I took off my 96 gsr head today. I want to rebuild it cause it has 180000+ mileage on it. What can i do to the head that will increase horse power and still pass smog?
I have crower valvespring, but hasn't install yet. What else do I check for?

 

Check the head for warping, deck height, cracking, and other physical damage. Also check the camshafts for proper clearance. (You really need a Helm manual for all of this.)

Afterwards, you can have the ports cleaned a bit when the valve guides are removed. If you deck the head or replace the valves with aftermarket, you can increase your compression ratio.

Did you happen to perform a compression or leakdown test before removing the head?