Building a quad 4

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Guest

Building a quad 4

Post by Guest »

As you may or may not know I'm in the middle of restoring my new GTZ. Right now I'm putting the engine back together. I thought I'd share some of the things I've learned along the way.

I know that a special puller is required to remove the power steering pulley from the intake cam. I borrowed one from my mechanic friend. It said right on the box it would remove and install the PS pulley on a Quad 4. I couldn't get it off no matter what I tried. Seems to me my pulley is missing a little lip around the center where the puller attaches. I've tried two other pullers and for the life of me I can't get it off. I actually bent the pulley. So I called a quailty engine rebuilder and he said I'd need to put it in a hydraulic press to remove the pulley. I'm seeing him tommorow.

When your rebuilding a Quad its usually a good idea to replace the "oil check valve", which is inset in the top right corner of the block. The manuals say there is a special tool GM has to remove it. They don't, and maybe never did. I had to make this dog bone shaped attachment for my slide hammer out of a bolt (can't remember what size). After a lot of grinding and testing the tool worked like a charm.

Also, the manuals tell me I have to keep the lifters in the same order they were removed in. However this is not the case. The reason you keep things in order came from the days of V8s. The rods and lifters had shims and adjustments, requiring you to keep everything in order for a proper installation. The Quads lifters are hydraulic and have no adjustment to them. So the order they came out in will make no difference during installation.

I'm really am having fun with this project. Being a former V8/V6 guy this is all new to me. So far I still like the Quad 4. I'll add new findings as a go along.


Chazzman
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Building a quad 4

Post by Chazzman »

Any time ya build an engine its a learning experience, sp?.
Hows it run?


'92 GT-Z 3.1L 5spd lot's of GO FAST stuff  
Guest

Building a quad 4

Post by Guest »

I replaced the cylinder head of my 90 GTZ this summer.  I was lucky enough not to have any problems with the P/S pulley.  My biggest problem was trying to get the timing chain housing out of the engine bay.  It never did make it out.  The other pain was when I replaced the turn signal switch in the steering collumn.  When you have to pull the two wire out of the assemble at the bottom of the collumn.  One of the little buggers would not come out.  I spent about an hour just trying to get the one wire to pull out.


Guest

Building a quad 4

Post by Guest »

It doesn't run.....YET.  I haven't finished putting it back together. It should be done by the end of this weekend. My timing chain cover also didn't want to come out, but I did manage it. Its like a huge puzzle, one that blows up if you put it together wrong!

Its funny how fast the pulley pops off when its in a 10 ton hydraulic press! The engine shop guy had it off in no time. I don't know if my pulley was aftermarket, but its different than the one in the picture of the Chilton manual.

I learned another interesting thing today from the guy at the engine shop. When installing the cams on the Quad he normally bleeds the lifters. This way when you put the top cover back on your not fighting against the oil pressure of eight hydraulic lifters. Apparently many threads have been stripped on Quads because of this pressure. Not enough thread started and the guy installing it just starts cranking away. So be warned, while doing the cam covers, take it slow and take four or five steps to get up to the recommended torque specs.

Oh, I might as well add this too....air tools are fine for taking it apart. But make sure to only use hand tools to put it back together.


rweatherford
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Building a quad 4

Post by rweatherford »

Some little things...

Lifter order is important on a quad for other reasons.  The carriers are aluminum and tend to become the size of the steel lifters and are size matched very precisely.  You probably won't have any problems, but that is the reason.

Yes hydraulic presses are nice (did the same thing) for the pulleys.

I have never replaced an oil valve, but am very careful not to get anything in it.  The service manuals say how to make the "tool".


Rex Weatherford
92 Beretta GTZ Quad4 Turbo / 5-speed (sold)
Best 1/4 ET =  13.523 @ 105.16 mph

07 Mazda 5 Black on Black (it's slow)

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Building a quad 4

Post by Guest »

See thats why I had to use the Quad Forums (very helpful) to find out about that oil check valve removal tool, I don't have any of the service manuals. I only have the Haynes and Chilton ones.

That makes sense about the lifters forming to the housing. I am glad to hear that I shouldn't have problems with them though. I'm having enough little setbacks as it is! I just found out I'm missing a bolt for the intake cam housing. Guess I have my buddies two year old to thank for that, he was running around stealing our tools and stuff. I made sure to keep everything that came off in order, but I think he may have slipped a bolt past me. Oh well, a call to the dealer will fix it.


rweatherford
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Building a quad 4

Post by rweatherford »

Just get one at the JY


Rex Weatherford
92 Beretta GTZ Quad4 Turbo / 5-speed (sold)
Best 1/4 ET =  13.523 @ 105.16 mph

07 Mazda 5 Black on Black (it's slow)

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ErichZ26
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Building a quad 4

Post by ErichZ26 »

I will add..do not hammer a PS pulley...there are tools for this.     ;)  Stephanie!!


Image
1990 Beretta GTZ 1995 Beretta Z26 1996 Beretta Z26
Guest

Building a quad 4

Post by Guest »

I thought about taking a hammer to it. Then I remembered there was a cam attached to it! Kind of figured it might be a bad idea. Turns out the engine shop popped it off for free anyway.


Guest

Building a quad 4

Post by Guest »

When I bought my GTZ, the motor had been rebuilt.  It only had 20,000km on it. The Quad had a warranty for 25,000km. Well, driving home one night I lost oil pressure. I pulled off the road to check the oil. It was fine.  The top end was a little noisy. I decided to drive home. The next day, I took the car to work and checked the oil pressure with a separate gauge. Still no oil pressure. My boss and I decided to replace the oil pump.  Bad thing was, is that I had just exceeded the warranty.  So I bought a new pump, dropped the pan and replaced it that night.  I couldn't believe it when I saw the oil pressure had not come up any.  The next day we had found out that their was an oil pressure relief valve under the cylinder head.  Sure enough after pulling the head off, we found a piece of rubber seal trapped in the valve.  I was so mad considering the guys that built the motor claim it is impossible that they left anything in the block.

Oh well.  When the motor blew up three months later, I pulled it and left it right in front of their customer entrance!! LOL!!  I found a used GTZ that needed a clutch.  I dropped it's motor into my car and only put 10,000km on it before the head gasket blew.  When I replaced the head with a new one, you can be sure I replaced this valve at the same time.  

P.S. I would have to agree with pretty much everything else that was posted. Quad4's are fun, but not very reliable. They are a pain to take apart and assemble too.


Guest

Building a quad 4

Post by Guest »

I just finished putting on the water pump, timing chain housing and the timing chain itself tonight. It is a bit of a pain, but I find if you just take your time everything falls into place.

That being said, if I have to do this again I am thinking of pulling the engine. Maybe by then I can have a spare engine waiting to drop in.


Guest

Building a quad 4

Post by Guest »

I found the guides for the timing chain were a bit of a bugger to get in.  You want to pry and push, but the guides are just wimpy plastic.  Also, I had to give the timing chain a few tries before I got it to tension properly (no slack at the top between the two cam sprockets).


Guest

Building a quad 4

Post by Guest »

Yep, it took a few minutes for me to sit back and think about what the manual was wanting me to do with the chain. Once I got it on I was as happy as a pig in........


Guest

Building a quad 4

Post by Guest »

My chain was tight at the top too.


Guest

Building a quad 4

Post by Guest »

The other night I went to reinstall the power steering system. As I was placing it I noticed its pulley (small one) did look right. Whoever worked on this car before screwed up this small pulley by using a jaw puller to try and remove it. Once again the puller my buddy gave me was useless. It wouldn't budge that pulley. I finally gave up and got a whole new PS pump at the JY for $20 with pulley. LOL


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