How to Replace a Head Gasket on a Z24

by John Johnston

Overheating of your engine can cause the head gasket in your Nissan Z24 to blow resulting in a loss of power to your engine. Replacing the head gasket is a complex task which involves taking apart a large amount of the engine. The head gasket is located between the cylinder head and the engine block. You can buy a head gasket for your particular model Z24 from an auto parts store or your local Nissan dealer.

Step 1

Place the drain pan underneath the radiator. Remove the drain plug and drain the coolant in to the pan.

Step 2

Use the wrench to remove the mounting bolts that attach the carburetor to the top of the intake manifold and remove the carburetor. Unscrew the bolts attaching the distributor and remove it.

Step 3

Use the socket wrench to remove the bolts securing the intake manifold and the exhaust manifold and remove both of them. Loosen the clamps of the upper and lower radiator hoses and place the drain pan underneath them. Pull the hoses from their connections. Drain the leftover coolant in the hoses into the drain pan.

Step 4

Remove the bolts securing the cylinder head. Start at the top left hand corner of the cylinder and remove the bolts in a crisscross pattern. Keep track of where each bolt was installed, because you will need to reinstall them in the exact same way.

Step 5

Lift the head gasket off the engine block. If the gasket is damaged you may have to use a scraper to remove it. Clean the mating surface and Insert a new gasket on the engine block. Place the cylinder head back on top and reinstall the bolts.

Step 6

Reattach the lower and upper radiator hoses to the engine and secure in place by reattaching the clamps. Follow the removal steps in reverse order to reattach the intake manifold, exhaust manifold, distributor and carburetor back on the engine.