Out comes the head - need pointers

[Dave]

M'kay, turbo "should" be here, well technically today, it's 12:40am, so I'm beginning to pull the head and continue to work on it through the week until I get it done. I've helped other people pull heads and helped do my own twice, so altogether maybe 4 different occasions. I'm not positive on a few things. Such as:

(1. Removing the oil/water lines from the center housing without breaking them off.
(2. Setting the timing on the belts ... I know you line up the notches on the cam gear and crank gear, and another notch on another gear should point to the crank gear??
(3. The torque specs on new MP headbolts... I know the sequence, work your way in and in a clockwise motion outwards.
(4. What to look for in/on the head for as far as damage goes
(5. Should I even bother puting a little bit of axle grease between the turbo/manifold?

I think that's it. Good luck to me.

Thanks for any help guys.

[turbovanman²]

Loosen the head by starting on the outer bolts and working in, tighten is the reverse.

Drain coolant.

Have head checked for cracks and machined flat if necessary. Use head studs, cheaper and better in the long run.

Get a valve job done and new guides installed with clips so they dont' fall down. 5 angle and valves back cut.

[Frank]

Have head checked for cracks and machined flat if necessary. Use head studs, cheaper and better in the long run.

THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT! I always clean up and resurface a well used head. It will help with the whole head gasket thing down the road.


Frank

[Blue Iroc R/T]

+1: Use ARP Head Studs.

Timing:
http://www.pbase.com/rmscott/timing_marks

Yes, use axle grease on the turbo manifold. Not a lot.

[5sp. mini]

hey to line up timing i alway use finger nail color to mark the dots that way you can see them beter and clean clean clean tap the bolt holes and on the water and oil lines are your newer or o/e ? might just use new ones for warr. of turbo? al good luck

[Dave]

Simon- so take the head to a machine shop, have them machine it flat. How much do you think they'd charge for a valve job, install new guides, and back cut my valves? I really don't have much money. This turbo has killed my money. I'll probally just clean both decks with a polishing wheel and paint thinner.

I don't have ARP studs, I have MP head bolts, that's what I'm using. I'm using the 112,000 mile stockers still. AT 20PSI!

Al- I am using the stock T3 Garrett lines. I'll be removing them altogether and just cleaning them up and making them look pretty.

Will I need to buy anything new when installing this T3/T04B turbo? IE: Silicone return tube? Larger intake coupler (is it 2.5" still or 3")? Larger lower i/c pipe, again, does the outlet still have the 2.25" outlet? I guess I could find this out later, the turbo should be here by the time I get off work.

Thanks again guys.
-Bryan

PS: Al if I need any help I'm calling you.

[Clay]

or have them check the flatness. I have a precision Starrett flat ground straight edge that I use to check heads. as long as the head is flat against my straight edge, I call it good. So far most of the ones I have pulled are still flat.

[Subliminal]

Bryan,

Headbolts will be fine. The studs just don't need to be replaced every time they're removed. The headbolts stretch a bit, so you can't be sure they're torqued correctly upon reinstallation.

To get the lines off the turbo...I usually spray hard-to-turn things down with pb blaster or the like and let it sit for a good while. An afternoon, an hour, a week...however long you have.

I'm with clay...check for straightness. If you have the money for the machine shop, it could save you some money down the road, especially since you're super boosting, but if you didn't overheat the thing, and she seems to have good compression and such...well...sometimes TDs are gone through and considered 'good enough'.

Sticking a new head gasket in there too?

[Holley]

I was quoted the equivalent of $80 to get a head skimmed, valves re-seated and new guides installed at a local shop - that much on a high-miles head is a minimum I recon ... plus new lifters if poss ...

The three+ angle valve jobs will help performance but won't affect longevity

[Dave]

Yup, got a Felpro h/g. It seems to be overheating... the oil in my catch can looks milky, like there's coolant in it... I've been going through coolant faster than normal, but there's no white smoke, no rough idle or running, and my plugs are tan - no green whatsoever. Perhaps the milkiness could just be condensation buildup inside the can.

My temp. gauge is nuts though, I plan to put a new one in soon.

I was quoted the equivalent of $80 to get a head skimmed, valves re-seated and new guides installed at a local shop - that much on a high-miles head is a minimum I recon ... plus new lifters if poss ...

I may have to seriously consider it. It does have a lot of miles...

[Holley]

On my SC I had no white smoke etc, just kept putting water in, ended up roasting the head beyond repair (pics in the next 'Up Front' probably - its a real mess!) ... shoulda done the HG when I got the car (Damn Fel-Pro to hell for their curse on TDs!).

[2.216VTurbo]

If it is the head shop you use regularly (not the one that you buy your leisure products at ) they should be able to check it for flatness with that bar gauge in like two seconds. My guy checks not only the face but accross the rear valve cover rail surface to see if it had been warped then cut flat on the bottom. He claims it will break the roller cam if it is twisted more than .005-.006. Interestingly enough, he said a slider cam will last a long, long time in a twisted head just not a roller

An old seasoned mechanic once asked me, "If you don't have money to do it right the first time, will you have the money to do it right the second time?

[turbovanman²]

An old seasoned mechanic once asked me, "If you don't have money to do it right the first time, will you have the money to do it right the second time?

That should be my new quote, that is excellent,

Dave, I beg of you, buy a braided oil line while you have it apart, your playing with fire if you reuse the old one. I can send you a braided line with the fittings to replace the stocker perfectly if you can't get one from the vendors.

Valve job is more to freshen up the engine, not needed but good insurance. The head being flat-there is no discussion on this, do it or you will be sorry.

Sounds like your head gasket started to go, hence loosing coolant and your wonky temp guage.

[Dave]

Ugh.... Simon... I'll see what Cindy can do for me. But I want it back together before Sunday so I can take it racing. I'll try and get ahold of her.

Can't I just slap a straight-edge on the head's deck and check for straightness?

[turbovanman²]

Can't I just slap a straight-edge on the head's deck and check for straightness?

Sure but knowing how bent you are, you'll probably measure it straight when its not,

Also check for pitting or wear around the firing ring and water jackets, if so, it will need machining.

[Dave]

Head's off! So guess which nut gave me $hit? The inner-side SV nut rounded off. I spent atleast 45 minutes getting the DP off. I had to take a cut off wheel to cut the bolt's head off so I could remove the head.

That and the pistons have some play in the bore, but I'm sure it's okay being 112,000 miles.

Taking off the manifolds tomorrow and installing the turbo, then cleaning everything up and puting it back together. Even got the day off Thursday - it will be running then.

Thanks for all your help guys.

-Bryan

PS: What do I torque the headbolts down to???

[The S is Silent]

Bryan, you won't regret the braided stainless lines. I just took the engine that was in my van apart, and butchered both of the coolant lines trying to get them off, and I'm sure the oil feed line is going to be the same way.

Also, to get my head completely re-done, it cost $200. The work included:
-pressure test and check for warpage
-true up both surfaces and clean up the head
-new guides, new seals, and a 3 angle valve job.

Just as a reference.

[Dave]

Matt - I know I wont regret it. Problem is I'm swimming in debt and I really can't get much further behind. I have to start saving up for a winter beater.

I'll pull everything apart this winter and redo it - freshen up EVERYTHING in the head, oversize valves, backcut, 3 angle valve job, port and polish, PT lifters, new rockers, springs, retainers, guides, etc. Rebuild the bottom end with forged internals - go all out. But I can't do all that right now.

BTW I'm taking the top half into work today to have a tech take the lines out so they don't break off in the center housing.

[Dave]

Well chit! Me and the tech's heated up the center housing and sprayed some PB blaster on the lines and got them all off. Now we inspected the combustion chamber... valves are pretty brown. Not black like they're supposed to be... and the shocker here! Crack's in cylinder 2, 3, and 4! Can I get a round of applause for that one, please!

Glad I got the day off tomorrow 'cause I'll be swapping everything over to the spare head. :sigh: Oh well, I'm having fun doing it.

-Bryan

[Directconnection]

Get the head machined for flatness and get a valve job as well. Check the guids to make sure they haven't fallen too...the machine shp will check that out.


Timing... on my flwywheels I look for the line that had the dot in it. Line that at the first line in the bellhousing as that is 0 degrees. Line up the cam as best you can with the cam prting lines (I use a little mirror to see it perfectly instead of at an angle. Look at the dist. drive gear's tang and make that parrallel with the block.