Head And HeadGasket Questions

[thebadz32]

Well i have a 91 N/A with around 150k on it the headgasket finally went im asumeing it blew around a water jacket because im not mixing any fluids??? well the reason for me writing is i was curious as if it would be ok to have the head port and polished as well as milled down a little. The car ran 9.90 in the 1/8th with the oem clutch slippin all the way down the track i was suprised. now since i have to replace the head gasket since the head will be off i was wanting to do this to see how fast i can make this car all moter and pretty much stock.

Next question where is the cheepest place to buy a headgasket set? autozone wants $220 for a felpro set. I saw a cheepo set on fleabay for 33 bucks i was wonderin if i could buy that and use everything but the hg and just buy a namebrand hg somewhere else??? Also should i replace the head studs if so where is the best cheepest place to get those?

 

[AJ'S 88NA]

Well i have a 91 N/A with around 150k on it the headgasket finally went im asumeing it blew around a water jacket because im not mixing any fluids??? well the reason for me writing is i was curious as if it would be ok to have the head port and polished as well as milled down a little. The car ran 9.90 in the 1/8th with the oem clutch slippin all the way down the track i was suprised. now since i have to replace the head gasket since the head will be off i was wanting to do this to see how fast i can make this car all moter and pretty much stock.

Next question where is the cheepest place to buy a headgasket set? autozone wants $220 for a felpro set. I saw a cheepo set on fleabay for 33 bucks i was wonderin if i could buy that and use everything but the hg and just buy a namebrand hg somewhere else??? Also should i replace the head studs if so where is the best cheepest place to get those?

Yes you can have the head ported and polished. You will probably have to have the head milled anyway but I would just have them take off enough to straighten it and clean it up for a new HG. A HG set for $33.00 I would stay away from, at you sure it included the HG? Go with the Felpro or a Toyota HG, don't want to be doing it again soon. Either Toyota headbolts or better yet ARP's. You do know the stock are bolt's. You can go with ARP studs, best thing about the studs is you can use them over again. Check out the vendors here, a couple of them sell the ARP's.

BTW changing the HG will probably not make it run any faster, the P&P job might help but you need to make a few other mods to gain much.

 

[thebadz32]

Yes you can have the head ported and polished. You will probably have to have the head milled anyway but I would just have them take off enough to straighten it and clean it up for a new HG. A HG set for $33.00 I would stay away from, at you sure it included the HG? Go with the Felpro or a Toyota HG, don't want to be doing it again soon. Either Toyota headbolts or better yet ARP's. You do know the stock are bolt's. You can go with ARP studs, best thing about the studs is you can use them over again. Check out the vendors here, a couple of them sell the ARP's.

BTW changing the HG will probably not make it run any faster, the P&P job might help but you need to make a few other mods to gain much.

yeah i dont know much about head work and stuff i know the head gasket wont make it any faster lol but yeah if i went with the full hg set off ebay i wasnt gonna use the hg that came with it just all the other gaskets like valve seals, valve cover gaskets, etc id just buy a name brand headgasket and discard the cheep one. and as far as mods i have a cold air intake and mild exhaust work done but i was wonderin with a fresh headgasket and semi low miles on my car if it would hold a 50 shot of nitrous into the intake.

 

[HommerSimpson]

Well the amount of money it cost for a GOOD port and polish for the amount of HP gain is usally not worth it unless you have serious HP numbers in mind..
Now at the very least a good head gasket is going to cost more then the ebay ones.. like you said over 220 for a felpro gasket set and they are good gaskets... Now what you might want to do because you are not decking block..take the money you would spend on a good port and polish job.. by a STOPPER mhg & Arp studs.. get the cheapy gasket set off ebay for the intake and other gaskets. (I got one and they are acually very nice gasket sets..but would never use the head gasket in them...)
Now you got an almost bulit proof topend... and you can reuse the stopper head gasket several times.. long as you just dont OVER do it..
Now this is just an idea.. but a good p&p job is well over 300 and a stopper is 332 or something at titan

 

[thebadz32]

what about that 50 shot?

 

[AJ'S 88NA]

what about that 50 shot?

Are you going to rebuild the bottom end? Stock motor with that many miles on it would not last too long.

 

[thebadz32]

didnt plan on it i bought the car from its orignal owner which was an old man who never got on it the car has been babied i dont understand y its never had a hg or clutch put in??? i mean everything else has been well taken care of. if i sprayed it i wouldnt spray in first gear and it would prolly never get used unless i was at the track or racein someone for a little cash

 

[AJ'S 88NA]

didnt plan on it i bought the car from its orignal owner which was an old man who never got on it the car has been babied i dont understand y its never had a hg or clutch put in??? i mean everything else has been well taken care of. if i sprayed it i wouldnt spray in first gear and it would prolly never get used unless i was at the track or racein someone for a little cash

I'm a old man, original owner, never had a BHG either. I started having a little "fun" with it around 60k. Never replaced the clutch until 93k, it was still ok.

If he changed the oil regular and used a good oil it's still probably still within specs. Mine still was at 93k. So it's up to you if you spray or not, but I would expect things to hold together for very long. Get the metal HG and ARP studs you'd be better off in the long run.

 

[thebadz32]

I'm a old man, original owner, never had a BHG either. I started having a little "fun" with it around 60k. Never replaced the clutch until 93k, it was still ok.

If he changed the oil regular and used a good oil it's still probably still within specs. Mine still was at 93k. So it's up to you if you spray or not, but I would expect things to hold together for very long. Get the metal HG and ARP studs you'd be better off in the long run.

hopefully there wont be a long run im workin out a deal on a gte shortblock thats y i really dont wanna put money in this motor but i need a car to drive