BP deck

[zoom zoom]

I just want to post these pics, what do you guys think, is this worthy of a head gasket or does more work need to be done?

http://i844.photobucket.com/albums/ab2/mykromisfit/1994%20Ford%20Aspire/Mazda%20Protege%20Rebuild/IMAG0473.jpg

http://i844.photobucket.com/albums/ab2/mykromisfit/1994%20Ford%20Aspire/Mazda%20Protege%20Rebuild/IMAG0474.jpg

http://i844.photobucket.com/albums/ab2/mykromisfit/1994%20Ford%20Aspire/Mazda%20Protege%20Rebuild/IMAG0475.jpg

[Christ]

Looks good enough to me, but you could scotch-brite the surface and get it totally clean.

[zoom zoom]

lol, not trying to be a smart ass, but that is after scotch bright pads! and pb blaster, and over an hour of scrubbing.. I'm thinking I'll hit it with 1500 grit sandpaper in a few minutes and go find my ARP Head Studs..

[xaero_81]

Get a sanding stone. Keep it flat.

[Hot_Wheels]

what type of head gasket mls? over on miataturbo.net i was reading the deck should be resufaced.

i was going to post a link but i saw your post. There is some good reading there!!!

[Christ]

Get a fairly thick hunk of glass, glue high grit sand paper to it, and go long strokes with it.

[rcottle]

I would probably go with what you got depending on the type of gasket material you are using.. I know a guy that would take is belt sander to that.

[zoom zoom]

I was thinking about resurfacing it, and if it was a general concenses I would have, but from what I can gather it's about good enough. I really didn't want to anyway, the pistons are about ready to pop into the combustion chamber and I shaved .02" off the head, so that leaves very little room for error lol..

[gauge_half_inch]

If your using a cometic, they offer different thickness to compensate for haveing the head milled and the block decked. If you can snag you finger nail in any of those pits, just have it surfaced. It cant be that much.

[zoom zoom]

^ I considered cometic, but I'm going for that whole low rpm torque curve dare-to-detonate situation lol.. no really tho I already bought the felpro, so I'm using it.. if I was using a stock ecu and had to booger it to make the car run, I'd want lower compression ratio, but since I'm trying to use MS I should be able to tune it up right with a higher CR.

Cometic=.040 compressed, felpro/stock=.036 IIRC

I just tried the fingernail trick and couldn't get it to snag, even used my pinky..the thinnest/sharpest nail.. so I guess it's about that time..

[Nerd Racing]

I'd still flat stone it like suggested.

[sketchman]

I made a simple resurfacing tool with a cheapo 1/3 sheet finishing sander and a piece of plexi shimmed "true" glued to the pad holder.

Worked fine, and much easier than hand sanding it.

[zoom zoom]

^

I just used a cutting board (new) with a piece of 1500 grit sandpaper on it, and used pb blaster to wetsand it, it's pretty shiny. Then I used fantastik (because i'm out of 409 atm) to clean the surface, it's pretty dry, I scrubbed it with a couple towells until it isn't slick anymore.

I installed the ARP head studs, "finger tight," then I twisted them an extra 1/8-1/4 turn to sink them into the block. The directions said "finger tight" but I read in a few books that sinking the studs into the block gives more clamping force on a head....anyway, I've got another problem, the 2 front studs don't twist as far into the block. The 2 on the timing belt side.. every other bolt goes in so far, then those outter 2 won't go any deeper. I don't recall any of the head bolts I took out being different sizes, and I know all the ARP studs were the same size. Anyone else had this problem? I ran a tap back down thru the holes and didn't get anything out, and I can't see anything with a flashlight down in the holes.

[FestYboy]

use copper spray.... that will fill in those imperfections.

[Movin]

You never mentioned straight edge but going from stud hole to stud hole
should show if you will have enough clamping force in that low area that
shows some pitting.

The short stud holes should leave a mark on the stud indicating end of threads
or bottoming on a casting flash.