A Head specialist says he can acid dip my head for 50 bucks no worries, but then reckons that the valve seat will then have to be replaced and quoted $800+gst just for a 6 cylinder 12 valve cylinder head! im not sure this is right, but i have been quoted similar from other shops, to me this seams a bit extreme! ( they reckon its 45 dollars( thats per valve ) to install the valve seats + 8 dollars per valve seat !)
ginga4lyfe,
Apr 8, 4:51pm
I just cant get my head around how they can charge that much to extract the old seats and press new ones in, I would do it myself, but at this stage I may just get it skimmed and just lap the valves myself
unbeatabull,
Apr 8, 4:51pm
If its the Valve seats themselves need doing then that doesn't surprise me. Most Heads are either almost frozen or heated, can't remember which, then the seat is placed in it and when the head returns to normal temp it shrinks around the seat. As you could imagine doing that for each valve seat would take quite a lot of time.
ginga4lyfe,
Apr 8, 5:01pm
I thought it was just the seats that get frozen! I thought that they dunk it in liquid nitrogen then pop them in! still as far as i know its quite easy and cheap to do, if you know what you are doing!
berg,
Apr 8, 5:19pm
Not quite that easy and then there is the final machining to do as well. I thought that price wasn't too bad
ginga4lyfe,
Apr 8, 5:24pm
oooh sheesh, I guess ill see how the valve lapping comes along then, the exhaust valves seam pretty mangled but, ill just have to see how it goes, if they are stuffed, its better to go for a repower or scrapping the car -_- Damn it, I wanted to keep this car for a while too
almosttherenow,
Apr 8, 8:06pm
Whats the head!
ginga4lyfe,
Apr 8, 8:17pm
its a Cylinder head for a 1977 Triumph 2500tc
jasongroves,
Apr 8, 8:17pm
Triumph I think!
jasongroves,
Apr 8, 8:17pm
Snap;)
jasongroves,
Apr 8, 8:19pm
If you are confident in doing the majority of the work yourself Ginga and can get the parts, go for it.
ginga4lyfe,
Apr 8, 8:23pm
been doing so, most of my time so far has been trying to get the backed in sludge of oil off the head , I had it soak in degreaser for 14 hours and then hosed it off only then to find that it still wasnt clean when trying to pick it back up, I then bought alot of terps and scrubbed it with a brush, its finally clean, and i have managed to scrape out most of the carbon deposits ( the thickest layer was 2 mm thick! ) , just now ready for a skim and valve lapping, but im not too sure that the valve seats are up to it any more ( the intakes look fine, the exhaust looks like its had a world war on it )
jasongroves,
Apr 8, 8:25pm
When I need to clean something up, I either take it to a dealer franchise and ask them to chuck it in the parts cleaner bath or go to the local powder coaters and ask them to dip it when they do their next batch. Cost bugger all and comes up clean as a whistle.
ginga4lyfe,
Apr 8, 8:29pm
tried around for a parts bath cleaner, I ended up using an old tub in the front yard and soaking it, and dont powder coaters use acid to clean! If i acid clean then it NEEDS( supposedly ) the seats replaced, and i cant afford that sorta expenditure, I have a time limit to work with and i cant scrape together 800 bucks in a weeks time haha
jasongroves,
Apr 8, 8:32pm
We used a pretty mild acid, depending on the item. Only things that were subject to damage were rubber and plastics. That Pacer brand makes some pretty good products.
ginga4lyfe,
Apr 8, 8:36pm
so you used to be a powder coater urself! If so, as i understand it, powdercoating is much more effective and lasts longer as its harder, and it easyer to get an even finish correct! why not use if on cars for basic colors rather than normal ways! is it much more expencive!
jasongroves,
Apr 8, 8:42pm
Yep, did it for a while. Depends on what its being used on. Its pretty hard wearing stuff and not as susceptible to chips as regular paint. Powder needs to be baked on in quite a hot oven (about 180) so isn't really suitable for whole cars. We did do quite a few chassis though. Price is actually quite reasonable.
ginga4lyfe,
Apr 8, 8:48pm
Cool, well since its a single piece body, and not many parts on it, it may be worth taking it right down and doing, but. only if i win lotto ( Whooooooa 34 mill would be a champ! )
happylad3,
Apr 9, 10:39am
if you need a hand ginga, i can always give you some advice. At work, we charge $50/insert, and thats the standard fee to remove, and replace, or machine new insert bores. We only freeze the inserts with CO2 fire extinguisher, and lightly warm the heads on aluminium. So being a cast head, they would just beat the insert in. Post up a photo of the seats, and ill tell ya if you could get away with just lapping them in. have you faced the valves properly!
elect70,
Apr 9, 11:39am
The oven isnt that bigmight get panels done separately but cost a $$but would need body dip stripped firstmore $$
pfemstn,
Apr 9, 12:29pm
if its an Aussie model it will already have valve seats, for some reason their triumphs had them as std.,. look on the web under triumph headno.s and it will give you some head specs, find an Aussie spec head and fling that on!
pfemstn,
Apr 9, 12:31pm
another thought just do the exhaust seats thats all i did on my TR , inlets are not a problem so why waste money on them!
ginga4lyfe,
Apr 9, 8:15pm
Ill be lapping the inlet and exhaust anyways, im looking at the idea " do it once, do it right "
ginga4lyfe,
Apr 9, 8:20pm
just renewed my carjam info on it, and apparently its new zealand new! so it could be an Ausy import from new or English import from new!
unideck,
Apr 9, 8:42pm
Hey Ginga, one word, "Dishwasher" the powder has a high alkaline percentage and after a standard soak and full cycle wash the head will be mint. I use "Finish" powder :) Don't tell the wife here but thats what I use and I have parts washers in the shop but hey, cant beat the old white-ware mate ;)
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