Getting head resurfaced.

[nfernotalon]

Hey guys im gonna replace my timing belt and gonna do the headgasket as well while im in there, it does hav 197,xxx miles

Anyway I just wanted to know if you have to completely take the head apart like the valve springs and lifters and all that crap or can you just take it like that? Also if it looks good with a straight edge should i just throw it back in?

thanx

 

[Big Woo]

Yes you will need to remove the valves in order to have the head surfaced.

Well unless the valves are sunk so far into the seats that they are far enough below the deck surface, but then you should be thinking about replacing the head.

It would be a good idea to have the head surfaced when installing a new head gasket. Some head gaskets require a specific surface finish in order to seal properly, so you should check the RA requirement for your head gasket of choice.

 

[groundPork]

Man, i haven't posted a damn thing in a while...

If you haven't already pulled everything down, i'd like to make a few suggestions from personal experience rebuilding my top end... a few times.

organization is important. set up a numbered tray to organize parts by valve number and cylinder number starting from the front of the engine(crank pullet side, opposite flywheel side).

To make things as quick as possible and avoid contamination from debris in the engine... as soon as the valve cover is off, take cams and cam caps and store in new and clean plastic bags or under plastic film or something similar. take the lifters, and rocker arms and set them in your labeled and very clean parts tray and cover with a clean plastic sheet or bag. the reason for this is to keep any dust from entering the lifters internals or the bearings in the rocker arms. i know most people may tell you to clean them in solvent and blow them off. trust me. if any debris gets in those pesky little places, you will have a hell of a time trying to get it all out because you cannot disassemble those parts without destroying them. plus way less work, and you don't run the risk of mixing up parts. that being said... it does not mean it is impossible to get rid of all debris.

i would suggest a full rebuild while your there, and if you can spare the cash. valve job, resurface, new guides, and stem seals. you may not need it, but might be good to consider. may wanna do a leak down test before any dissassembly to see how things are sealing too.

good luck!

 

[Defiant]

The head gasket isn't really a maintenance item. It's a fix-when-fail thing. If yours isn't showing any symptoms, leave it alone.

 

[mach4g63t]

I left every single valve in my head when it was resurfaced. It was the 2nd time this head had been done and the worst it did was take a little bit of discoloration/build up on the edge of one of the valves. If you're just doing it for peace of mind sake and the head isn't warped, I would say it wouldn't need to be pulled apart. A machinist should be able to tell whether or not it will need to be disassembled within the first pass or so.

 

[nfernotalon]

Awesome guys, thanx for the info, I havent tore it down yet, but going to on Saturday.

Im gonna take the head assembled to the machinist and see what he says, I think its better to just replace the gasket anyway i dont know when it was changed and it does have a crap load of miles.

I might just go ahead and tear the bottom end down im sure those rings cant last too much longer, new bearings and rering it well see. Thanx everyone.

 

[Freerevving]

The valves do not normally sit beyond the head surface on these heads

I'm sure you can get away with leaving it assembled, but I'm almost positive the machinist will charge you for disassembly. The nature of the resurfacing machine can throw a lot of metal into your cams... it's questionable weather it could cause damage

My answer is.. yes, you can do it... but just to be safe, I wouldn't.