WHITECAVY wrote:Best bet is a haynes manual.
agreed. having one handy really helps out. especially if its your first time tearing into the 2.4.
basic steps are:
raise front of car, support on jack stands
remove IDI cover
support engine from underneath with a jack- best spot is on the bracket where the lower mount connects to the block
remove pass. front wheel and splash shields (theres 2)
remove the upper engine mount (stock mount requires removing the coolant res. also)
remove the engine support bracket (3 bolts, absolute pain in the ass, you'll have to raise and lower the engine a bit to get them out)
remove the serp belt and crank pulley (need a puller)
remove the timing cover (19 bolts 3 nuts) and gaskets
re-install the crank pulley bolt hand tight and rotate until the mark on the crank gear lines up with the block mark
take 2 of the IDI cover bolts and lock the cam gears in place, this can take some playing around
release tension from and remove timing chain tensioner
remove timing chain
loosen the bolts in the cam gears, remove the 2 IDI bolts locking the gears in place, then remove the gears
remove the 4 bolts behind each cam gear (total of 8)
remove the P/S pump from the intake cam and set it on the side
remove the fuel rail and set it on the side
remove the intake cam carrier bolts- leave the last two on the driver's side installed
some people say to remove the carriers from the car some say leave them in and just pop the covers off (which is a bit of a pain in the ass but can be done). i've found its easier to remove them from the car, so long as you take care of the lifters and remember their placement!
remove the cam carrier from car, careful not to drop any lifters, or confuse their order
remove the last 2 bolts from the cam carrier and pop cam cover off
remove cam, inspect everything. make sure the lifters arent scored or cracked
install new intake cam and re-install carrier on the head
do the same for the exhaust cam (doesn't have the 2 extra bolts to hold the cover on once removed, so be extra careful.
it takes a bit of maneuvering to get the carries in and out, but it makes getting the cam in and cover on easier.
install is pretty much the reverse of everything.
it helps to have a torque wrench handy to have everything tightened properly. a haynes manual is almost a must if you've never done anything like this before. it has pictures of most things, very detailed instructions and torque specs for everything. i also highly reccomend replacing all the gaskets you remove. especially the cam cover paper and rubber gaskets, which are known to leak. the 2 timing cover gaskets probably can be re-used, but i replaced everything to be safe. i even replaced the whole timing set with new, but i like to over-do everything.
i wish the best of luck with this. i've gotten this down to a 2 or 3 hour job with air tools in the driveway. my first time it took around 6 or 7 hours with replacing the water pump, water outlet, thermostat and cams. and a substantial amount of beer consumed. its very time consuming, especially its your first time
Edited 1 time(s). Last edited Sunday, June 27, 2010 3:37 PM
