise until piston #1 is at TDC.
The valve cover is next. At the front and rear of the head there are 2 half moon shaped seals. You pulled the front one out earlier for the camshaft bolt. Pull the rear seal out. Use a rag and wipe off any remaining sealant on both sealing surfaces. Apply brake cleaner to a rag and clean the sealing surface of the head. Now apply sealant to the half moon side of the seals. Push these back into place and make sure the top of the seals sit flush with the head. Wipe away any sealant that is oozing out onto the valve cover sealing surface. Use a clean rag and wipe off the valve cover gasket. This is the reverse of removal. Try to set the drivers side down first, and then the passenger side should clear the rockers. I’ll try to post a pic of the tightening order, but it not it’s the same as other gaskets mentioned earlier. Torque spec is 61 – 95 inch pounds (app 7 foot pounds). There are four bolts that hold various brackets. These are last in the torque sequence. Fill up with oil!!
The oil pump consists of two parts, the pump and a spindle. Each has a notch these must be aligned when installing.. Pour some clean oil into the ports and turn the spindle. See how it works?? Wipe off both sealing surfaces with a clean rag. You shouldn’t need a new gasket unless you damaged it. Now pour some more oil in the ports to prime it and slide the assembly back in. You may have to work the spindle a little bit to get the gears to line up, but it will go. If done correctly the key on the end of the spindle is pointing from 11 o’clock to 7 o’clock. You can see this from above where the distributor goes. This must be correct!!
Now to install the distributor. Wipe out the shaft sealing area and apply clean oil to the bore. Slide the distributor into the shaft while lining up the marks you make earlier (if you didn’t, don’t worry). If done correctly the rotor should be pointing at the #1 mark on the distributor. It may be hard to see, but all 4 are marked from the factory. If all looks snug up the two distributor bolts (don’t fully tighten them yet), install the distributor cap and hook the two wiring harnesses on the distributor back up.

Almost there!!
Before we go any further be sure the transmission is in neutral (Chock the wheels and use the parking brake!!). Get out your 27 mm socket and a big ratchet and turn the motor over by hand. It should turn over fairly easily. Now I like to put a few drops of clean oil in the spark plug holes at this time. This is to lubricate the piston rings while the air in the oil system is being purged out. An oil can is great in this situation. If you wanted to triple check your work you could perform a compression test at this time. If your compression is off, you could have bent a valve or damaged a head gasket. Now there are two ways to do the next step, which is to prime the oil pump, and get as much air out of the system as we can before we fire the engine. Before you do this, remove the plastic bag you placed over the intake. If not, it could get sucked in. Also if there are any tools/parts laying under the hood that could fall or get in the way of a moving part, clean them out.
Method 1 - Get your 27 mm socket out and a large ratchet and turn the motor over several times by hand. Let your arm wear out.
Method 2 – Hook the battery back up. Get in the cab and pull the fuse panel(under the turn signal). Remove the fuel pump fuse. Turn the key into the ON position for 10 seconds. Turn the key off and repeat. This releases the pressure in the fuel system, and keeps you from pumping fuel into the cylinders while we don’t want it yet. Make sure the spark plug wires are hanging in a safe place. They will produce a spark!! – something could catch on fire or melt something! Now turn the key over and let the starter do the work!! Don’t do this for more than 30 seconds or so, otherwise you will overheat the starter. It will sound funny, but don’t worry about it.
Ok, if you have a spark plug holes are nasty, clean them with a spark plug thread chaser. If you don’t have one, don’t worry about it. Clean the threads of the spark plugs the best you can. Install the spark plugs and wires (be sure to get the wires in the correct order. Factory wires are numbered and distributor caps are numbered for you). If you didn’t hook the battery back up yet, now is the time. If you pulled the fuel pump fuse, replace it and hold the key in the ON position for a few seconds. This will pressurize the fuel system. Now Cross your fingers and turn the key…..It should be really noisy for a few seconds. Make sure the red oil light goes away in a few seconds, otherwise shut it down. If the oil light goes away, let it run for a few seconds (not long, you don’t have any coolant put back in yet). It may still sound terrible, but it’s air in the system that has made it’s way the the hydraulic lifters. If your compression test was good (and you put oil in it), you should have nothing to worry about.

The Rest
I’m not going into much detail on the rest of the assembly. It’s just the reverse of what you’ve already done.
Power steering bracket – assemble this loosely until all the bolt holes align. Then tighten everything down.
Fan/Shroud/Radiator – Remove negative battery cable!! – Just in case the motor accidentally got turned over while you where in there. I would imagine the fan or getting a finger caught in a belt would really mess someone up. In this order Install fan, then let the shroud hang over the fan. Install the radiator and hoses, then slide the shroud back into place. Install belts and don’t forget to tighten down the alternator adjusting bolt.
Air intake assembly – Replace the intake tube, the L shaped brackets on both sides of the hood latch, and the air cleaner assembly. Attach the vacuum line, AITC sensor wiring harness and the tube that runs from the valve cover to the air cleaner. When attaching this tube orient the clamps so they don’t rub against another wire. Replace any wire ties you cut loose. I cut one at the back of the valve cover and at the front (Just above the belts, there is a bracket just for this purpose). Be sure no wires are resting in danger of any moving parts(belts, fan), and not resting on anything too hot(head, exhaust manifold).
When I replace the splash guard, I use anti-seize these bolts. They are exposed to the weather and can be a bear to get out.
Replace the coolant – remember 50/50 mix unless your climate dictates otherwise. You will not get all coolant back in just yet. The thermostat has to warm up enough to open up. So after you let it run for several minutes(make sure the temp guage goes up to it’s normal operating temperature for a few), let it cool down for at least 20 minutes and then you should be able to add more coolant.