QuestionOK. Here's the situation.
I bought a 1996 Altima off a guy, KNOWING it had a blown headgasket. So, we get the car to my house, and I change the headgasket. (I'm a backyard mechanic.) I know how to follow instructions pretty well, but jumped the gun a little bit when disassembling. I set the engine to TDC, but the guide I was following didn't say anything about the positions of the cam shafts. So, it was not a very good guide. Needless to say, I ultimate ended up pulling ewverything off again, and followed proper instructions for bringing the motor back to time.
Now, when trying to start it, it will crank, perhaps even spit and sputter a couple of times, but it will not start. Even when I had it together what was now known as the improper way the first time, it didn;t sound like anything was "tearing" apart when trying to start it. It just will not start.
Times are rough right now. I'm on unemployment, and I can think of a million and one things to do involving actually trying to live on the money, as opposed to spemding it at the shop getting this car running. So, in short, I'm kind of desperate.
I guess what I am looking for, is some suggestions of things I can check to trouble shoot. Shoot, I can't even afford the $80.00 to buy one of the cheap OBD II gadgets they have out and about.
Any help, from anyone, that might know what's the problem, would be greatly appreciated. For all I know (god, I hope not) I might have seriously damaged the car.
I know for a fact, that despite the blown gasket, the car ran, because the guy started it for me before I bought and let it run a couple of minutes, and the engine purred.
AnswerHi John -
Try this link to the autozone website. It will take you step by step in the install for the timing chain and the alignment marks. Hopefully the valves did not get ruined. Make the alignment and take a compression test.
Here is the link:
http://www.autozone.com/shopping/repairGuide.htm?pageId=0900c152800787b8
Hope this helps -
aloha
calvin
