screw it, Ill just post a quick rundown so you don't have to pm me 2 weeks from now asking about it:
1a remove strut tower bar if equipped
1b disconnect battery
2 drain coolant from radiator and from engine block (there is a large bolt on the front of the block, size is 19mm I think)
3 remove throttle cable from throttle body and lay it ove rthe side of the car
4 if you have a cable clutch remove the clutch cable from the tranny
5 if you have power steering remove the 2 12mm bolts that hold p/s pump to engine, then remove p/s pump from engine and set aside
6 rotate engine to top dead center cyl #1
7 remove fuel line from fuel rail and remove fuel return line from fuel pressure regulator
8 remove exhaust manifold and make sure it clear the studs that hold it to the head (you may have to unbolt other brackets that hold it to the engine in order to get it to clear the studs)
9 remove intake manifold bracket bolts (from under vehicle) there are 2 or 4 of them (depending on engine) that attach the intake manifold to the large black bracket on the back of the engine.
10 label and remove wiring from all sensors on the head and lat it out of the way
11 remove coolant lines that go to the IAC and to the thermo valve (at throttle body) and remove 5/8" coolant line that is near the distributor on the back of the head
12 remove radiator hose next to distributor
13 remove spark plug wires from the head noting their locations (DO NOT REMOVE THEM FROM THE DISTRIBUTOR)
14 mark and remove distributor with cap and wires attached
remove valve cover
15 remove upper timing belt cover
16 remove pcv hose from oil seperator (black box on back of engine) this can be a little tricky, I sometimes just wait until I have the head completely off and just pull it out then
17 DO A FINAL CHECK TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS DETACHED FROM HEAD AND INTAKE MANIFOLD just in case I forgot something
18 on the belt side of the engine is a rubber plug approx 20mm round, remove this plug and you will see a 14mm bolt, LOOSEN this bolt DO NOT REMOVE IT this bolt is for your timing belt tensioner
19 if you have a vtec engine remove your vtec rails, outside bolts first and work toward the center don't get scared if your cams "pop" up a little, this is normal
20 remove all of the cam caps that you just unbolted and keep them in order, they are labeled as to where they go, but it is easier to just keep them in order
21 lay down some CLEAN rags ON THE FLOOR OUT OF THE WAY
22 remove your intake cam by tipping the end without the gear up and then sliding the belt off the gear then lay it on the rags
23 remove the exhaust cam the same way and lay it on the rags.
if you have an l/s engine the cams are marked IN and EX (so you don't mix them up, if you have a vtec engine the intake cam is the one with the cutout for the distributor cog
24 if you have an l/s engine remove the rocker arms ONE AT A TIME IN ORDER, DO NOT MIX THEM UP, if you have a vtec engine you don't have to do this.
25 remove the headbolts, starting on the outside and move toward the center, note their locations, I think 2 are longer on the l/s they are all the same on a vtec. if you bought new headbolts (reccomended) just toss the old ones if you have a vtec head you will need a magnet tool to get the bolts out of the holes
26 CHECK AGAIN TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS REMOVED FROM THE HEAD AND THAT IT WILL COME OFF WITHOUT SOME STUPID WIRE HOLDING IT BACK OR A HOSE OR SOMETHING
24 have someone give you a hand and lift the cylinder head straight up and out of the vehicle and set it on a wooden workbench or on cardboard on a metal workbench, DO NOT SCRATCH THE SEALING SURFACE
take shop rags and clean off the cylinder head and the block where the headgasket goes
tip the head so that you get out as much oil and coolant as you can so that the sealing surface stays dry.
if the dowel pins are still attached to the head do your best to take them out of the head and put them in their correct locations on the block
Now is a good time to do a couple things if you want to.
replace your thermostat
change your timing belt and water pump
pcv valve
Ok, Installation is basically reverse of removal except a few things, Im not going to go through the whole installation, just the key points.
wipe down the block and head sealing surfaces again and this time make sure there is no leftover gasket material on the head or the block
check the head to make sure it is not warped or take it to a machine shop and have them do it, also hace the head milled a little if you want, if the head is warped beyond specs then you need a new head (if it can't be milled straight)
Put the headgasket on the block, make sure it is oriented the correct way and that the UP side is up
place the cylinder head on the block making sure it is in the correct location
coat the threads of the headbolts in moly lube or a LIGHT coat of engine oil
drop the headbolts down their holes and torque them to the pattern listed in your manual (start in the middle and work your way to the outside
make sure to coat the cams with some oil or assembly lube when you put them back in, align the timing marks as best you can before you put the cam caps on, and tighten the cams caps/vtec rails to spec starting in the middle and work your way out.
make sure you have your timing set to the correct place when you put the timing belt back on the cams and don't forget to tighten the tensioner, after you have the timing belt back on rotate the engine counterclockwise 2 full turns and recheck both the tensioner and your timing marks
Thats about all I can offer, if it seems that this is too much for you, take it to a professional or someone who has done it before.
if you have any questions let me know, and don't flame if I forgot something.
At least not yet,i'm waiting for money as much as i can. But i also have to get my red crx running before i sell my blue one,or else i wont have a ride
