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Background: I bought a 74 spider stock for $3k sight unseen and drove it from MI to CT. Oil looked good and lost less than a quart over the 800 miles. The coolant looked mostly clean and tested good at an oil change shop where I checked the rear end for fluid before the journey. Performance was OK and no smoke or odd smells. I only drove it another 30 miles when I was back in CT. (Dry compression numbers were high 180s to low 190s within 10%-never did a wet test.) Then, it ran cold so I bought a thermostat, but before installing it I decided to remove the unattached heater core and hoses and replace the windshield while the dash was out and the head gasket since there was oil leaking down both sides of the block, and well you know how it goes.
This is the first head I have pulled on a car. I've read Braden's Bible and many threads on the bb. Fortunately, I came across a member who said he stood in the bay, straddling the engine and lifted it off and that worked for me. Unfortunately, I wasn't prepared for the extent of carbon and oil and crap coating the valves and chambers and I was surprised to see the tell-tale mayo pooled up around the liners since the coolant and oil looked/look OK. Pics are attached.
Being new to this,
1. Is it worth cleaning and R&R this head and valve assemblies in this condition or is it more economical to buy a new head, etc. and send this one in as a core?
2. How do the pros clean a head that looks like this (some bath?) and the area where the liners are?
3. Will I need to pull the liners in order to clean out the emulsion and will I need to delve even further into the bottom of the engine if I pull them to make things right assuming the crank is OK?
4. Lastly, having never scene a blown head gasket before, does this look pretty typical or pretty bad?
Thanks for any experienced feedback. Paul
This is the first head I have pulled on a car. I've read Braden's Bible and many threads on the bb. Fortunately, I came across a member who said he stood in the bay, straddling the engine and lifted it off and that worked for me. Unfortunately, I wasn't prepared for the extent of carbon and oil and crap coating the valves and chambers and I was surprised to see the tell-tale mayo pooled up around the liners since the coolant and oil looked/look OK. Pics are attached.
Being new to this,
1. Is it worth cleaning and R&R this head and valve assemblies in this condition or is it more economical to buy a new head, etc. and send this one in as a core?
2. How do the pros clean a head that looks like this (some bath?) and the area where the liners are?
3. Will I need to pull the liners in order to clean out the emulsion and will I need to delve even further into the bottom of the engine if I pull them to make things right assuming the crank is OK?
4. Lastly, having never scene a blown head gasket before, does this look pretty typical or pretty bad?
Thanks for any experienced feedback. Paul
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