Prep for Porting

[DaGr8Tim]

I know this is not an inline 6, but it's still relating to porting & polishing.

As you can see from the link below I have 2 extra heads. I'd like to get them cleaned and magnafluxxed, but I have some questions.

http://www.mbcomps.com/gallery/album98?page=1


- What should I look for in a shop to do the cleaning & magnafluxing?
- What questions should I ask them?
- What kind of prep work should I do?
- What kind of tools do I need to do that prep work?

As you can see from the pictures they were basically taken off of the car and that was it.

What does worry me is this:

Is it just me or does that look like a crack? Oh...well, this will be the practice head then.

 

[addo]

Odd place for a crack, but it looks possible. Ask for the heads to be stripped, freeze plugs out, hot tanked, blasted and then if not apparently cracked, magnafluxed or otherwise tested. At least get a receipt identifying the heads as uncracked in case you sell them.

That much work will leave you with a head due for modifications. A light coat with a phosphating rust treatment will control surface corrosion.

 

[DaGr8Tim]

Odd place for a crack, but it looks possible. Ask for the heads to be stripped, freeze plugs out, hot tanked, blasted and then if not apparently cracked, magnafluxed or otherwise tested. At least get a receipt identifying the heads as uncracked in case you sell them.

That much work will leave you with a head due for modifications. A light coat with a phosphating rust treatment will control surface corrosion.

Ok, first off I need the heads stripped. As I understand removing the valves & valve springs can be an adventure. Any special tools? I thought somebody said you need to compress the valve springs, but how do you do that.


Here's another picture of the same head. Are the valves supposed to be white or are they burnt? The exhaust manifold completely grenaded when I started tearing it down to fix it. That's and the rust sitution is why I got rid of the car.

 

[addo]

If you can power wash the head yourself and pull the valves, it may help some. This is the style of compressor that works best, but you can get a cheap one for around $30. Number the valves as you remove them. I suggest putting the springs in an old can to take along with your head for chemical cleaning.

If you can pop the freeze plugs, do this yourself, too. That way the blaster will blow the rusty crud right out the coolant passages.

 

[Inline6Merc]

Thats what valves look like, once they are run. There is nothing wrong with them, just used.

Later,

Curtis

 

[DaGr8Tim]

Thanx guys. Looks like all I need is to look how to disassemble. Somebody bought me a Haynes Ford Motor rebuilding book, but I never paid it any attention because it deals with vee8's. Maybe I'll flip through that.

 

[mugsy]

The first set of heads I had rebuilt were for my Pontiac 400. The shop had this little, tiny, small sign way over on the wall that said that they would throw out anything on the head besides the valves and springs. I found this out the HARD way . When I picked up the head the rockers, bolts and a few other misc itmes were gone; never to be found again. And it was a pain to replace all that stuff. Since that time I take EVERYTHING off the head except the valves/springs and the freeze plugs.

 

[Anonymous]

..

 

[Ronn]

Autozone rules! He's right they rent just about all the tools you would ever need for a rebuild. This is how I got my tools. All they do is charge you the sale price for renting and give you 90 days to return it. If you choose not to return it, thats ok. You just payed for it is all. They don't come after you if you don't return it. I have valve spring compressor, bore honer,pulley pullers, harmonic balancer tool, and a cam bearing puller/installer.

This is a great idea and you would be wise to check them out on this.

 

[XFlow_Fairlane]

if there is a local harbor frieght check them for a compressor. I got both types and the spring mounted one is nice since you can do stuff on the motor like change seals..

 

[DaGr8Tim]

if there is a local harbor frieght check them for a compressor. I got both types and the spring mounted one is nice since you can do stuff on the motor like change seals..

Thanx for the info. I've been itching for an excuse to go to Harbor Freight, now I have one.