How much can you take off a head?

[Doug_RS2]

The manual states the minimum the head thickness from Head bolt mating face to the machined face of the head is 118.1 mm I measured mine tonioght and it is 119.5. That means I have 1.4mm of the head left for skimming in the future. I also measured the depth of the recess on the machined face of the head - 1.4mm - so when they are flush with the machined surface, it is time to scrap the head.

I know Mark had a lot taken off his - do you still have these recesses?

[Beetie]

looking at that picture i would have the head skimmed as a matter of fact as the surface looks quite rough between the oil and water jackets on the far side of the head..... Just a thought, and also a proper machine shop should know the max tollerances of skimming the head. i remember a specifis model rover where the tollerance was so low that the head was only able to be skimmed once before it would be scrap....

[Mark Halligan]

Doug,
the machine shop who I took it to had to take a massive 22 thou off of the head to get it straight. I have just ordered a digital gauge so that I can measure all of the critical points on the head, we measured it at the shop when I picked it up and it close, very close. Thats why I am going to use a thicker HG, especially bearing in mind that I have both inlet and exhaust 7A cams and I plan to fit them!
heres a pic of the head, the recesses are still there.


Cheers,

Mark.

[Doug_RS2]

That is an old pic of my head when it first came off.

Mark I used verniers so it seated well on the bolthead faces and a flat steel rule pushed the end back up the hole - so my meausrements are pretty good - I can get better measurements with it if you want?

You still have pockets so there is plenty of metal in reserve.

[Doug_RS2]

Mark - please stop posting pics of your head - they are depressing me

[S2central.net]

...and depressing me too... what a damn fine way to spend umpteen hours in a shed !


Paul

[Graham]

At my mates garage we have just re-built a sierra cossy (2wd) and the head cannot be skimmed for them, well it can but is not recomended at all, as things get a little close. This head needed skimming and we got a extra thick head gasket to cure the interference problem.
Graham

[Stick Insect]

Originally posted by S2central.net
what a damn fine way to spend umpteen hours in a shed !

Paul

Severe lack of imagination!

D.