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New Head

A

alexgalexg

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Connecticut
I asked something of this nature in a previous thread and nobody replied but im getting pretty desperate. Auto Zone does not sell heads any longer, Advance Auto has not gotten back to me and Napa has one ten days out. I need a head quickly thats not from a bone yard. Any place I could get a good head for 500 or less including shipping?
 
Taken a look at a few of these links. Dont have much time due to a blue collar job and college but from what I see it will be cheaper to restore the used head in my garage that doesnt seat right (know this because if you open the oil filler cap while engine was running it puffed smoke) than to buy a new head. Better to use an american made block of iron than some chinese knock off right?
 
alexgalexg said:
Taken a look at a few of these links. Dont have much time due to a blue collar job and college but from what I see it will be cheaper to restore the used head in my garage that doesnt seat right (know this because if you open the oil filler cap while engine was running it puffed smoke) than to buy a new head.
Click to expand...
I'm a little confused here:
You are condemning the cylinder head because the engine blows smoke out the oil filler?
Did you do a cranking compression test, what are those numbers?
Did you squirt a few drops of oil into each cylinder and repeat the cranking compression test, what are those numbers?
 
Engine ran a little shaky and had sweet smelling smoke blowing out the exhaust pipe. Coolant was tested and dye turned yellow. Head was taken to a machine shop and tested revealing multiple cracks. I have an older head from a blown engine in my garage that that at the very least needs a valve job. The smoke coming out of the oil filler cap was referring to the old spare head in my garage
 
alexgalexg said:
I have an older head from a blown engine in my garage that that at the very least needs a valve job. The smoke coming out of the oil filler cap was referring to the old spare head in my garage
Click to expand...
OK. How many miles on the "good" engine?

Smoke coming out the filler cap typically means compression is getting past the piston rings.

Since you have the spare head, pull it and support it upside down, with the spark plugs installed. Pour enough mineral spirits in each combustion chamber to cover the valves. Watch the intake and exhaust runners. If the mineral spirits leaks through, you have a problem. If they don't leak, don't fix them.

Next, clean off the old head gasket and check the head for straightness.

I won't touch hand lapping V.S. a trip to the machine shop. You need a "quick & dirty" to get your transportation back on the road. I get that!
 
95K is good! Putting a new/rebuilt head on an old engine just made more compression leak past the rings. I think you will be OK for that.
 
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