Removing
Attention! If your radio has an anti-theft code, check that you have the pairing codes before disconnecting the battery.
Attention! On models since 1993, the airbag system is disabled if the battery is disconnected for an extended period. If the airbag warning light comes on and stays on after reconnecting the battery, take it to a specialist workshop to restore the system to normal.
1. Remove the ground wire from the battery.
2. Drain the coolant from the cooling system.
3. Remove the air intake, fuel supply pipes and fuel injectors.
4. Remove the exhaust manifold.
5. Remove the generator and ignition distributor.
6. Remove the intake manifold.
7. Remove the timing belt, camshaft pulleys and top idler pulley.
8. Remove the rear toothed belt cover.
9. Remove camshafts.
10. Using an 8mm wrench, unscrew the center bolts (one in each head).
11. Evenly and gradually in the reverse order shown in the figure, unscrew the cylinder head bolts.
12. Remove the cylinder head.
13. Remove the second cylinder head in the same way.
Installation
Installing the cylinder head gasket
1. The mating surfaces of the head and cylinder block must be perfectly clean. Use a hard plastic or wooden scraper to clean them. Be careful when cleaning as aluminum alloy is very easy to damage.
2. Check that carbon deposits have not entered the oil and water channels, which is especially important for the lubrication system, since carbon deposits can block the oil supply to engine components. Clean channels if necessary.
3. Check the mating surfaces of the cylinder head and block for nicks, deep scratches or other damage. If the defects are small, they can be removed by machining, but in case of significant defects, the parts must be replaced.
4. Using a metal ruler and feeler gauge, check the flatness of the mating surfaces.
5. Clean the bolt holes in the block. Screwing a bolt into an oil-filled hole can rupture the block due to hydraulic pressure.
6. Check that the new cylinder head gasket is the same type as the original and that the TOP or OBEN·markings are facing up. Position the new cylinder head gasket on the surface of the cylinder block on the guide pins. Check that the holes are correctly aligned with the channels of the cooling and lubrication system.
7. Install the head to the engine block.
8. Lubricate the threads of the cylinder head bolts with a thin coat of clean engine oil.
9. Insert the bolts into the cylinder head and tighten them by hand. Tighten the cylinder head bolts in several stages in a certain sequence.
10. Install the second cylinder head in the same way.
11. Further installation is carried out in the reverse order of removal. Pour coolant into the engine cooling system. Change engine oil and oil filter.