Winterization of a BHG supra

[Jkm3141]

If you have the tools and the head isnt' warped...

You can have a BHG job done in a day to three days.

I assume take it to a machine shop to check if the head is warped? and if it is, deck it? For a OEM type composite gasket and non ARP headbolts should the block be worked on (from what i read, no). i just wanna figure out all the steps I need to do now on this before I do any of it. do i disassemble the head myself (pain to do) or have the shop do it? i am in serious need for reccommendations on what to do to get this headgasket done close to stock like other than the torquing of the head bolts.

What should I do about the fact the head is full of buildup (such as exhaust and carbon buildup. (exhaust has white gunk burned onto them), and a nasty amount is built up in the intake and exhaust ports (easier to clean).

 

[AJ'S 88NA]

I assume take it to a machine shop to check if the head is warped? and if it is, deck it? For a OEM type composite gasket and non ARP headbolts should the block be worked on (from what i read, no). i just wanna figure out all the steps I need to do now on this before I do any of it. do i disassemble the head myself (pain to do) or have the shop do it? i am in serious need for reccommendations on what to do to get this headgasket done close to stock like other than the torquing of the head bolts.

What should I do about the fact the head is full of buildup (such as exhaust and carbon buildup. (exhaust has white gunk burned onto them), and a nasty amount is built up in the intake and exhaust ports (easier to clean).

I usally just take it to the shop, have them clean it and check it. If it's OK then I would have them do a valve job on it, check everything else out, check valve lash( probably have to have that done with valve job), valve stem seals, cam shaft seals, etc.

 

[supramacist]

Your machinist is who you want to do your valve job.

You dont want to trust the machinist work to anyone other than him if you have a desire for him to stand behind his work.

The head won't have any type of deposit on it when you get it back from the machine shop.

 

[Jkm3141]

Your machinist is who you want to do your valve job.

You dont want to trust the machinist work to anyone other than him if you have a desire for him to stand behind his work.

The head won't have any type of deposit on it when you get it back from the machine shop.

what if I already pulled the valve train apart (cams are out and valves are out).

 

[AJ'S 88NA]

what if I already pulled the valve train apart (cams are out and valves are out).

I would have let the shop do that. Everything has to be put back were it came from, i.e. valves, springs, buckets, shims, etc. I hope you kept everything in order so they can be reassembled in the same place they came out of? They have to disassemble everything to do a valve job, and they have to set valve lash with the shims on top of the buckets.

 

[Jkm3141]

I would have let the shop do that. Everything has to be put back were it came from, i.e. valves, springs, buckets, shims, etc. I hope you kept everything in order so they can be reassembled in the same place they came out of? They have to disassemble everything to do a valve job, and they have to set valve lash with the shims on top of the buckets.

Yes everything is organized properly. I didn't see any shims on the top of the buckets, how is that setup? is there any diagrams out there?

 

[AJ'S 88NA]

Yes everything is organized properly. I didn't see any shims on the top of the buckets, how is that setup? is there any diagrams out there?

TSRM will show you. They sit on top of the buckets(lifters). They are different sizes. A lot of times, after they do the valve job, they just grind the top of the valve stem to get the proper lash.

 

[Jkm3141]

TSRM will show you. They sit on top of the buckets(lifters). They are different sizes. A lot of times, after they do the valve job, they just grind the top of the valve stem to get the proper lash.

When removing the cams and then the buckets I really did not see a single shim.
Is this normal for an engine that afaik has never had a valve job.

 

[AJ'S 88NA]

When removing the cams and then the buckets I really did not see a single shim.
Is this normal for an engine that afaik has never had a valve job.

They have to be there, it's the only way to adjust the lash. There's like a little recess in the bucket that they sit in.

 

[Jkm3141]

They have to be there, it's the only way to adjust the lash. There's like a little recess in the bucket that they sit in.

I'll take a look at the buckets tomorrow when I'm at the car again. If I was to re assemble the head myself, what recommendations do you have? or to not.

 

[AJ'S 88NA]

I'll take a look at the buckets tomorrow when I'm at the car again. If I was to re assemble the head myself, what recommendations do you have? or to not.

I would not as to the valve job.
they have the tools and experience, just me. I know some guys would do it themself. Make sure you take it to somebody that has worked on these type of heads. I remember one member on here not to long ago had a problem with the shims missing and the machinest didn't know how to figure the size shims he needed. I wonder how that turned out?

 

[Jkm3141]

I would not as to the valve job.
they have the tools and experience, just me. I know some guys would do it themself. Make sure you take it to somebody that has worked on these type of heads. I remember one member on here not to long ago had a problem with the shims missing and the machinest didn't know how to figure the size shims he needed. I wonder how that turned out?

Alright. sounds good. I probably should have waited to disassemble the valve train as well. thanks

 

[cuel]

Jkm3141: The machine shop might charge you a little extra because you took it apart. I took mine apart, and just threw everything in a bucket. Didn't label a single thing. Then again, I'm changing most of it anyway. The important part of reassembling it is the buckets and shims. They determine valve lash. A good machinist won't tip the valves, he'll adjust the lash with the shims, which is the correct way to do it. It's not hard to do; simple mathematics and measuring is all. Things they have to work with all the time anyway. It's actually easier to adjust the lash by changing shims. Don't have to disassemble the head.

 

[Jkm3141]

Jkm3141: The machine shop might charge you a little extra because you took it apart. I took mine apart, and just threw everything in a bucket. Didn't label a single thing. Then again, I'm changing most of it anyway. The important part of reassembling it is the buckets and shims. They determine valve lash. A good machinist won't tip the valves, he'll adjust the lash with the shims, which is the correct way to do it. It's not hard to do; simple mathematics and measuring is all. Things they have to work with all the time anyway. It's actually easier to adjust the lash by changing shims. Don't have to disassemble the head.

If the head was being decked doesnt it need to be disassembled? Thats what basically everything i have seen has shown. My buddy said that disassembling the head but organizing every peice would be cheaper than paying a shop to disassemble and re assemble it all.

 

[cuel]

lol, from personal experience, I positively HATE it when the customer disassembles anything, then wants me to put it back together. It doesn't matter if they labeled everything, I prefer to do it myself so I know where everything was, and how it goes back together. I only said they May charge you extra, not that they Will. I use a few different machine shops. The machinist I like best(who does my personal work), wants the cams on the head when he cuts it. Something to the effect of cutting the head without the cams will leave the cam journals out of alignment. He mills them first, then cleans them. Don't ask me to get technical about it, I'm not a machinist. He does most of the machine work for the high end racing teams around here, so I figure he must know something.

 

[Jkm3141]

lol, from personal experience, I positively HATE it when the customer disassembles anything, then wants me to put it back together. It doesn't matter if they labeled everything, I prefer to do it myself so I know where everything was, and how it goes back together. I only said they May charge you extra, not that they Will. I use a few different machine shops. The machinist I like best(who does my personal work), wants the cams on the head when he cuts it. Something to the effect of cutting the head without the cams will leave the cam journals out of alignment. He mills them first, then cleans them. Don't ask me to get technical about it, I'm not a machinist. He does most of the machine work for the high end racing teams around here, so I figure he must know something.

Yea i called a shop that was reccommended to me by some people and they said roughly 60 dollars for the decking and around 300 for the valve job and having it disassembled wasnt a problem. I know this sounds n00bish but the valve job is where they clean all the valves and re align everything? does that include new valve stem seals?

 

[supramacist]

It's just easier for the machinist if he takes it apart.
It being together when he gets it saves him time and steps and gets rid of the guess work.

Ya shoulda just pulled the head off and took it to the shop whole. But no biggie.

If you put 1 cam in wrong. You won't know it untill you tear it apart after getting it ready to start. What a pita.

 

[Jkm3141]

It's just easier for the machinist if he takes it apart.
It being together when he gets it saves him time and steps and gets rid of the guess work.

Ya shoulda just pulled the head off and took it to the shop whole. But no biggie.

If you put 1 cam in wrong. You won't know it untill you tear it apart after getting it ready to start. What a pita.

If i just cleaned off all the gunk and reassembled the head identically should it be fine? what does a valve job consist of other than that, like i asked?

 

[cuel]

Meh, just take it in the way you have it. A valve job consists of reseating the valves, basically. They cut the seats and valves, then lap them for a good seal. Yes, they'll put in new valve seals. Take them the ones that come in the head gasket kit so you don't have to buy them twice.

 

[supramacist]

A hundred zillion tiny pieces never to be found again after 1 bounce on the standard garage floor. Do yourself a favor and take it to the shop dude. A valve job isn't something you want to have to mess with if you get it wrong or mess it up somehow. It could cost you the entire build.

I had my machinist buy my HG kit and use the seals in it and I got to pay his price for the kit. Just a thought. Saved my 10 12 bucks.

You can't possibley get the head as clean as a chemical dip can.