Don't worry, the reason i'm using Simple green is it doesn't evaporate as fast as TB Cleaner, so it works better with the drill [well.. mostly because it'* cheaper, and i've got a big 5ga tub of the stuff]. The final clean down will be with TB Cleaner, no worries about that.. unless you say brake cleaner is better?

I just got off the phone with the Machine Shop manager, and she said the heads are ready, and checked out flawless. He also commented that my porting job was very good for a first timer . So I shall probably be picking the heads up tonight .

The front cylinder bank is complete, and boy does it look AWESOME! It'* incredible, i've never seen it quite so clean. I'm very proud of myself, to be honest . The pistons are absolutely stunning also. I tried TB Cleaner and a paper towel.. didn't even put a dent in the carbon.

Don: Chasing.. like with an old head bolt? No problem, did the same thing last time. What about the rocker bolts?

Right now it'* pouring once again, so I can't really snap any pics.. but i'll be sure to get some before the heads go on.. along with the heads too.


-justin

your doing all this motor-work but you're halfassing the tranny... once one thing is fixed another problem will follow, im a pretty good bookie so i'll take bets on that one

TB cleaner I'm told has a lubricant for the butterfly valve besides having burnable cleaners in it.

Brake clean, doesn't care about burning in an engine w/o hurting any sensors, leaves no residue and ...it cleans great.

Use what you would like, I learned brake clean from my buddy the mechanic. Last thing a mechanic wants to see is rework, cause then it'* for free.

Since it'* raining how bout you run out and clean that garage up. Make it look like you care about the parts. In your pic they look like they are laying in the oil stains and on what is probably a dirty floor.

All it takes to mess up a perfect install is 1 speck of dirt in the wrong place.

it'* all water, and everything important is laying on a rag or something of the like. My garage has serious water leaks, so sitting in there, is about as good as standing in the rain .

Anyways, here is the pic of my front cylinder bank. The lighting isn't the best, but you see the piston all the way on the right? That'* what they all look like. Oh yeah, and the whole mating surface looks about like the shiny area between the two right pistons.. up a little.. it'* the most lusterous area on the whole mating surface..



What do you want me to do? I'm not pulling the engine/trans. I dont' have the equipment to pull either. I don't have the money for the tools to pull them. And the transmission has never worked better. I'm not sure what you want me to do? I also am not going to replace a perfectly working transmission. Yeah, you are probably right; down the road it probably will fail. Until then, it stays.


-justin

Nooooo... Chasing threads involves one of two things: An actual thread chaser (which is like a tap for pre-existing threads), or a regular tap (which is exactly like a tap). Not a bolt.

The reason you need an actual tool for this, is that the tap or chaser will cut the threads ever so slightly larger than the bolt (so that the bolt can actually turn). A bolt, obviously, won't. It'* the only way to clean the threads back to factory perfection (and thus the only way to get really accurate torque readings).

Of course, it wouldn't hurt to do the same thing with the rocker bolt holes as well. I can't think of any time that it would be a bad idea to have clean threads, as long as you can get the metal shavings out of harm'* way when you're done.

Also, I have to agree about the brake cleaner vs. carb/tb cleaner. Go with the brake cleaner, it won't leave a residue like the others will.

Also, additionally, on an unrelated subject: I don't know why you feel the need to use foul language on this forum, but if you think that it makes you seem mature or respectable, or older than 15, you're sadly mistaken.

Just chased the threads, and finished cleaning up the rest of the mating surfaces. Everything is ready to go on, just gotta do the final wipe-down with some brake cleaner. All is going smoothly, no problems, nothing.

However, I have one last question. Break-in procedure. What should I do? How long should it last, anything special I should do? What RPM should I not go over? Etc..


-justin

Break in isn't that big a deal, no hard accelleration; no towing (obviously); keep the speeds under 55 for at LEAST 100 miles, and no long trips for maybe 250-300. I know you dont' actually HAVE your license so not many of these are a problem, but do make sure to run the car every other day or so, get it up to operating temperature. Basically just go easy on 'er for 150 or so miles and you're golden. I mean hell my car has 205k original miles on the headgaskets and they don't leak a bit and my compression is 125-140 psi on all cylinders.

Ditto there and I'm at 206K....But just to be on the REALLY safe side, I wouldn't even cram it all the way for AT LEAST 500 mi.....that'* my theory, and I'm sticking to it. And make sure you get some good heat cycles in it like Alec had mentioned. Start it up...g.et it nice and hot....and then shut'er down and let her cool off.

well i spose but 500 seems a little excessive IMO. When we rebuild motors at our shop we just keep them for a few days after to run the heat cycles and put about 50 miles on them, then give it back and tell them to take it easy. Course most of our engine jobs are for old people. Lol. But i think 150 will be fine, it'* not like it'* a super-high compression 9k rpm honda motor or anything.

Well, it'* not like he'* done anything to the bottom end anyway. His rings and bearings and such are all broken in already. I don't think there'* really anything in the head that needs to be broken in, is there? Sure, take it easy for a while, the whole heat cycle thing couldn't be bad for the head gasket. But I don't think the engine really needs to be broken in in any traditional sense of the term.