Operation CHARM: Car repair manuals for everyone.

Cylinder Head Assembly: Service and Repair

1. Disconnect battery ground cable and drain cooling system.
2. Disconnect breather and secondary air hose, then remove air cleaner assembly, air intake duct and hot air duct.
3. Disconnect accelerator cable from throttle lever and brackets.
4. Disconnect upper radiator, heater and water hoses, fuel hoses and the brake booster hose.
5. On models with automatic transaxle, disconnect throttle cable from engine. On models with manual transaxle, disconnect clutch cable and secure aside.
6. On all models, mark and disconnect necessary electrical connectors and vacuum hoses, release harness clips and secure harnesses aside to prevent damage.
7. Disconnect ignition coil high tension lead, then remove distributor cap and plug wires.
8. Support engine as needed, then remove left engine mount bracket from cylinder head.
9. Remove exhaust manifold covers and disconnect exhaust pipe from manifold.
10. Remove engine oil dipstick and plug opening.
11. Remove upper timing belt cover, rocker arm cover and the gasket.
12. Rotate crankshaft in normal direction of rotation (clockwise) to bring No. 1 cylinder to top dead center compression stroke. The No. 1 cylinder is at top dead center compression stroke when the mark on the upper timing undercover is aligned with the mark on the camshaft sprocket, Fig. 1.

Fig. 1 Camshaft Timing Marks:





13. Place an alignment mark on timing belt, in line with mark on camshaft sprocket timing mark, Fig. 1.
14. Remove camshaft sprocket attaching bolt, then detach sprocket from camshaft with timing belt attached. Position camshaft sprocket on lower belt cover or suspend sprocket and belt from hood to maintain proper timing alignment. Do not rotate crankshaft after removing sprocket from camshaft.

Fig. 2 Cylinder Head Bolt Loosening Sequence:





15. Remove cylinder head attaching bolts in sequence shown in Fig. 2. Loosen bolts evenly, in three steps, to prevent cylinder head warpage, then remove cylinder head and gasket. Take care not to dislodge camshaft sprocket during cylinder head removal.

Fig. 3 Cylinder Head Bolt Tightening Sequence:





Fig. 4 Cylinder Head Bolt Tightening Sequence:





16. Reverse procedure to install, noting the following:
a. Do not apply sealer to cylinder head gasket. Install gasket with I.D. mark toward timing belt.
b. Prior to installing cylinder head on engine, ensure crankshaft and camshaft timing marks are aligned.
c. Tighten cylinder head bolts in sequence shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Tighten bolts in two steps to ensure proper seating of cylinder head to cylinder block.
d. After cylinder head has been installed, adjust timing belt tension and valve clearance as outlined.