ZX 1.9D Head Removal

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Andrew Robey
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ZX 1.9D Head Removal

Post by Andrew Robey »

Am about to embark on a HG change on my ZX1.9D. Haynes lists a long and convoluted process for removing the right hand engine mounting and timing belt tensioner. It involves supporting the engine on a jack and all sorts (to change the head gasket....??!!)
Is this really necessary to get the head off, or is it possible to just slacken the belt?
[?]
mbunting
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Post by mbunting »

If it's anything like the TD, you'll need to take the engine mounting off, belts off, tensioner off to get the head off. There are so many overlapping parts, and with such a critical area of the engine, it's not worth trying shortcuts.
oilyspanner
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Post by oilyspanner »

Same as TD put a block of wood on the jack, support engine remove mount (to get the belt off) lift it up a bit, access to the tensioner stuff gets better, read the BOL and interpret it as you will.
Stewart
Dave Burns
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Post by Dave Burns »

If it was a td I'd say lift the engine and box out if you have the facilities, thats what I'd do.
But since its not got a blower on it the job will be much less hassle in situ, especially lowering the head back down without disturbing the gasket, though having said that its sheer luxury to have it on the deck in front of you and be able to get at all areas of it.
Dave
louis1
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Post by louis1 »

Hi dave i have a zx td and it needs a the HG replacing, i am going to give it a go my self, and i have never done one before, but i have taken the engine out before. Would you reccommend i take the engine out? if so why?
thanks Louis
RichardW
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Post by RichardW »

Well, there's bugger all room down the back of the engine - on the BX TD I did the HG on it was almost impossible to get the turbo back down behind the engine when refitting the head. I managed to knacker the head gasket I had put on the block and had to buy another one - tip: use a piece of cardboard to protect the block head/head faces and then slide the HG in once the head is in position. Add to this that the head weighs about 30kg with the turbo attached, and is right over the back of the engine, and you start to see the difficulties. Some people alledge that you can take the manifolds and turbo off in-situ, but there is no way I would have got the middle bolt out of the inlet manifold - it was difficult enough with the head on the bench! Engine out will also give you a chance to change the clutch easily, and the heater hoses down the back of the block that are a swine with the engine in. For a BX or Xantia changing the suspension octopus could be done at the same time.
I would think long and hard before tackling another BX TD HG in situ.
Andrew Robey
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Post by Andrew Robey »

If you do the HG in situ - do yourself a favour and buy a 13mm ratchet ring spanner - otherwise you'll spend an hour undoing the four bolts holding on the r/h engine mounting bracket half a turn at a time, like me[:(]
All done now tho - quick coffe break and then off with the head!![:D]
oilyspanner
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Post by oilyspanner »

If you have access to an engine crane its better to take the whole thing out, the best way to remove turbo head in situ is to leave the turbo and manifolds on the car, this involves removing the manifold studs , double nut them and they wind out okay, I have successfully done this on a Xantia TD but I think the ZX is tighter for space behind there, the tensioner does not need removing, just engage a 3/8 square drive extension in the adjuster hole pull it back out of the way and lock it there, nor does the alloy mounting bracket need to be removed from the head (old ones were bolted to the head and difficult/awkward) on later diesel motors like yours, you only need to remove the alloy "bridge" to the mounting.
Stewart
Andrew Robey
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Post by Andrew Robey »

Well, all off now and everything looks okay - off to be pressure tested and skimmed.
Stewart, your comment about not needing to remove the engine mount bracket concern me slightly - as I spent most of this morning doing just that.
If, when I check in the morning, I find out that I could have removed the head without going through that, I will be writing those nice chaps at Haynes a letter to explain just what I think about wasting a Sunday morning, greased to the elbows and scraping all seven layers of skin of my hands and forearms....[}:)]
Going to start a new thread now on headbolts as, yup you've guessed it, mine bear no relation to what the BOL (thanks Dave B!) advise should be in there!!
[:p]
Dave Burns
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Post by Dave Burns »

Louis, there really isn't much to taking the engine and box out of one of these as you know, its much more of a ball ache in my opinion to do it in place, as for leaving the blower behind I wouldn't consider this an option, much more extra work in not very pleasant conditions.
As Richard says, if there are other things that need attention then its even more worthwhile, the last thing you want is to catch the new gasket when you refit the head or risk knocking some crap down onto it, and that takes some doing, you wont fare very well if you do it by hand, it needs to be mechanicaly lowered and even then its close.
The only downside to having the lump out is when it comes to torquing the head back down, the bolts are hellishly tight and under that sort of torque the engine will walse all over the shop if you have'nt got a big fat mate hanging on to it, while you swing on the spanner.
Dave
zxdyson
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Post by zxdyson »

Totally agree with the 13mm ratchet spanner, i too spent hours undoing 4 bolts, then bought one for the reassembley. Lets hope though that it doesn't need doing again soon[:D]
cabbage
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Post by cabbage »

I did my girlfriends 1.9d ZX HG and my TD ZX HG within a few months last summer. The non turbo was difficult but the TD was worse. I didn't drop the engine but I would definatly recommend it. Leave the turbo and manifold in situ if you are going to do a TD without removing the engine, as it doesn’t do to disturb connections you cannot see let alone touch. You have to roll the engine forward in the body quite a way just to get the solid plastic air hoses on to the turbo.
I had done a few HG's on other XUD's other cars so I was mystified by the advice to remove the engine mount and timing belt tensioner. However, unlike the other XUD's the ZX has a big dowel from the head into the aluminium engine mount/tensioner housing. Don't try lifting the head off on a ZX without removing the mount, it just can't be done!
When replacing the tensioner it is quite difficult to compress the tensioner spring and line everything up. I compressed the spring and the held it in position with some heavy duty tape, which I removed once everything was loosely bolted together.
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