Taking head of my B6: may as well get some more power!

[Safety Guy]

Bad head gasket on my B6. Hopefully my engine is not damaged. There is coolant in cylinders 3 and 4, with cylinders 1 and 2 dry and normal. My "help" thread is here, with pic of spark plugs on page three:

http://www.fordfestiva.com/forums/showthread.php?45922-Bad-head-gasket

I have two backup cars that run and will get me to work. They should both last at least a week. I hope!

I'm thinking a valve job, some head work, and maybe shaving the head for a bit more compression. When I rebuilt AquaMutt about 1.5 years ago, I took the head off (from the B6 my Dad and I had pulled from a 'yard a few years prior), the engine to check it and took it to a shop to have it cleaned, checked and decked. Nothing else was done.

This time I'm thinking a valve job, mild port and polish and maybe some shaved off the bottom for a bit more compression.

I'd be looking for about a ten percent gain in hp. Maybe 6 to 12 hp is all. FYI, my B6 is fed from a CAI and fumes spit out through a stock exhaust manifold with the entire exhaust being a 2" piped system with Magnaflow low restriction cat and standard low restriction muffler. No other power mods. Stock B6 TB.

May as well turn this little setback into a bit more performance, eh?

Comments? Ideas?

One more thing: that was my first time working on an engine (besides new seals on a B6 for Luxstiva the first time, but I didn't take that engine apart at all except for both manifolds). On this one, I took off the head, oil pan and MBSP, installed new gaskets, seals, and of course my head gasket job must not have been too good.

I'm wondering what else I should be thinking now. I also used that copper spray on my new head gasket. Can't recall what brand the gasket was.

Karl

[festyfreak39]

Throw a DOHC miata/capri head on it

[FestYboy]

Karl, hold your thoughts till Mon, i'll have some stuff up for you to consider.

[Safety Guy]

Okay Arty. But the head is coming off tomorrow since I need to get Aqua back on the road within a week. BTW, it was a bad head gasket. Cylinders 3 and 4 had coolant in them. Green tinged fluid anyway. Maybe just Martian blood.

Karl

[blkfordsedan]

Make sure you change the oil before even cranking it over. When you pull the head, coolant can get down the oil returns and into the pan. Doesn't take much water to wipe out the main bearings.

I didn't use any gasket dressing on the head gasket on my B6. Not that it hurts to use it, but if the head and block surfaces are true and clean, you shouldn't need any. (famous last words, I know)

[zoom zoom]

gotta get the adjustable cam gear if you shave the head, but I'd definately go for it! I'm curious to see what arty's got to offer Other than what he may have I wouldn't do anything more than possibly polishing the chamber and runners, porting costs $$. 3 way valve job, new valve stem seals.... oh yea..

[gauge_half_inch]

If this is your 2nd gen b6 you should definately upgrade to a BP tb. That alone adds a few extra ponies.

[blkfordsedan]

I wouldn't do anything more than possibly polishing the chamber and runners, porting costs $$.

If you own a Dremel, all you need is a $20 set of burr bits and the long cable drive attachment. It doesn't have to be a perfect, professional porting job to gain some additional flow. There is enough mis-match between the port runner and the valve pocket that you can make a noticable difference just going after the "low hanging fruit". Aluminum is easy to work with as well. I spent probably 40hrs porting my head, but even 8hrs of work just blending the pockets should be beneficial.

I would look the head over really good for cracks first, especially if you suspect the motor got hot.

Shaving the head won't retard the cam timing much, less than 1 degree. With a stock cam it won't even be noticable. I probably wouldn't shave the head any more than required to give it a clean, flat surface. .002" to .005" should do it, unless it's warped pretty bad. Regardless, I would have it surfaced anytime a head gasket goes out.

[Movin]

Run a tap through all the headbolt threads in the block, Check the length of
all the head bolts to make sure none have stretched.

Think recommended torque of the bolt does not always equal proper clamp on the
gasket, or worse uneven clamp force resulting in a warped head..and these aluminum heads don't need any help.

Even a flat surface on the head will benefit from a brush up surface machining just to restore the surface texture to what the gasket was designed for.

[FestYboy]

i'll be back shortly with proper pix of the work done sofar to my head.