Hey. My DOHC ZC is dying on me right now and I'm fed up with stupid JDM engines and there hard to find parts. I got a perfectly good SOHC ZC (D16A6, same engine) just hanging out but I know it's burning oil from the rings. I was gonna swap the rings and do a 'homemade' hone job from those rent-a-kits from the local parts store.

Now, we all know how crappy the SOHC head gaskets are and they ALWAYS peel apart and leave caked on residue. They always need a re-surface in my opinion.

Anyways, I have access to a full machining shop and I want to know, what do I do to make this thing happen?

My plan to machine my own head, so correct me if I'm wrong:

- Remove the head, remove the cam assembly (rocker arms are all mounted above the cam so they all come out)
- From my understanding, I can leave the valves/springs/retainers in there during the machining
- Clean the entire head in the tub
- Mount the head with parallels mounted where the cam holders would be bolted up. I'm assuming that is my plane on which to machine from
- I have access to 8" mill heads with new inserts. So I feel I can indicate off the surface and then remove .005" and hope to clean up the surface, then another .005" to my set max of .010" , I will be doing a roughing and finishing cut.
- Then I would gauge it, and if it was good I would remove it and clean it, then reassemble it all

I'm thinking of removing the valves anyways and clean them off in the tub so I can clean the ports out really good. I figured it's apart, I might as well go all the way. The valve still seal great but I will be getting new valve stem seals (they are so cheap). If everything goes well I will be able to install PM7 pistons and I figured it will make 11.5:1 with .005" off and 11.7:1 with .010" off with PM7 pistons installed. High compression should livin up the little D16.

Input?

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I would run a dial indicator across the head surface before machining just to check the mounting and head warping.

 

Good call. I don't think the head on the SOHC ZC is warped as it has never burned any coolant nor does it leak oil from the head. It may have slight warping, but I will run an indicator up and down it.

Is my method of madness good?

 

Answer:

Apparently using that surface is correct. Infact, here's a video of someone doing a D16 head with a caked on head gasket. Which is the same thing I will be doing. I don't have that tool for say, but I do have a 8" mill that should do the trick.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Gz5...=user

 

If you remove the valves, the valve cover sealing surface will provide a nice flat reference surface that is parallel to the head gasket sealing surface to rest on the mill. This will make the setup easier. Also, when you put it together, you might want to look into a D15Z1/D16Z6 metal head gasket. These gaskets don't stick to the head OR block, and will save you LOTS of trouble should you ever have to pull the head in the future.