200 head

[Anonymous]

My dad has been saying that my 200 needs a valve job. He says that it is smoking and someone has told him it's the valves. My question is how much a valve job costs? are there any worthwile improvements that can be made? and would it be a good idea to buy a second head, and have that head worked on while I toold the other and maybe fitted it for a 2 bbl or something? Is a used head expensive?
Thanks
Paul

 

[LameHoof65]

Hey, Pacman
don't have a lot of knowledge about this but what year head is it? I got three out of the local pull-a-part here for a little more than $20 a piece. The 65 head has smaller valves and no hardened seats, it had a broken exhaust flange bolt hole. So I am attempting to modify it for a fi setup. The 77 head was off a 250 and it will fit as well and has the larger valves and I think hardened seats, I have been cutting on it a bit as well just to see what is in it and the limits of modifying it for fi. I also have the big log 80 off of a 250 and it will fit my 200 as well and I am keeping it for a 2 barrel holley and a slight performance build until I get the kinks out of trying to fabricate an fi system. So to answer your question, the heads are pretty cheap if you go to the salvage and pull your own---just look for the later model 200/250 blocks in the fairmonts, granadas, and some of the mercs say 77 thru early 80's. Keep reading this forum and get the details on how to identify each and note the extent of interchangeablitiy. But, even if you get one it doesn't mean it won't need to be rebuilt, after all it's a salvage yard. And a lot of things can make an engine smoke, note the color of the smoke, if at start up, or all the time, and what the engine sounds like at idle and under load. If your dad took it to a reputable mechanic it probably is a valve, but I have seen even the most reputable get it wrong.

 

[Anonymous]

if the ingine smokes only when started or mostly then you should pull off the vavle cover and take a look at the valve stem seals. there usually made of a black rubber and mounted inside of the valve spring on the valve stem. If they are broken, cracked or hard thats most likely the problem. If not, rebuild time!