Note: The cylinder head bolts must always be renewed after slackening, and a new cylinder head gasket and camshaft cover gasket must be used on refitting. If the engine has recently run, the cylinder head must be allowed to cool to room temperature before it is removed.

1.8 litre (R2A type)
Removal
1 With the manifolds removed, proceed as follows.

2 Remove the timing belt, camshaft sprocket, and timing belt backplate.

3 Disconnect the crankcase ventilation hose from the camshaft cover.

4 Unscrew the nine securing bolts and remove the camshaft cover and gasket (see illustration).

20.4 Remove the camshaft cover and gasket - 1.8 litre (R2A)

5 Unscrew the ten cylinder head bolts half a turn at a time in the reverse order to that shown for tightening.

6 With the bolts removed, lift the cylinder head from the block (see illustration).

20.6 Withdraw the cylinder head bolts and lift the cylinder head from the block - 1.8 litre (R2A)

If the cylinder head is stuck, tap it free with a wooden mallet. Do not insert a lever into the joint between the cylinder head and block as this may result in damage to the mating faces.

Place the cylinder head on blocks of wood to prevent damage to the valves.

7 Recover the gasket, and the locating dowels if they are loose (see illustration).

20.7 Recover the cylinder head gasket - 1.8 litre (R2A)

Refitting
8 Commence refitting as follows.

9 Turn the crankshaft so that No 1 piston is approximately 20.0 mm (0.8 in) before TDC.

This precaution will prevent any damage to open valves.

10 Make sure that the mating faces of the cylinder block and cylinder head are perfectly clean, then refit the locating dowels to the block where applicable, and locate a new gasket over the dowels with the red sealing bead and the “1.8” mark uppermost (see illustrations).

20.10a Fit the locating dowels (arrowed) to the block . . .

20.10b . . . then locate a new gasket with the red sealing bead and “1.8” mark uppermost - 1.8 litre (R2A)

Do not use jointing compound.

11 Turn the camshaft so that the TDC pointer on the camshaft sprocket is aligned with the dot on the cylinder head front face.

12 Lower the cylinder head onto the gasket, making sure that the locating dowels engage.

13 Insert the new cylinder head bolts into their locations in the cylinder head, then tighten the bolts in the order shown to the five stages given in the Specifications (see illustrations).

20.13a Cylinder head bolt tightening sequence - 1.8 litre (R2A)

20.13b Tighten the cylinder head bolts using an angle gauge - 1.8 litre (R2A)

14 Fit a new camshaft cover gasket to the cylinder head, ensuring that the gasket locates correctly over the edges of the cylinder head (see illustration).

20.14 Ensure that the camshaft cover gasket locates over the edges of the cylinder head - 1.8 litre (R2A)

15 Refit the camshaft cover and tighten the bolts evenly, ensuring that the studded bolts which retain the HT lead clips are refitted to their correct positions (see illustration).

20.15 Fit the camshaft cover, ensuring that the studded bolts (arrowed) are correctly located - 1.8 litre (R2A)

16 Reconnect the crankcase ventilation hose to the camshaft cover.

17 Refit the timing belt backplate, camshaft sprocket and timing belt.

1.6 and 1.8 litre (R6A type) 18 With the manifolds removed, proceed as follows.

19 Remove the timing belt.

20 Proceed as shown in paragraphs 3 to 16 inclusive, noting the following differences for the 1.6 litre engine only: a) Unscrew the cylinder head bolts in the reverse order to that shown for tightening.

b) The cylinder head gasket is identified by a single tooth on its edge, and the gasket must be fitted with the tooth nearest the oil filter end of the engine, as shown (see illustration).

20.20a Cylinder head gasket correctly located - 1.6 litre

A Locating dowels B Identification teeth

c) Tighten the cylinder head bolts in the order shown (see illustration),

20.20b Cylinder head bolt tightening sequence - 1.6 litre

to the four
stages given in the Specifications at the beginning of this Chapter.

d) Ignore the reference to the studded camshaft cover bolts.

21 On completion, refit the timing belt.