I have a d16a6 head that came with the car I bought. The owner gave me a head that he took off the car back in 1994 to have some work done to it. It is ported and it seems to be very well done. It has all the bolts, gaskets, springs etc brand new in honda bags.

I was wondering what are the things I can do to improve the head before I start putting it back together? I have ported the oil entry and exit holes to the head. Before they had a 90 degree angle now there is a smooth transition. I have smoothed out the coolant passages as well. I see that the rocker arms have a lot of casting flaws on them, would it be important to balance them? Is there a way to lighten them? This head will probably see revs in the 8000-8200 rpms range when I figure out the right camshaft choice to go along with my intake/exhaust setup.

What important things do I need to do when I will be assembling the head? I have a a haynes manual, assembly lube and a torque wrench.

Thanks for the help and I hope this will be an informative thread for future reference.

 

You must have alot of time to even smooth out the coolant passage lol, btw the rocker arms are fine the way they are.

 

Put it back together correctly.