As some of you have read previously, my HG blew a couple of weeks ago and I pulled the head this past Sat. Well,.........due to some recent unfortunate circumstances, I don't have the money right now to have the head work performed as I know it should be.

My question is; what can I do with my moderate wrenching skills? I'm already cleaning and prepping the gasket surface and am trying to clean the exhaust valves.

What else can I do without specific experience or machinery?

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

 

Not much really. The best thing to do is save your pennies and have a machine shop check the head. When you get the head back from the shop it will be nice and clean.

BTW: You might want to invest an additional $32.00 and buy a set of valve guides.

I've had 3 heads re-worked, and the cost wasn't that bad. The shop I use charges a flat $168.00 to work a head which includes disassembley, cleaning, inspection, valve stem seal installation, and reassembly. Installing new valve guides is an additional $20.00. Typical tuyrn around is about 3 business days.

 

That is the cheapest I've ever heard of! What shop are you using as I can afford that with shipping....

So far, the least expensive quote is $550 with the highest at $850.

I don't meant to imply I want to get 50k miles out of this. I just need to wait 5-6 months.

 

I use:

Seller's Auto Machine
7416-B Old Mount Holly Road
P.O. Box 818
Paw Creek, North Carolina 28130
(704) 393-8806

BTW: Jeff at Sellers has a "race prepped" 951 head sitting on a shelf. I don't know what he is asking for it, but this head has been sitting there for a LONG time. The basic story is someone dropped the head off and never picked it up.

 

I'll give them a call.

I don't know if a 'race prepped' head is a good idea for my stock car. However,


I'll see if he brings it up.

 

How hard is it to change the valve guides, springs, and seals?

 

Markus@Blaszak Precision [mblaszak@kos.net] did a fantasic job on my head. Clean all mating surfaces, mill the head, 5 angle valve job and general checkup costs $350 CDN (~$290US).
The head came back perfect, looked like new and is working great!

Markus knows his stuff and does most everything in-house. He does the head work for a couple of US engine builders.

 

I just called Jeff, he said he already sold the head.

 

I just did this on my car.
The head gasket kit will include valve guide seals. You may not need guides.
After 106k miles, my valves and guides checked in at factory new specs. No wear.
I would pick up a spring compressor, remove the valves and seals.
place them in order the valves, springs and shims so you put them back in the same place in the head.
Clean the head of all old gasket material and carbon.
Find a local shop to just mill a few thou for clean up. This cost me $20.
Clean and inspect the valves and seats for any cracking or bent valves.
install new guide seals.
reinstall the valves and reinstall the head.
While my guides had no wear, I went from using 1 qt of oil / 600 miles
to 1 qt/ 2000 miles just by replacing the bad guide seals.

 

You have to get the valves ground when you install new guides. I'd do that as a minimum. Springs are a good idea too, while you have the valves put you might was well.

 

how difficult is to ship between Canada and the US? I've heard horror stories of items being lost for weeks, delayed in customs, or seriously damaged.

 

I just serviced my own head. The guides were perfect, so I didn't bother with them. I pulled out all the springs and cleaned the valves on a wire wheel (there was so much crap on there, I swear I must have lightened my valvetrain by 10%). I installed new valve seals, and put everything back together. I did have one broken inner spring, which was impossible to notice until you pulled the outer spring. It is all very straight forward stuff. If you can pull the head out of the car, then you can clean up the valves and do new valve seals.

 

IMO- Always send via USPS(not UPS or Fedex) and you won't have a problem. Ship the item as a 'core- for rebuild' and it'll make it over quick. The absolute most I've ever had an item delayed by Canadian customs (using USPS) is 2 days. All said and done, probably takes an extra 2-4 days transit time and maybe $20 extra shipping cost....

 

A local shop was just recommended to me by the local Porsche guy (Bob farmer-BTW, never tell Bob you have chips! ). The shop he uses want ~$150 to true the surface, change guides, clean, and valve job.

I think I'll go this route as he is local. Time to get the parts.

I just wasn't comfortable putting this back together without it being cleaned up.

 

Streck, who are you using locally? How is good old Bob doing btw?