Rebuilt KA or not, you be the judge!!!!!!

[jonnybonds84]

So I bought this motor and its suppose to have been rebuilt 3500 miles ago. The clutch is new, pretty clean looking. It's suppose to have a full valve job done on it, new gaskets/ head gaskets, new piston rings, main and rod bearings new tming chain and guides. I got it from a good source but I wanted to take of the emmision stuff off the intake mani and that gasket looks like its the original one. I just wanna get the zilvia pimps opinions...................so tell me YAY or NAY before I break it down more...PICS in just a few minutes.

[Fries]

yeah can't help with out pics. Look into the valve cover. How clean does it look in thurr?

[S14DB]

Probably just pulled the manifold off the head leaving all the accessory's on it. Check the HG and Main/head studs. If the motor is in the car just pop the VC off.

[jonnybonds84]

OK-K-KAY here are the pics, soooooo should I keep breaking her down or what?

[jonnybonds84]

Clutch is new, water pump was told is new, it has the exhaust gaskets looking new. I don't really know how to tell if the timing stuff got replaced. The headgasket I guess could be new, maybe?? Let me know what you guys think, pics upon request.

[tastyratz]

water channels look frickin gross.
that head looks like its been hot tanked - when you look by the cams all the oil is gold and there's no nasty brownish burned on residue like you would see on an engine that hasn't been.
Looks still dirty though and it doesn't look like they really took the time to go the extra mile.
In comparison here are pics of my sohc when I just did my rebuild:
tastyratz/engine - Page 1 - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting
I also went completely overboard with that too as you can see.

Looks like a half assed rebuild if you ask me. Been sitting awhile? That waterpump and channel on the front cover look more like rusty sawdust than clean and fresh.
Those exhaust ports are friggin GROSS. Looking at the buildup there they didn't do valve seals/ (or guides if need be) but you should before you put it in.

Get some cheap brass freeze plugs while its on the stand and out of the car.

[S14DB]

Looks like the only thing done to it is a 120k Timing Job. Why they put the top guide back on I dunno. Water Pump is not OE and it looks to have sat with plain water in it for a year or more. I've had motors sit filled with 50/50 anti-freeze look like brand new aluminum in the front cover after 2 years.

The Head Gasket and Bolts are stock and I doubt the Head has been removed. Head has not been hot tanked. Would look brand new if it did, not that golden oil vanish color. Probably just sprayed with a pressure washer to get the sludge out.

No "Valve Job" has been performed. Can see oil leaking from the stem seals. Who Reuses the stock valves? All those deposits are not from 3500 miles.

That oil pan sealing looks like shit so you may as well take it off and redo it and take pics of the crank, mains and oil pump.

[90KAcoupe]

Originally Posted by S14DB

No "Valve Job" has been performed. Can see oil leaking from the stem seals. Who Reuses the stock valves? All those deposits are not from 3500 miles.

i know what ur saying.. but there i one thing that has me thinking different.. look at the picture between the cam and the lifter cup... there is no visible gap... there should be.. i forget the actual spec on that but there is a small gap there.. and from what i remember u can see it with ur eyes pretty easily.. and when a valve job is done.. a lot of shops dont grind the tops of the valves off so that the lifter cup shims are still in spec.. (trust me i've delt with a couple machines shops with ka's)

but to the OP... it was a shitty rebuild if it was rebuilt.. i would atleast go back and check everything..

and my original head bolts worked fine when i did my rebuild.. the threads didnt stretch at all.. i would use them twice but probably not 3 times...so he may have just reused stock bolts.

[viperbite]

Originally Posted by S14DB

Looks like the only thing done to it is a 120k Timing Job. Why they put the top guide back on I dunno. Water Pump is not OE and it looks to have sat with plain water in it for a year or more. I've had motors sit filled with 50/50 anti-freeze look like brand new aluminum in the front cover after 2 years.

The Head Gasket and Bolts are stock and I doubt the Head has been removed. Head has not been hot tanked. Would look brand new if it did, not that golden oil vanish color. Probably just sprayed with a pressure washer to get the sludge out.

No "Valve Job" has been performed. Can see oil leaking from the stem seals. Who Reuses the stock valves? All those deposits are not from 3500 miles.

That oil pan sealing looks like shit so you may as well take it off and redo it and take pics of the crank, mains and oil pump.

well said...

timing kit looks new. intake manifold gasket definately looks oem.

my motor? i wouldnt trust it personally.

[98s14inaz]

You got hosed. That motor wasn't even hot tanked which is something they should have done when they had the motor and head apart. Absolutely filthy, no way it was rebuilt 3500 miles ago.

[tastyratz]

wait taking a second look at that thing... you don't have any oil in it do you? I thought the gold was fresh oil but if you don't have any there its varnish... If the gold IS fresh oil then they could have just carb cleaner-ed out the brown varnish.

[Om1kron]

hahaha omg wow... yeah dude break it down and rebuild it. The head is full of carbon and you can clearly see white residue all over the valve stem. Either running too lean or rich in that cylinder or it's from detonation.

[projectRDM]

Agreed with all. Someone used a few cans of carb cleaner on the head and timing components and called it rebuilt. Nothing on that engine is new.

[jonnybonds84]

The engine does have oil in the head but its not hot tanked cleaned. It's kinda hard to tell if the timing was redone, Im going to take off the head I guess and break it down completely. How much would a head rebuild cost if I do it myself???? I already bought a fel-pro head gasket kit and oil pan seal that Im going to slap in there. is there any way to tell if the engine bearings are newer?? Im taking off the oil pan today since that liquid gasket looks like crap. Oil pump suppose to be new too but HA! we'll see.

[xsparc]

Like everyone else said, looks like the just did the timing chain stuff, but the gears look kinda worn. I dont think they even touched anything on the head.

[jonnybonds84]

Quick question will anything happen to the engine if I put it upside down while its on the stand???? Anyone got good trick or tip to take of the cam sprockets? Its giving me problems.

[MAGILLA]

Originally Posted by jonnybonds84

Quick question will anything happen to the engine if I put it upside down while its on the stand???? Anyone got good trick or tip to take of the cam sprockets? Its giving me problems.

you can flip it if nothing is loose. once you remove the cams, also remove the lifters over the springs, with a magnet, before flipping. I labeled mine just in case.

As for the cam sprockets impact gun, or large wrench and a breaker bar. I would suggest the impact or find some one with one, 10 secs max

Also to answer what you asked earlier about the head. I would say just let a good shop do it. I have about $200 in mine but that included 3 angle, seals, hot tank, complete tear down/ rebuild, tolerance check, decking, and so on( the works). I am sure you can get out for a lot less. its too cheap to home job it and jack it up.

~good luck

[S14DB]

Originally Posted by jonnybonds84

Quick question will anything happen to the engine if I put it upside down while its on the stand???? Anyone got good trick or tip to take of the cam sprockets? Its giving me problems.

Don't flip the head unless you want to re-bleed the HLA's

Get a new OEM oil pump/front cover. Get a new OEM water pump too.


What's the compression on it? Why are you replacing the rings?

[xsparc]

Nothing will happen to it as long as the parts are still attached and you drained all the fluid. for the cam sprockets you have to hold the cam shaft with a wrench and turn the cam bolt with another, might need a breaker bar depending on how long they have been on there.

[jonnybonds84]

That price doesnt sound bad for a full head work, Im already ordering the calico engine and rod bearing set, I know you can't reuse the headstuds so Im also ordering those since i wanna change out the headgasket since I bought the felpro kit. Im on a budget so.....

ARP head and main studs: $220
head work: $200 hopefully
Felpro kit: $120
Calico bearings: $110
Piston rings: $110
Keeping the timing stuff: $0
Keeping Water pump (no shaft play): $0
Altima fans: $70
Mishimoto Rad: $230

I haven't broke down the block yet, he said did some work on the block ( honed or something) so I don't think Im going to put any money into it unless it looks bad......Oil pump? we'll see, maybe you guys could help me out with that one cause I don't know what im looking forfor that one. More pics once I get the damn sprockets out, lol. Let me know if you guys recommend anything that won't break my bank.

[importdude]

Originally Posted by jonnybonds84

That price doesnt sound bad for a full head work, Im already ordering the calico engine and rod bearing set, I know you can't reuse the headstuds so Im also ordering those since i wanna change out the headgasket since I bought the felpro kit. Im on a budget so.....

ARP head and main studs: $220
head work: $200 hopefully
Felpro kit: $120
Calico bearings: $110
Piston rings: $110
Keeping the timing stuff: $0
Keeping Water pump (no shaft play): $0
Altima fans: $70
Mishimoto Rad: $230

I haven't broke down the block yet, he said did some work on the block ( honed or something) so I don't think Im going to put any money into it unless it looks bad......Oil pump? we'll see, maybe you guys could help me out with that one cause I don't know what im looking forfor that one. More pics once I get the damn sprockets out, lol. Let me know if you guys recommend anything that won't break my bank.

110 for piston rings is a bit steep
last time i had to order a set it was ~50 bucks
also calicoated bearings? do you really need this? are you going boost?
if not simple acl will work fine ~50 bucks

also if not going boost there is no point in arp hardware.

[jonnybonds84]

Hey I thought that DOHC KA's didn't have any HLA's. I thought SRs had em, I looked at the FSM and found nothing just to make sure. If there is can someone point it out. Im currently waiting on a compressor to take off the cam sprocket cause Im not gonna be able to take it off by hand.

[jonnybonds84]

I wasn't trying to give out names but I guess someone was going to catch on soon. Sucks that even people with good reps sell stuff like this. How do you know he sold it to me?

[Rnz520]

dude that motor is kinda hurting, when the valve seals are leaking that bad you should know its not from 3500 miles of use. My motor that came out of my car before I did a through OEM rebuild had 165k on it and didnt look that rough, even the head looked cleaner than that, but I did change my oil very frequently.

[ChicagoS14]

WOW that looks horrible..... my motor with 113K and a turbo is cleaner then that.... Ive been running royal purple for the past 14K and after taking off my valve cover to do my gasket the head looked brand new.... shit even my spare block that had over 200K from my buddies car looked better then that....

[1989rps13]

that water pump looks like shit

[EDacIouSX]

so put a negative review on spencer. and wtf? Spencer is a jackass whoever he is. i will not forget his name.

[jonnybonds84]

Soooooooooooooooo, I guess I suck at life, I still can't take off the damn sprocket bolts even with a impact gun. Anyone got good advice? Help me!

[importdude]

what ones?
cams?

a impact should bust that right out unless its a weak gun

for my teardown with 5-6k miles all i needed was a big ass breakterbar on the bolt and a vise on the cam

[tastyratz]

Originally Posted by importdude

and a vise on the cam

wow...

With a sohc so its easy to stick a socket extension in the cam gear holes when breaking it.
For the dohc I like to use 2 wrenches on an assembled head. Stick 1 on 1 cam and 1 on the other then pull. 1 wrench will jam against the head (if you can stick something soft in between to prevent marring like a piece of cardboard it would be a good idea) the other wrench should twist.
I have never had an issue with manpower - maybe you have a shitty impact wrench?
Soak it in pb blaster and try again the next day. Can also try a really freakin huge breaker bar in case it was your wrench lacking the torque.