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TR6 TR6 cylinder head rebuilding advice

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I

ichthos

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I am hoping to get a valve job on my head and be on the road shortly. I currently have stock parts. I have a second head I am going to have rebuilt. It will take me a while to save up the money. To do this with stock parts is $450 and for improved parts such as stellite valve and such it would run $750. My question is it really worth while to invest in upgraded parts? I don't like taking short cuts that will just cost me later, but I have a long ways to go on this resoration and I don't like throwing money away.

Kevin
 
Kevin, there's a whole lot you can do to a cylinder head in the name of improving it, but is it really necessary on a low compression straight 6 ?
Do you plan on pushing the red line between shifts ? Are you going to put in a performance cam, increase the compression ?
Answers to those kind of questions will guide you as to whether stock is good enough or not.
 
My 2 cents worth.

If the seats and guides are in good shape, where it doesn't look like they need to be replaced; Don't worry about stellite seats, stainless valves, etc.. A good multiangle valve job and clean up, WITH VALVE STEM SEALS, is enough. Might consider upgrading the springs, as the originals do have some usage.. British Frame and Engine is who I would recommend for contact.. He should be able to answer any head rebuild,repair and upgrade questions for you also..
 
Guides, valve seals a good valve job and a skim cut are fine. If valve seats need replaced, by all means do them and use stock or SS valves.

The money better spent on a distributor recurve and carb rebuilds IMHO.
 
I am keeping my car stock as much as possible. I figure it will be an accomplishment for me to be able to work on a stock car and understand how it works before I start worrying about upgrading. The only reason I mentioned upgrading the valves is because I have been told that the stock valves tend to wear out quickly because of the unleaded gas which burns hotter and no lubrication from the lead free gasoline. Is this true?

Kevin
 
Leaded gas disappeared, when, in the seventy's right ?
The guy I got my 74 from had the car since the mid 80's and never even used a lead additive. As far as I can tell there's been no harmful effects. There was carbon build up, but that was to be expected when I took the head off with 107k miles on it.
 
The stock valves are fine with unleaded. There is some concern over the seats, which can sometimes erode when used with unleaded fuel. But for the vast majority of people, it seems to never be a problem. So the smart move (especially if money is an object) seems to be to leave them be, until you know you have a problem.

Ironically, the only head I've had trouble with was upgraded with hardened exhaust seats and Stellite valves. Switched back to a stock head and it held up just fine.

"Unleaded" was introduced in the 70s, but "Reduced lead" continued to be available (at least around here) until the mid-80s or so.
 
Initially the no-lead was a concern but it's proven to be a red herring issue. Hundreds of thousands of miles on "standard" LBCs with no more than the usual issues have passed under my nose. As long as the valves and carbs are set correctly they just RUN. I'd be for standard components; valves, guides, seals & springs. As Ron says, a three-angle seat and away.

It'll outlive ya if you keep the oil changed on schedule. :wink:
 
Remember American Oil Co. (Amoco), and their "white gas" long before the '70's...?
 
So, I am going in to get my original head rebuilt today. I always feel like an idiot when I go into a machine shop. I took a head in once for one of my cars and I realized they had not put in new seals. They told me I should have asked for this to be done.

You know one intake valve is bad and has to be replaced. If you were to write a list to the machine shop, what would you have on your list? Please be specific.

Kevin
 
It's the head you have pictured in the other thread, no? If so, that's the exhaust valve. Or do you have an intake valve bad as well?

If it's a good machine shop, they'll know what to do. But be sure, as someone else pointed out, that they thoroughly clean all the passages. Check for cracks and magnaflux. New guides, etc. But again, they should give you several options for what they can do.
 
Mickey Richaud said:
If it's a good machine shop, they'll know what to do. But be sure, as someone else pointed out, that they thoroughly clean all the passages. Check for cracks and magnaflux. New guides, etc. But again, they should give you several options for what they can do.
Click to expand...
I agree with that. Yeah there are machine shops that have clients that want the works regardless of the cost and the same shop also has clients that want the basics and as stock as possible. Just let your desires known.
I bet most shops have enough business that they won't have to depend on you to make their house note.
 
Kevin,

No need for you to feel that way. Use this as a guide as to what yours should look like with seals and guides installed and a skim cut will look the same as my major shaving.

Cylinder Head Machining
 
Now, Paul, you KNOW Basil's rule about "suggestive" pictures on the forum!

That is drop-dead GORGEOUS work!
 
It is nice and is really wasn't too expensive. Most shops have a flat rate for shaving so much off of a head, the bronze guides and seats are generally priced to market and a valve job is part of the guide/seat installation. I did supply all new valves and they supplied the Viton seals, guides and seats.

Mickey, I wasn't sure if Kevin knew what he was getting for his money, so I thought that I'd show what was done to mine. I carefully did NOT post any of the pictures of the calendars that were in any of the shops, as I know that would have gotten me in trouble with Basil.
 
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