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Removing head

iceman69510

Turn Right Racing
Staff member
Joined
Mar 5, 2001
Messages
10,964
Location
Michigan
I can also offer up some stock rockers, lifter and even spare valves (all used of course) if you need/want them cheap.
 

mitsuturbo

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 2, 2008
Messages
3,551
Location
Near Seattle, Washington
The guides will need to be replaced. The ones this guy sells are a good price and great quality. He also sells 3g lifters i've used in a few engines with zero issues. The valves he sells are a little on the heavy side, but still better than the stock ones.

click

I believe others on here have used his parts with success as well.
 

iceman69510

Turn Right Racing
Staff member
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Mar 5, 2001
Messages
10,964
Location
Michigan
Engnbldr's stuff is fine. I bought lifters and some datsun parts I think.
 

Brunoboy

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 25, 2008
Messages
2,880
Location
San Bruno,CA Home of SFO
I'm pulling the head on 556, what's the time usually from start to finish?
 

EHmotorsports

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 25, 2012
Messages
1,278
Location
Beaverton
Depending on your skill set and other factors. 4 hrs to 10 years.
 

transparentdsm

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 27, 2011
Messages
3,690
Location
Cherry Hill, NJ
^ haha that seems about right.

id say anything from 6 to 8 as long as you know what your doing. 4 hrs is if you know your sh*t and have done it 15 times.
 

mitsuturbo

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 2, 2008
Messages
3,551
Location
Near Seattle, Washington
I can have a head off a 4g63 in about 20 minutes, using air tools.

Of course, putting it back together once everything is ready is the more difficult part. I think the best i've done on that is about 3 hours, when i worked for the stealership.
 

James

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Joined
Apr 7, 2012
Messages
1,322
Location
Port richey Florida
Yea it took me 6 hours to pull my head the first time. But there was beer and lunch thrown in there.
 

transparentdsm

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 27, 2011
Messages
3,690
Location
Cherry Hill, NJ
Quoting mitsuturbo:
I can have a head off a 4g63 in about 20 minutes, using air tools.

Of course, putting it back together once everything is ready is the more difficult part. I think the best i've done on that is about 3 hours, when i worked for the stealership.



im not sure, but i dont think shane has air tools. that why i say 7 or so because with hand tools it takes that long. even with air tools 20 minutes seems fast, id say more like 40 to an hour and your head is off(taking off the power steering pump, intercooler piping and all that stuff there not to mention draining all the fluids out) then like 40 minutes cleaning everything up and getting it prepped for the new head then another 2-3 hrs reinstalling everything making sure its all on there right, priming the head and getting it all torqued to spec.
 

mitsuturbo

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 2, 2008
Messages
3,551
Location
Near Seattle, Washington
I don't know why you'd remove the PS pump or IC plumbing to pull the head. I never have. Also, how exactly do you "prime the head"? I've never done this either. Then again, i've always used this:
5_Main_Pre-Lube.jpg
Clevite Assembly Lube.



As for fluids, while the coolant and oil are draining, you can work on pulling the valve cover, the bolts to the timing cover, and cut the belt. Then you yank the bolts out the top of the exh manifold, the 2 bolts on the bottom intake mani (for the bracket which i usually toss anyhow), disco. and move the harness out of the way, disconnect the throttle body elbow from the intake pipe, throttle cable, pull off the top rad. hose, one heater hose and then the oil and water lines for turbo/cooler. By the time all that's done, you're good to pull the head bolts and remove it all. Did i forget something? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif

I agree that with hand tools 40-60 minutes is making pretty good time for head removal. Of course, once it's removed you have a bunch more work to do, such as cleaning the cylinders and deck surface, getting the intake and exhaust manifolds ready for reinstallation, cleaning and prepping the water neck, valve cover, timing cover plates, fuel rail, et-cetera. Unless you have a fresh new head to put on, sitting there waiting, generally you have ample time to clean up all this stuff while the head you're getting work done on is off at the machine shop.

Hell, while the head is out, it's a great time to do ABS removal, clean up the engine bay (simple green works great for this), run new fuel line, run a battery relocation, or anything else that would be MUCH easier without the intake manifold in the way.
 
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transparentdsm

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Jul 27, 2011
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3,690
Location
Cherry Hill, NJ
how do you not pull the power steering pump and intercooler plumbing, you have to remove the timing belt some how? i guess you can leave them in, but i remove them for ease of pulling everything apart. i wouldnt be able to fit my hands in there to get things out nor would i be able to pull the motor mount by the timing belt because when the motor drops it would ruin all my intercooler pipe and stuff.

as for priming the head, its just a good couple of full slow turns of the crank after you install the timing belt to make sure the lifters are sitting, you have no binds in anything, but most importantly to make sure you have the timing gears lined up and the tension set properly
 
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mitsuturbo

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Joined
Jun 2, 2008
Messages
3,551
Location
Near Seattle, Washington
I have literally NEVER removed the PS pump to remove a cylinder head, or install one.

For installation, i pull the WP and crank pulleys, but never the PS pump.
 

transparentdsm

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Joined
Jul 27, 2011
Messages
3,690
Location
Cherry Hill, NJ
i dont mean remove as in disconnect the lines, just pull it off the motor and lay it to the side. sorry if that was confusing.
 

BogusSVO

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 29, 2013
Messages
232
Location
Pensacola, Florida
Quoting paul j:
Now that the head is off and heading to machine shop to be checked, is there anything that should be done while they are working on it? Slight porting? How about cams?
Thanks for your views.



What to check? That is a list on a 4g head.

First thing is for warp, then head thickness to see if it is in spec or close to it.

The oil transfer slot may need porting, along with the oil return ports having the cast flashing removed.

With bent valves normally comes cracked guides if you have stock/cast guides.

Valve spring pressures need to be tested, good chance the springs are weak after 20 years.

Porting is good to do if you have the budget for it, and who dose it has a clue on what they are doing.

Make sure when the valve job is done, that the machine shop will use a 3 angle cutter, and not valve seat stones Also have the valves back cut.

Make sure if/when the machine shop surfaces the head that it is milled and not put on a belt surfacer (Sander)

The oil galley plugs need to be removed so the oil galleys can be cleaned and gun brushed.

For valves, I say only the factory 6T valves or go Stainless Steel, and yes Engnbldr is a good choice.

Make sure the Vition "blue" valve stem seals are used, they have the highest temp rating.

That about covers it for a solid stock rebuilt head.
 

paul j

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 27, 2004
Messages
282
Location
Lone Tree, CO
I won't need the valves so transparent go for it. I dropped the head off at machine shop and they said the head was in the best shape of any they have seen and did a quick water check and there was no leakage. So I will keep original valves and buy new ones as needed. They suggested new lifters because of glaze but I don't know if I buy it. If I do I will go with 3g.
My time for replacement was days but I had no idea what I was doing. I analyzed every connection trying to figure out what they were while consulting fsm & deciding what should come off. Could not disconnect turbo water line on water tube per fsm so had to disconnect at turbo. All the info on this chat was very helpful. I think it would be very hard to take the intake off the head while attached & on car but it's easy once the head is off. Unhooking connectors was quite time consuming. One of my connectors was held on by just a few strands of wires and other wires are hard so now is the time to replace them if they are available. Now that I have done it I think it would take a couple hours to pull head probably.
 

transparentdsm

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Jul 27, 2011
Messages
3,690
Location
Cherry Hill, NJ
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/applause.gif congrats on doing the work yourself. the more you tinker with these things the faster you will become.
 
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