I happen to work in an environment where there are some mechanical enthusiasts around me to help, if needed.
I am also lucky enough to be have access to equipment that can do some very good cleaning.
The big cleaner is RoboWash - and as long as I don’t interfere with the day to day work …
The block and the “new” cylinder head got a good washing.
Later in the week, I took them round to an old friend (Bob) in Perth, (who used to be my manager in a previous life)
and who now runs Rad Rides with his sons, one of whom is Trent (… they have just joined Facebook)
www.facebook.com/radrideswa … and please “Like” them if you like what you see.
Anyway, young Trent (who you’ll always at
www.facebook.com/radrideswa suggested that I go around the corner.
I went to see Ian, at All Torque Engineering …
http://www.alltorquecylinderheads.com.au
All Torque (
http://www.alltorquecylinderheads.com.au/products.html?NSID=Gn5bAC) looks like a traditional workshop, set in the middle of other commercial units, with cylinder heads - all over the place.
Ian and I had a really good chat … he commented that very few people are doing ‘red motors’ up these days …
20 years ago, he couldn’t count the number of heads he was doing through the year.
Today, he can count ‘em one one hand. There is a certain irony with Holden (
http://www.smh.com.au/comment/holden-on-a-manufacturing-dilemma-20131211-2z4v1.html ) thinking about closing its doors here in Australia.
We both spent some time lamenting the end of the ‘red’, but, that is what it is.
He looked at the modified cylinder head and said it looked like it was in very good condition, overall.
It looks like the head ‘work’ that was done was …
Opening up inlet ports by removing the centre cylinder head bolt casting.
Counter bore, in the lower floor of the inlet ports, to accept a shorter head bolt that should just intrude into the inlet port.
Re-cut valve seats to suit V8 valves and fit the V8 valve springs, with valve stem seals. For about $100, the head was a very good buy.
Ian offered to acid wash the stripped block and strip, acid clean and overhaul the head for me.
So, remove valves, acid dip and clean, check valve to valve stem clearances and re-lap the valves and fit new valve stem seals, if the head was OK.
The acid wash is a very good idea and I would recommend it every time. It’s cheap insurance.
It got rid of about 99% of the paint, (see above) so I could re-paint the block in the correct colour and know it was going to “stick” for many years to come. It also ensured all the cooling paths around the head and block were free of scale that had built up over the 40 odd years the engine had been in service and almost guarantee no cooling problems - as long as the pump and radiator are OK.
The block and head have come up looking very good. I’ll be dropping the parts off at Pete’s place as I have a chance over the next few weeks. In the meantime there are parts to clean, like the pistons. They are 0.60” over size and look good ~ but a good dip in an ultrasonic cleaner will soon tell us if they’re OK to use. An ultrasonic cleaner is worth its weight in gold … it subjects the parts to a very high vibration that literally vibrates all the non metal ( carbon ) deposits off the piston and con-rod. That bath was clean when the pistons went in ~ 8 hours later, sheesh. Almost there. The first picture is what the pistons looked like … they’ll need one more session and should look like new in the end.
Now, where was I … that’s right … the story about the cylinder head.
There is a computer “guru” who does the on-site “work” for us at work and over the years. I get to see him 2 or 3 times a year for a few years now. Towards the end of his day, a few months ago … during one of his … I’m waiting for stuff to download/authenticate/replicate sessions, we starting talking about things we did in our previous lives and what we’re doing now.
The subject of my HR came up … the last thing I expected him to say was that he had a ‘worked’ cylinder head in his shed.
The story goes … in about 1990, Thomas used to travel along the Brand Hwy, here in Western Australia.
One particular afternoon, he dropped in to see a slightly out of the way service station owner for fuel. The service station was (I do not know if it is still there, but intend to look for it the next time I’m up that way.) about 1km off the highway, the turn being about 15km north of Eneabba. The “servo” was not owned by a big fuel company, so it was not really “state of the art” but the fuel prices were good. When you are that young, any money saved is worth it. Anyway he pulled in, in his Holden (202ci) HQ, which was about 15 years old, then.
After filling his tank, the owner asked him if he was interested in buying a replacement cylinder head for his 202. When he asked what was so special about it or why he had it in the first place and not used it himself, the story went something like this …
The ‘head’ was given to him about 2 years earlier by a guy who desperately needed fuel one day and said he’d leave the cylinder head behind as collateral, while he finished his journey and would return a few days later to pay for the fuel … needless to say, he never came back and 2 years later it was probably time to sell it. (The truth be known, it was probably a very good investment for the servo owner). When he the owner described the work done (it had been stored very carefully) a deal was struck. Thomas fitted it to his HQ a few months later. He immediately felt the difference and was very happy with the head.
A couple of months (and 2 trips north - 2,000~3,000km’s) later Thomas was leaving to visit Europe for a while. His car would be left in the hands of his sister and I guess he wasn’t comfortable leaving the ‘worked’ head on the car. So, he removed it, put the car back to standard and put the head in the shed for use on a car, that he was sure he would restore when he returned to Australia. That that was in about 1990 and the head had been in his shed ever since.
So, 23 years later, lucky me … he realised he was never going to use it and for what amounted to about 2 cartons of Corona ( …in Australia) the head was mine. It was going to be a while before I needed the head, so Thomas agreed to bring it down the next time he visited. It wasn’t long (maybe 6 months) and the head has been stripped, cleaned and should be on a refurbished engine by the end of the year. Needless to say, a short chat for about 5 minutes netted me a very nice head. Thank you, Thomas.
In ‘red head’ primer, as it came back from All Torque … and below, the correct “X2” RED … a much richer red than standard.
Unmasked and ready for re-assembly … as soon as the rest of the parts are done.
All I need to do … are the rest of the red bits …
Rocker cover, Timing cover, Sump, Water Pump, Oil Pump, Thermostat Housing, Thermostat Outlet, Engine Side Covers …
Then the real fiddly bits … Rocker Cover Bolts Washers, Engine Side Cover Bolts.
I have been asked why not get chromed parts … well, the 1966 HR didn’t come out with chrome bits on it, so it wouldn’t look right.
In a month or so, I should be ready to start assembling the HR’s new engine.
In the meantime, I do need to get some ‘new’ parts like the thermostat housing … the cast iron one is very badly rusted!!!
… the adventure continues …
