My build (another one)

[ianstaley]

Been a while, been enjoying my new little Chinese ajs 125 Chopper, it is starting to free up now it has run for a few miles. Okay so on to the build front, So what a miserable day here in the UK, my Touareg is in the shop (alternator, or generator), so I decided I would take my new big hammer and go get the heads off. While I was in Holland I got a good deal on what we call a lump hammer, about one and a half pounds and a rubber face attachment.

So as someone suggested to try and shock it off using a piece of wood in the spark plug cut outs. Nah didn't touch it, I tried wood, my dead blow hammer handle in the gap and hitting the other end. In the end I used my normal claw hammer, it has a man made nylon type handle on it. So straight steel on steel and I was going across the head and alternately hit the head on the water inlets. It eventually broke the seal. The first side the head came off with half the cylinder gasket holding on to the cylinders and the other half to the head. No damage to the heads, did the same on the other side, but not before I missed the hammer head and hit my hand.

I have to say here that I have never had such a problem with removing a cylinder head and gasket before. So as it was getting dark here I decided to leave things as they were feel sorry for myself and my hand and go home. Tomorrow, Sunday I will go back, take some photographs and rub oil into the cylinders, I just might turn the pistons to half way and stuff oily cloths into the bores to keep them okay. there is a lot of carbonising on both the pistons and the head/valves. So once you guys see the pictures, I would like some advice. 1) leave as they are or 2) a total clean and porting of the heads? Winter is coming and I will have time at home to start on that. I need to remove the paint on the crankcase and re paint that before it goes back together.

Once this hill is over it should be all down hill from here on in. Can I get the heads power cleaned, by that I mean either shot blasted or vapour blasted I have new valve seals so that isnt going to be a big problem. I will as a matter of course have the valves reseated and reground, if it is off then why not. All answers will as usual be gratefully received. :BigGrin:

 

[dan filipi]

Without even seeing the heads I say port them. At least if it doesn't do any good you can say they are for grins :BigGrin:

 

[slabghost]

Blasting bare heads clean ,okay. Porting okay. Polishing only on exhaust port okay. New seals and valves lapped or seated yes. Since you've gone all out so far in this build you may want to cc the heads to be certain all chambers are equal in size and power. Sorry to hear about the hand. I've done it so many times I really do feel the pain.

 

[Ansimp]

:clapping: :good: :salute:
Glad that your heads aren't conceal nailed on after all!! :smilie_happy:
I think we can all relate to hitting some where other than intended with a hammer... :head bang:

 

[ianstaley]

Okay so thanks for th advice guys, getting on that Monday. take some pics tomorrow for you all to see. good night.

 

[ianstaley]

Hi all so as promised the pictures of the inside they look real bad full of crap, however, your opinions always welcome, now the question is do I go deeper into the engine or not. I don't think that the cylinders look too bad, my old man use to say leave a think carbon ring around the piston heads just to help seal the cylinders.

Any ways have a good look.

Pic 1

Pic 2

Pic 3

Pic 4

Pic 5

Pic 6

Pic 7

Pic 8

Pic 9

So that should give you a good look inside and the heads. I think I will clean up the heads, remove the valves, flow the head a little and have the valves reground and seated. Preference is by a pro.

:wave: :BigGrin:

 

[slabghost]

Those look pretty good to me. Carbon build up and dirty oil is about what I'd expect to find.

 

[dan filipi]

Pics are a bit dark so hard to see for sure but the crud on piston tops looks "wet". Did the engine burn oil?
Or maybe it got wet from soaking with something?

 

[ianstaley]

If you click on the pics it will enlarge so it is a bit easier to see. And as for being wet, I think I remember squirting some Ambersil, into the plug holes. The Royal Navy uses it on their Subs as a corrosion inhibitor. Anyway first thing I will do is mark up the cams to the cylinder heads so they go back right. I am also going to find some new bearings if I can. As to the other questions I asked, can I use some form of blasting on the heads to clean them up, soda, vapour anything else? I was going to mark out the shape of the faces of the heads onto a bit of ally plate and use it to blank off ports and stuff. Just use the old spark plugs to fill those holes. I have a large Ultra sonic cleaner I think it is big enough to take one head at a time, so I can use that, but with the amount of carbon on the combustion chambers I don't think that is going to get that off. Any way thanks for the help guys. always appreciated.

 

[slabghost]

Not sure which media blasting would work best. Vapor or soda probably won't work. Maybe bead blasting?

 

[ianstaley]

Would that not be too aggressive on the chambers?

 

[Denver]

With new beads not so bad. The problem arises when the the beads break apart, the bits of trash blasted off, with the recycled & broken beads, is not a good thing good either.

 

[slabghost]

Walnut shells may do okay. Pressure of blasting can be adjusted to minimize any damage.

 

[Denver]

Might just be better

 

[dan filipi]

I use a wire wheel in a drill on the combustion area of the heads and piston tops. Comes off fast and never noticed any loss of material from the parts.

 

[ianstaley]

Got another question here. Cylinder head bolts. Anyone know where I can get new ones, I would prefer ARP but they don't seem to make them for this application. So here is a good one, are the bolts the same on 1100 and the 1200? I don't like using old head bolts never have. Just something I have always been taught don't use old head bolts it is a recipe for disaster. Or am I flogging a :deadhorse:

 

[dan filipi]

I know what you mean about not re-using head bolts. I've heard they are stretch bolts and shouldn't be re-used though it's done all the time. Curious what others say.

 

[slabghost]

I have not read of a source for new bolts. Maybe you can find new if you cross referenced the sizes?

 

[dan filipi]

What is the opinion about using hardened hardware store bolts?
I've had at least one engine that had one for a head bolt.

 

[ianstaley]

My only problem is as follows, I have always used ARP bolts or studs when I have had to remove my cylinder heads. they are expensive but they are also world renowned for their strength and also under racing conditions. I haven't found out what sort of bolt Honda used or uses in our old bikes. I have used ARP bolts in my Toyota Supra MKlll for many years without failure so I like them, they are also advised on Turbo models of the MKlll and MKlV's.

So unless I kow the tensile strength of the std bolts then I wouldn't realy like to just get a M10 x 150mm bolt and use that. I won't go stainless steel either, due to the differential in the metals. Asking for trouble in an aluminium head and block with SS bolts.

I can get the shorter Bolts from a supplier but that only accounts for the 8 shorter ones in the heads, the longer ones are no longer available. because there is so much pressure, heat and cold cycles I am just wondering if a bolt with a tensile strength of say 9 or 8.8 is going to do the job. hence why I like the ARP ones as I have utmost faith in their reliability. I did have a head bolt failure once, I had a Volvo 145 Estate car here in the UK, and I built a Rover (ex Buick Engine) 3.5 Ltr V8 in to it, But a head bolt ? or two decided they had been stretched enough and gave way at over 70 MPH. I just heard a bang and a big hole appeared in my hood as the Americans call them, needless to say, oil water and god knows what else all over the road, pulled over to find half a cylinder head had just disappeared, I never did find any other bits, mind you I wasn't going to run up and down a motorway to find them either. That is when I decided that in future I would heed what my old man said never use old head bolts. Since then I haven't and never had another head problem of broken bolts.

Maybe I am just over cautious, or just a plain doubting Thomas, but it has served me well in the past. So I have shot of an e mail to ARP in the States asking if they or one of their dealers can help me. I even have ARP bolts for my front disks. Do you think I am becoming a bit anal in my old age LMAO. :smilie_happy: :BigGrin: