getting the head gasket done is there anything else i can do to the head whilst it is stipped down

 

uprate the valvetrain , get the head ported

 

I had a quote from RCM for £800 to replace both. But that is just engine out, heads off, old gaskets removed and heads clened up, new gaskets on, engine back in.

If there's anything else then that quote can soon escalate to c. 1.5k and beyond e.g. heads skimmed, thicker and uprated head gaskets, water pump, uprated/modded oil pump, cambelt, tensioner, pulleys, etc., etc.... See what can happen?

Thing is, if other stuff does need doing, then from the long tern pov, it's false economy not to do it at this golden opportunity (as funds allow obviously).

 

I would of thought that skimming the heads along with cambelt would be done as standard anyway? Then all the usual replacment gaskets etc along the way..

 

You'd obviously think so wouldn't you? I'm sure the quote does take that into account (hope so anyhow ) lol.

Question: If the blocks' head-mating surfaces were warped slightly, presumably it can be machined and trued up? How much would truing up both block halves and skimming both heads cost, or add to the cost?

 

TBH im not too sure. I know that there is a limit on how much can be skimmed from the heads, and you can have the deck height on the block tested. If this needs to be skimmed off too, I was told that the block has to be split down and again, it has a limit on what can be taken off. It of course would mess with compression ratio's but im no wizard on the subject!

Aluminium heads are the prone to warping and its highly recommended that they are always pressure tested and skimmed. I paid £40+vat for test on each head and the same for the skimming. So all in about £190 i think. Well worth doing for peace of mind, and you don't want to be lifting it all out again!

 

Oh totally. It's a de rigeur thing to do isn't it? Total madness not to skim the heads...

 

While the inlet manifolds off, you could go for the parellel fuel line conversion.