Both heads are now off. This one was even easier although you wouldn’t believe it with how hard it was to undo some of the head nuts.,Anyway from having all the nuts and washers off I’d say this head took maybe 20 minutes to remove.
The larger studs looked quite rusty though this turned out to be loose rust. I blasted the studs and holes with carb cleaner and penetrating fluid but what I also did this time was spray these around the line of the head where it meets the block. Then a few light taps with a club hammer under the front protruding bit of the head and I saw a bit of movement. At the other end I put a few exhaust studs in and tapped them upwards. Then kept lubricating the studs and head gasket line.
I think I have just been lucky though as the heads have definitely been off before.
Well I found a couple of things: there is much more rust in the waterways this side though it’s all loose and appears to me to be from an inferior head gasket maybe. The head gasket surface is separating whereas the Bank B gasket looks ok. They are different makes.
The exhaust valves are different to the ones on Bank B and I think are the wrong type so some or all exhaust valves will have to be replaced.
This head isn’t cleaning up as easily as the other one so I’m calling it a day for now. I didn’t get the tension off the tensioner and I didn’t break it!
So what I am planning is: clean the head surfaces, get the valves out, replace the wrong ones, grind them in, set exhaust clearances to 0.015-0.016. Gently rub the surface flat and clean and check flatness.
The valves that are protruding don’t seem to have any real sideways movement so I’m thinking as a preliminary thought that the guides aren’t worn…?
What I intend to have a shop do: Hot tank the heads, replace guides if necessary and fit new valve stem oil seals. Skim the heads if they’re not flat.
I’ll also gently clean the pistons and take every bit of carbon out that I can. I guess that the lip of carbon on the top of some liners has to come off in case it interferes with the head gaskets?
Does this sound reasonable? Also should I have removed the crank snout cone before removing the heads? I don’t want to rotate the crank now by accident. Or I could wait until the heads are done and back on before pulling the timing cover to replace the chain and tensioner and crank seal…
This all started because of some white smoke from bank B but I ma now glad I pulled the heads because of the odd valves and the rusty head gasket here. All the combustion areas look ok to me though. (?)
Thanks as ever. Malc.
Bank A valves:
Bank B valves:
