So my journey of rebuild has begun (56K not quite friendly)

[HKsilvia]

Having my KA24DE swapped out for almost a year already, since i had nowhere to put it (i dun have a garage) and my super lackage of auto-mechanic knowledge, i decided to rebuild my KA engine in school with some other classmates.

Problem it had before was some knocking noice and unstable idle, it even stall sometimes. It had over 170K miles on it after all, i even expected it to be in FUBAR condition.

too bad i didnt took the picture on the original pic b4 disassemble, but heres are some footage so far...sorry for my bad phone quality pic i will use a better camera soon

having sitting for a year, the engine had been undressed, it was stored in an body shop so there was dust all over it, i will clean it soon
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c322/HKsilvia/Engine%20Rebuild/EngineRebuild5.jpg

Once we took off some hoses that block in our way, i took off the valve cover, hehe, i just wanna see it so bad:o
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c322/HKsilvia/Engine%20Rebuild/EngineRebuild2.jpg

Once the valve cover got pulled off, our jaws drop because we found this!!:bite: this may explain the knocking sound, i was so lucky that the engine didnt blow up while i was still driving it
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c322/HKsilvia/Engine%20Rebuild/EngineRebuild3.jpg

this is where the piece came from, this is a view from top and the thing on top of the pic is the timing chain
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c322/HKsilvia/Engine%20Rebuild/EngineRebuild.jpg

Parts that had been taken out, i tried my best to lay them in good shape
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c322/HKsilvia/Engine%20Rebuild/EngineRebuild4.jpg

my clutch (ACT heavy-duty) still in pretty good shape
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c322/HKsilvia/Engine%20Rebuild/EngineRebuild7.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c322/HKsilvia/Engine%20Rebuild/EngineRebuild6.jpg

Im going to have it rebuild to original state clean engine and probably will sell it, i know i maybe showing something really stupid but it is my very first time to really taking an engine apart, i will keep updating with the progress (of coz a better camera), for all engine Pro, please be kind to give me any comment that i need to notice.
Thx for reading:D

[ThatGuy]

A simple searh of Zilvia.net would've told you that the piece of metal you found is a common problem, and that you should've removed it when you first started hearing the rattle. Good luck with the rebuild, hopefully it will include more technical info that was has been posted so far. :bow:

[ondatdryftonyte]

i had the same problem...
might look into replacing the upper timing chain, and the tensioner, and chain guide (not the top one that broke, but the one on the side) and look at the timing chain gear, where the lower t/c and upper t/c connect, and make sure no teeth are brokded
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g73/slideyoride/trevorsdriftfolder011.jpg

[DJPimpFlex]

yea mine was sitting on top of the chain when I bought the car. First thing I fixed. That motor had 265xxx on it and still ran. Driven VERY easy and was still on the origional clutch.

[BlackS14]

I believe that gear pictured above is called the "idler gear" correct no??

-Bill

[HKsilvia]

ok i got better pics, and some new pics
after couple days of work including some hard time to figure out how to put the bolt on engine jack, we had been able to take the head out, so we took of the valves, retainers and the springs. everything seems going pretty smooth...too bad i was sick on the day they remove the head, and i thought the engine oil was drained which actually was not, and yea...i got yelled at by my teamates...:P

Head removed
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c322/HKsilvia/Engine%20Rebuild/DSC00133.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c322/HKsilvia/Engine%20Rebuild/DSC00134.jpg

As for the cams, please do not rush to remove it, remove the cam gear first, which will require u to take off the water pump pulley first, my stupidity had made a little scratch on the head, luckily its fixable
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c322/HKsilvia/Engine%20Rebuild/DSC00135.jpg

the 4 holes
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c322/HKsilvia/Engine%20Rebuild/DSC00137.jpg

carbons!!! 170k miles what u expect:duh: surprisingly there was no scratch on the cyclinder wall... at least i cant find one...yet
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c322/HKsilvia/Engine%20Rebuild/DSC00138.jpg

Valves removal, that require some tools (valve spring compressor) some help (3 ppl) and some force, took us quite a while to remove all. (that was NOT me in the picture)
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c322/HKsilvia/Engine%20Rebuild/DSC00139.jpg

finally we were able to remove all before the class end that day
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c322/HKsilvia/Engine%20Rebuild/DSC00140.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c322/HKsilvia/Engine%20Rebuild/DSC00141.jpg

crankshaft and connecting rod. i took this pic before we left for the day...sooner or later we will take this apart too
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c322/HKsilvia/Engine%20Rebuild/DSC00142.jpg

damn heavy tranny
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c322/HKsilvia/Engine%20Rebuild/DSC00143.jpg

our instructor that had been driven nuts by us everyday lol, great teacher!
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c322/HKsilvia/Engine%20Rebuild/DSC00145.jpg

im just going to build it to factory spec with some minor upgrades (budget wise) any suggestion on what to get? should i get some metal HG? any idea is appreciated. thx

[Bigballin]

good stuff!

i hope to do this one day when i get a spare KA. how would you rate to difficulty of taking the head apart?

[PITCH]

Shop Class FTW. Best way to learn/rebuild. I did autobody at a technical college and did all the body work on my S14. Wish I could have done that in my class also .:werd:

[Slidin240Wayz]

Replace the bearings with a higher end bearings. HG for sure. Head studs. Don't go too crazy if it's not going in one of your cars. If it is- go all out with your teach making sure you do everything right.

Carlos

[HKsilvia]

good stuff!

i hope to do this one day when i get a spare KA. how would you rate to difficulty of taking the head apart?

from (easiest)1 -10 (hardest)
messy: 5-8 (fluid flying heres and there, expect to have couple of ur t-shirts and pants and shoes :Owned: )
difficulty: 4-5 simply u just taking everything off, u know...unscrewing bolts and nuts stuff

things u need to prepare so far for a neat disassemble:
-basic tool sets (rachets and sockets, extension is a must!!)
-rags (tons of them)
-4 x grade 9 or higher long steel metric bolt for it to put on engine stand (just get the tranny bolt and go to ace hardware ask for the size
-zip lock bags and lables (to label the different bolts that has been taken off, now i got at least 15 ULB (Undefined Laying-around Bolt)
-nitrile gloves (can make ur life 92850628 times easier)
-space to lay parts around
-impact tools (optional) just make it easier to take out the clutch and flyweel
-valve spring compressor, nuff said, without it, valve springs can really be a bitch to take off

with all these, pretty much u can do it on your own. I would say the preparation is the hardest part to get into, having the right tool will make it waaaay more easier. the valvetrain is the hardest part to get into (so far...), just dun be rush, be patient to have everything well labelled and placed. and remember, make sure u drain out all the fluid before disassemle otherwise u will be making a big mess and get yelled at lol. and again DONT PULL OUT THE CAMS BEFORE REMOVING THE CHAIN AND KEEP THE CAM KEEPER IN PLACE WITH BOLT, OTHERWISE U MAY FUK UP THE HEAD OR BREAK THE CAM)

[Bigballin]

thanks for the info man :thumbsup:

zip lock bags and labels one thing i did not think of....

[NemeGuero]

looks like fun.. I'll be doing that soon enough.

[k0uki]

nice thread as im going to be picking up a spare ka this week, probably do a rebuild also

[SRd240sx]

i wish i took auto shop in high school. looks like so much fun

[punxva]

yea bro document everything, it'll be a great guide for noobs when they ask where this or that goes or even how to rebuild a ka.

[HKsilvia]

Finally Pistons are out! surpricingly it was pretty easy to take them out. just unscrew 2 bolt to unlock each connecting rod that link to crankshaft. just be careful not to let the connecting rod scratch the crankshaft. a little mallet can help. we decided to give the pistons and the head a little shower... pretty clean i would say
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c322/HKsilvia/Engine%20Rebuild/DSC00004.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c322/HKsilvia/Engine%20Rebuild/DSC00006.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c322/HKsilvia/Engine%20Rebuild/DSC00007.jpg
there is quite an amount of carbon that had been formed on the piston, but overall they are still in a pretty good shape, still debating on replacing them or not:ughug: they look kinda wierd and rusty on the pic but actually it just black by looking at it on my hand
piston 1-4
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c322/HKsilvia/Engine%20Rebuild/DSC00012.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c322/HKsilvia/Engine%20Rebuild/DSC00011.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c322/HKsilvia/Engine%20Rebuild/DSC00010.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c322/HKsilvia/Engine%20Rebuild/DSC00009.jpg

these a the keepers that i forgot to picture last time, they are quite a bitch to take out, they actually locking the valve stem in place, u need to compress the valve spring, use a magnet to take them out in order to disassemble the valve assemblies. and remember to put them into the right order
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c322/HKsilvia/Engine%20Rebuild/DSC00026.jpg

i found this engraved on the block... wonder what does that mean? :s
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c322/HKsilvia/Engine%20Rebuild/DSC00017.jpg

another KA24E that had been sitting in the shop for quite a while
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c322/HKsilvia/Engine%20Rebuild/DSC00016.jpg

Warning...this is the result for being too rush on taking the cam out as i mentioned last time, i was too eager to get the cam without taking off the chain, the chain end up pulling the cam gears and i cant put them back to place and the cam end up scratching on the head. the follow picture may not be suitable for KA lover, viewer discretion is adviced.
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c322/HKsilvia/Engine%20Rebuild/DSC00013.jpg
a little closer...
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c322/HKsilvia/Engine%20Rebuild/DSC00015.jpg
even more closer...
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c322/HKsilvia/Engine%20Rebuild/DSC00014.jpg

on the next update, i will show some sneek preview of another sweet project in school. i didnt take part in it, but it was a sexy build up from ground zero.:drool: