How to build a KA24DE

[onefast240]

Hey guys I put this guide together to help people who want to build there own motors. Its great pics that if used along with a FSM will get you though the build.

This pictorial guide will help you to assymble a KA24DE motor. It is to be used in conjuntion with a Factory Service Manual to guide you through your building experience.


First Make sure you have a nice clean area to work in. Cleanlyness is very important since any debris can cause problems at start up.

[imghttp://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b152/onefast240/MotorBuild002.jpg][/img]

The block was bored and honed at the machine shop and hot tanked and is pictured with 1/2 of the crank bearings in and the main studs. (I got 3 main studs that were wrong so those are not pictured. Torque should always be done to manufactures specs.) The oil squirters have also been installed.


Here is the plasti-gauge on the crank bearing. You need to put one peice on each bearing and then install the crank and the girdle. (DO NOT SPIN THE CRANK AT THIS POINT.)



( I only used 4 bolts to torque the crank in. YOU MUST USE ALL BOLTS WHEN YOU TORQUE THE CRANK DOWN.)

After you have torqued the crank in place to factory specs remove all the bolts and carefully remove the crank making sure you do not spin it. The flash on the next picture blanked out the plasti-gauge mark so I drew it in. You compare the thickness of the line it leaves with the marker pictured to see if it is within factory specs. Mine as you can see is .002 which is perfect factory specs. If your out of factory specs the block will need to be line honed and over sized bearing will need to be used.



Now that we know the tolerances are good we can lube the crank bearings and re-install the crankshaft.


Again my crank is picture with 4 bolts only. YOU MUST USE ALL 10 WHEN TORQUING THE CRANK IN.
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Yamaha Srx250

[onefast240]

Now that we have the crank assymbally in we are ready to move on to the pistons and rods. I have also studded the top of the motor as you can see in the picture.




Now the first thing that needs to be done is the rings need to be file fit. This is a very tricky part and should be done with caution. Both the top ring and the second rind must be file fit. On turbo motors typically the top ring gap is .0017 and the second is .0019. You need to have at least this so the ring (under heat expansion) does not butt ends causing a piston to crack. You dont want to over size the gap either since you'll lose compression and start to blow oil.

Set the ring into the cylinder it will be installed on. Using the piston that will be installed into the cylinder your working with push the ring into place with the piston down to the wrist pin. Remove the piston and check the end gap with a feeler gauge as pictured. This is a trial and error thing where if filing by hand you will have to file a little re-fit the ring than keep checking the end gap. WIth a ring filer you can watch the gauge and get it exact. When your block gets bored you can have the machine shop do this part aswell if your not comfortable doing it.


After doing all 8 rings in each cylinder its time to put the rings on the pistons and the pistons on the rods. The rings all have to face a certain direction too which can be found in the FSM.

After piston/ring/rod assymbally its time to drop them in the motor. Using a ring compressor compress the rings down and slide the bottom skirt of the piston in the block. With a rubber hammer handle (works the easiest) tap in the ring compressor than tap teh piston down into the block making sure the rod is lined up with the crank



Once the piston is down and in its time to plasti-gauge the rod bearings just like the crank bearings as pictured above. Install the bearings into the rod, lay out the plasti-gauge and torque the cap on. Remove the cap and measure the mark just as before. If its within the specs, clean the plasi-gauge marks off lube the rod bearings and assymble to spec. (as you can see with ARP rod bolts the torque specs are 45 ft/lbs.


So now after many repetitive steps your short block should be all together and next youll be ready to get the timing chains on and the head. Those pics will be coming soon.
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GIRLFRIEND PIC

[onefast240]

So now with the short block together its time to get the timing assymbally in as well as get the head on. In the first pic you will see the tensioner is bolted on and the left and right guides. ****ONLY USE OEM NISSAN GUIDES. AFTERMARKET ONES WILL BREAK!!!!!!! (The right guide is a new updated guide so when buying a kit from Nissan DONT FORGET TO GET THE NEW GUIDE BOLTS.) Make sure all the timing marks mate up on the crank and the idler pulley.




So now with someone holding the idler pulley remove the pin holding the tensioner back (green in pics above) and let the tensioner take up what slack there is. Be very careful not to slack the chain since this will cause the chain to jump teeth making you motor out of time. Carefully while still holding the idler pulley apply RTV to the front cover and install. While still holding the pulley (yeah i know it sucks) put the head gasket into place.



Once the gasket is lined up its time to put the head on. It easiest if you install the head bolt/stud washers before the head goes on to the motor. Install the washers quickly cause your friend is still holding that damn pulley up and will need a beer very soon. Slide the head down on and take the pully from your friends. Install the bolt for the pully on to the head so now it can hold itself. Next its time to torque the head on. This is another fun and repetitive task. Using the FSM in numerical order torque the bolts down to 20 ft/lbs then again to 59ft/lbs. In order loosen all the bolts. This procedure stretches the bolts so you won't lift the head under mega boost load. Then again torque the bolts down to 25ft/lbs in order than 60ft/lbs. All of these values are using ARP moly lube. Spec will be different for Oil and grease but moly-lube is recomended.



I sent my head out once it was off to be decked and cleaned so I removed the solid lifters. Before removal they were all lettered and numbered I1-I8 for the intake side and E1-E8 for the exhaust.
Here they are in the motor and lubed up awaiting a cam.



This part kind of sucks. I was very hands on and moving at this point so its kind of like TV magic cause BAM the cams are in and the timing gears and tensioners are on. To do this it is easy though. Install the intake and exhaust cams by the FSM specs and torque all teh caps down. Remove one of the cam gears (I always do intake for some reason) and install the chain with the mating marks matching up. Next install the tensioner and the right guide. Finally install the intake cam gear by sliding it under the chain and into place. The cams will need to be turned slightly to get the gear on and off and if its your first time doing one you'll be stumped for a bit. Dont worry you'll get through it.



Last but not least install the front cover using RTV and now you have a completed long block.


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COACH HANDBAGS

[SHIFT_KA24DET]

OMG!

BEST POST EVER!

- Stickied

[Nismoman91]

Very well done.

[ka-t_DreamKid]

One Of the Best Post ever!!!

[BRAD D]

Ok im doing this same thing right now (not my motor but a buds)

Why cant you put the head on then the timming gear?? then put the cover on? I know there is one dowl but I think you could slip it under the gasket (the part that hangs out the front of the motor.

[onefast240]

You can but with the gear on it makes it much much easier to keep the motor and timing all good.
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Rolling A Joint

[BRAD D]

You can but with the gear on it makes it much much easier to keep the motor and timing all good.

The way you posted is how the FSM says to do it as well.

I think it would be easy to mount up the gears / chain and then put the covers on... this way the chain cant jump off....

So I can do it that way? Or no

Thanks, super good post

[onefast240]

It is possible but remeber that the headgasket runs through the 2 covers so if your not very very careful you can bang the head gasket up and create a much more annoying problem.
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Rudolf schoeller

[veilside180sx]

Excellent post. One of the best ever.

[BillKlineVT]

Like everyone has said... this post is awesome. Thank you for taking the time to document your build, I'm sure it will help many people if they get stumped on one of the steps.

[s-14az]

is it just me, or are the pictures not working?

[onefast240]

Hmmm they didnt work for me this morning now they are. I dont know I gotta check with the host.
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Chevrolet corvette c3

[turtl631]

Could you recommend a minimum list of things to get done at the machine shop (you mentioned cleaning/decking the head, is that necessary?)? Any recommendations for cheaper but good feeler guages, etc? I'm sure many people don't know much about such specialized tools. Cool post!

[BRAD D]

I know I keep ranting about it (because im about to do this part of the build)but this is what im talking about then adding the covers...

[nissanfanatic]

When the pics don't work, right click and then click on show picture... Sometimes slow connections won't display all the pics. I have to do that on my weaksauce connection... My connection needs boost.lol

[onefast240]

Yeah Brad it can be done like that you just need to be meg carfull you dont mess the head gasket up sliding the covers on. You need to do dome RTV on the top and bottom of the covers where they meet the head gasket too so doing it this way can get messy.
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AMERICA

[Whisky]

Excellent post!

The pics still don't work (nor does right click -> show picture).

[appleburger]

(nor does right click -> show picture).

it does for me.

[onefast240]

http://www.emelecio.com/ifxpics/index.php

The pics are in the MISC Album. Im going to r edit the post with new links I just dont have time now. I will do it soon though.
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HASHISH

[gorillam]

I would really like to use this thread, could someone fix the IMG urls?
THanks, Andrew.

[onefast240]

All fixed now. You should be good to go!!!!
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Bmw M67

[rhd]

so...you didn't do rod bolt stretch or crank end play? did you mic the mains or just the plastigauge?

and last question, does nissan offer different tolerance bearings? or are they liek ACL and just have the generic ones and coated ones of the same thickness?

thanks

[Smooth Docta]

Best post ever, perfect timeing too seeing as how im installing a new head WOOT!!!

[SleepyS-14]

Onefast240: Did you end up having the crankshaft ground? Cause I am going to have mine ground and was just wondering if all of your mains and rods clearances were good.

[koukika240sx]

good write up, i got scared when i saw the bearings slathered in that black stuff, i assembled my motor with red clevite assembly lube. I thought it was conaminated lol.

But well done write up. My question is though what about the ARP head studs, mine came with a side that had an allen hex socket on one end, and i installed that side up. Not sure it matters since the bolts are the same pitch and whatnot on eath end but thought i would ask. Too bad you couldnt also illustrate how to setup and use the dial bore gauge for figuring out perfect bearing tollerances (not that there is anything wrong with plastigauge)
Well done,
~Sam

[babowc]

best sticky ever..
right in time for the block im going to buy...

so.. the only req. tools would be a tq. wrench, engine stand?...
for the assembling of the block..
not for the extra things that you cant do w.o taking to a shop.

thanks! best sticky ever

[rhd]

or he could have mic'd the mains to get tolerance

my big concern is he just tq'd the rod bolts and didn't stretch them.....that's asking for problems if this thing is going ot make any power

[rhd]

and was bore taper checked? along with crankshaft endplay?