Ok ok ok, heres the deal, my car shitted out on me a while back and is in the shop, tomorrow is the day that the head comes off. At least 1, maybe 2 exhaust valves are toast, and the timing belt is being replaced, along with a leaky oil pan gasket. The valve seals will be changed out, and everything will be checked. Here's where the problems start...

I dont have too much money to blow, but am trying to set my car up for the future, and have thought about cams in the future, I know when I buy my skunk2 stage 2's I will need the springs, retainers, and cam gears, but until then I would like to know if the head will ever have to come off again? If not, should I add the high compression skunk2 valves right now, with a mugen or spoon head gasket (whichever bumps compression up the most)??? Because if the head has to come off again to install the springs and retainers, then I will just leave it all stock and spend that money towards a good header. Realisticly, I will probably NEVER be able to add some pistons to this car because you have to take the whole motor apart to install them right?

 

worry about your internals
for now if you have a good mechanic shop they
will be able to install springs and retainers later
all they have to do is put air pressure in each cylinder and the
valves wont fall thru.
and since the head is off a machine shop will shave the head
no more than .40
e mail me
redflores3@hotmail.com

 

The springs and retainers can be installed with the head on, but it takes about two to three times longer.

By myself, I can get all the springs, retainers, keepers back into the head and happy in less than 20 minutes with the head off the car and on a bench.

With two people (and an occasional third), it took at least a couple hours per car to get the Skunk2 valve springs and retainers put into the head with the head still on.

Head reassembly shouldn't be that expensive with only an hour's labor to get the head back together and onto the block.

The most expensive part is getting the valve seats recut for the new valves (and if you choose, getting the valve guides replaced). Ask them to check the valve stem-to-valve guide clearance as the determining factor for valve guide and possible valve replacement.

A new set of OEM Honda valve guides costs about $90.

And, taking the head off is taking apart half the motor. The hard part is getting the motor out (which isn't that hard even for a first timer).


[Modified by IN VTEC, 8:41 AM 1/3/2003]

 

I was mainly asking because I wanted to get the skunk2 valves and the mugen headgasket for now, and FAR off in the future, I'll get cams, cam gears, springs and retainers. I assume that you cannot re-use a headgasket? Even if it is a Mugen or a Spoon?

They already said that they are gonna check all the clearances and see if the valve guides need to be replaced and any of the damaged vavles too. Well if you say its that much easier to do it with the head off, I will hold off on any of the valvetrain work. I will just buy things slowly, until I have it all saved up and then take it to a good tuning shop and have it installed/tuned. I might as well use that money to buy a hondata I guess....tax returns are coming quite soon.

 

I disagree with you there. Valvesprings and retainers can be done in about 45 mins to an hour with the head on using air pressure and the proper spring removal tool. A couple hours, no way!

 

It probably has to do with the fact that we didn't use an air compressor to hold the valves up, so the valves would dip about 1/2" before contacting the top of the piston @ TDC.

We did 3 cars that night and each one took about the same amount of time.

 

Well I seen the head when it was off and 2 of the valves were messed up, so its at the machine shop right now, it was dropped off there yesterday, so I hope to have it all back together by the end of next week.

I think I will just leave all the internals stock for now, and way off in the future I will do it all at one time (skunk2 stage 2 cams, skunk2 cam gears, skunk2 valves, springs, and retainers) for the meantime, I need to focus on getting the car to run properly. With tax returns coming soon I will be able to finally get it running right. I will definently post up some dyno sheets when I get them.