Urgent Valve Cover Gasket Help!

[Kontradictions]

Im new to this board and just purchased a 1995 S14 a couple weeks ago. Of course the car was good when i took it home, but 1 week after having the car a check engine light came on to tell me i had a cylinder misfire in the number 2 cylinder. So i went ahead and did some research pulled the plug and found oil in the spark plug chamber. After doing more research the response to the fixing the problem was replacing the valve cover gasket and spark plug tube gasket.

Well i got all my parts today from Nissan, plus new plugs, wires, oil and oil filter to do a little more maintence for my self. Well things were going good, got the cover off, cleaned things up. Drained the oil and changed the filter. Gapped and changed the spark plugs and cleaned out that #2 chamber.

Well i went ahead and pulled the gaskets off the underside of the valve cover and discovered the new ones i recieved from the dealer are for the s14 that i have, but they dont line up to my valve cover. We did a VIN check to make sure and they are the correct part number. So know i am wondering what exactly could be in this car.

I took some pictures of the gaskets i pulled out of car and took pictures of the valve cover and the head for you guys to check out and see if you can determine what i could have.

http://www.kontradesign.com/gasket03.jpg

http://www.kontradesign.com/gasket01.jpg

http://www.kontradesign.com/gasket02.jpg

http://www.kontradesign.com/gasket04.jpg

Any help is really appreciate. The sooner the better as well. Since now i cant drive the car until i find a replacement for this ASAP! I am also going to contact the original owner and see what he has to say.

[ranisron]

what do you mean they don't line up??? How much rooms of errors are you talking about?

can you post pics of both valve cover gaskets??

perhaps the dealer gave you the Altima's valve cover?? that's the only thing I could think of. May be the new gasket aren't fitting "nicely" as the old ones...

[DJPimpFlex]

they should line up perfectly. I just did my SR valve cover gasket and all the spark plug well gaskets and they fit in the groves PERFECTLY. No slop and no room for error. You must have the wront part if its not lineing up. I think you need to take the spark plug well ones apart though.

[Kontradictions]

well i took both gaskets to the dealer, the ones i took off the car to replace and the new ones i just purchased from the dealer and they are obviously different.

The spark plug gasket has the 4 holes for the spark plug tubes, but there is only 2 holes in the gasket for the bolt holes, when the valve cover and gasket i have has 3.

The valve cover gasket has the half moon shapes, but there is an extra hole in the back of the gasket for a bolt when i dont have one there along with all the shapes around the bolt holes on the valve cover are different.

Im thinking there is another type of head on this car, i am the 3rd owner and the guy i bought it from has no idea and didnt do anything to the engine.

[n240sx]

my guess is that you have either an s13 head or an s13 engine because the valve cover you have pictured definately is from an s13 ka24de. i say this because the valve cover is missing the extra bolt hole on the rear of the cover that s14's have. so getting the s13 gasket set should solve your problem

[cotbu]

Take a picture of your car, and ecu then post it.
Sounds like an S13 KA swap to me aswell and it may have been built for turbo duty.
Top timing chain guide is missing, may have a new chain kit.

[Kontradictions]

i will get those pictures off right now.

Any idea why? Or what i can do to solve this problem? I need a new gasket ASAP so i can put my car back together and drive it!

[aznpoopy]

get a valve cover gasket for a 91-94 dohc ka24de

if you are still in doubt, just bring the valve cover with you and line it up with the gasket before you leave the parts counter

the problem now imo is figuring out wtf the previous owner did with the car. for instance, technically its illegal to put an older engine into a newer chassis. luckily, since its a stock engine i doubt any inspection station will notice (or even care).

edit: btw as long as you have all that shit open, check the slack on the timing chain and make sure the chain tensioner is moving freely.

[orion::S14]

Just to backup what they're saying...you have a S13 KA motor, or at least an S13 head on the KA in your car.

S14 valve cover has 2 bolts on top, and one in the center-rear...S13 is what you have...3 bolts on top.

Get the gasket set for '91-94.

- Brian

[Kontradictions]

thanks guys for the input. I called the previous owner and he somehow got in contact with the owner before him. Looks like that person put an s13 head on this motor with upgraded cams to prepare for a KA-T, but never got around to the turbo aspect of things.

Needless to say, i got the s13 gaskets and they worked like a charm. It's all back together now letting the RTV cure.

Thanks!

[ranisron]

you are in luck....