help = Head Gasket, Pistons, yada yada.......

[drewbloke]

I'm currently replacing head gasket, just wanna know if any you guys could recomend any other work to carry out on it while its in bits to prolong the engine life? and do the timings really have to be accurate to a fucking strobascope?............ any help welcome..... cheers

[SKoob]

i am in the same boat m8, i wud recommend , doing a bit of decoking while ur at it.

[Dicko]

get off any thick crap, but dont go polishing it clean or anything stupid itl be back on within a days driving.

what engine is it? if you mean cam timing then ye u could do with it being no more than 1 tooth out, but thats very easy to do.

[drewbloke]

1.2 early 1990, ha ha, polish it clean? i'm far to lazy for that!!! can i smack in a gte camshaft while im there tho? cause thats gotta give me sum extra kick. also, i fancy replacing the brake servo cause it feels like im stopping a lorry with theese shit old things!!! mind you even they are probably easyer. and yes the pads etc are newly replaced!!!

[MattyWoo]

get yourself some decent calipers mate. a new servo just means you dont have to press as hard.

[dathers]

fit a new water pump(about ?22 on tradeclub)
A thermostat(less than a tenner)
and,a cambelt.
You may aswell fit a new water pump while the head is off,just for a bit of added security as if it seizes the cam belt can come off or snap and then the head has to come off again to replace bent valves and damaged guides,a new thermostat just cause they are a bummer to get at on some engines its a cambelt off job,so may aswell while its off.
And obviously use a new head gasket,inlet and exhaust gasket,cam cover gasket,cambelt and head bolts.

[mikeoxford]

bill blydenstein leaflet that came with my B+ head


what is more - contrary to popular belief - a highly polished cylinder head or clean exhaust manifold DOES not promote engine efficiency. Some 45 years of cylinder head and manifold has taught us the following:

clean cylinder head combustion chamber surfaces do not produce optimum engine efficiency as they tend to cause:

extra heat loss i.e torque & power loss.

loss of swirl - hence combustion efficiency

lower compression ratio.

similary in cases where exhaust manifold is fitted, new and clean surfaces DO NOT give of their best results until some coke has formed in them.