New Owner
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Joined: Nov 2005
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RE: New Owner
well, i got a quote today from a shop that does alot of my race engines, $275 for me and normally $350-400, not a bad deal but i found a whole head from a wrecked neon with the same engine for $40 in a junk yard here, im thinking about doing that and putting this head up for a spare, i think thats the best bet for now, i want to drive my neon $%#@IT! [:@]
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RE: New Owner
Getting a spare head usually works fine. You can take a straightedge and check the head for flatness, or ask the shop to do it for you, probably $25-30. If it needs to be machined, then obviously a bit more... 0.010" would be the max to take off...
When you swap the head over, you might be able to reuse the head gasket (pretty sure the '98s had the MLS style), but a new one isn't all that much ($50). You definitely want to get new head bolts though ($35 for the set)... And since the timing belt is coming off anyways, that ($50) and the water pump ($50) are easy enough to do, particularly if it has over 100k miles and you don't know the history (interval for both is 105k).
You need a special tool (valve spring compressor) to get the valves out. Pretty sure you can rent it down at Autozone for free. A complete new set of valves runs a little over $100. You can reuse the springs and retainers.
When you swap the head over, you might be able to reuse the head gasket (pretty sure the '98s had the MLS style), but a new one isn't all that much ($50). You definitely want to get new head bolts though ($35 for the set)... And since the timing belt is coming off anyways, that ($50) and the water pump ($50) are easy enough to do, particularly if it has over 100k miles and you don't know the history (interval for both is 105k).
You need a special tool (valve spring compressor) to get the valves out. Pretty sure you can rent it down at Autozone for free. A complete new set of valves runs a little over $100. You can reuse the springs and retainers.
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Joined: Nov 2005
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RE: New Owner
the headgasket is toast i believe, its metal but when i pulled the head, half the gasket stuck to the head and half to the block, ill get a new one though its no problem, the car was a one owner, a guy i race with got it for his daughter brand new and then parked it after she went to collage last year, its done 81k, im not sure why the timing belt broke, already have a new one and the car ran but the valves were ticking and it ran really rough lol
how hard is it to do a valve job yourself? we have a valve spring tool but it doesnt fit dont in the head, its for a SBC
how hard is it to do a valve job yourself? we have a valve spring tool but it doesnt fit dont in the head, its for a SBC
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Joined: Mar 2005
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RE: New Owner
Take a look at what the parts stores have to offer, I'm sure there's something that will fit. The SOHC is the one that usually takes some creativity. The one I'm thinking of for the DOHC looks like an angled 2-prong fork. Hardest part is keeping an eye on the silly retainers...