How does this look?

[4woody]

I never had the head off before and don't know what to do/look for before replacing it with my groovy new (old...) Edmunds aluminum head. Atr the tops of my pisons & valves telling me anything here?

[4woody]

Maybe a clearer shot...
http://photo.starblvd.net/~Hughee/1-1-4.jpg?i=1071007169

[Jethro]

The dark area between the 3 and 4 cylinder might be a blown head gasket. Check to see that the block deck is flat before you spend the money bolting the cool new head down.The picture is a little dark, so it's hard to tell much about the pistons and valves.

[4woody]

Maybe I can get this photo thing figured out... http://photo.starblvd.net/~Hughee/1-1-4.jpg?i=1071007169

[4woody]

Alright, I'm a fool. Why isn't this working? It looks right to me...

[McGrath]

Looks to me like you've been running pretty rich, or burning some oil.

[4woody]

Probably was rich. I was leaking oil, but I don't think I was burning much.
To prep for the new do I just scrape off the deposits and clean things up, or what? As I mentioned, I've never done it before so elementary advise is appreciated. The manual says nothing...
Thanks

[Petejoe]

Clean the block mating surface well and check for cracks which run from the valve and piston walls to any studs or other areas. Before reinstalling an aluminum heads. Read this. Can't see enough to make any other determinations.
rumbleseats tips (http://www.flatheadv8.org/rumblest/heads.pdf)

[TINGLER]

For the pic posting thing....
DO NOT copy anything after the JPG.

Example: http://photo.starblvd.net/~Hughee/1-1-4.jpg

---------> ?i=1071007169 <------------(eliminate this part)


http://photo.starblvd.net/~Hughee/1-1-4.jpg

Hope that helps.
JT.

[TINGLER]

DAMN IT!

Well, it usually works....
Sorry.

JT.

[4t64rd]

http://photo.starblvd.net/~Hughee/1-1-4.jpg

[hankcash]

let me help out some...

[Paul]

http://photo.starblvd.net/~Hughee/1-1-4.jpg

buy a new 1" wood chisel and with your shop vac in one hand and the chisel in the other scrape the block's deck sucking up all the crap with the vac. you don't want that shit in the bores, it could cause major problems.

rent or borrow a machinist's straight edge and check the deck for flatness.

after cleaning when you place the straightedge on the deck and holding a light behind there should be no light shining through, if there is check with a feeler gauge and see how bad it is. a couple thousands may not be a problem, but any more and you may have gasket failure.

check the head for flatness while youre at it.

run a tap GENTLY in all the head bolt holes, again with the shop vac.

wipe it all down with laquer thinner, then wipe the cylinder walls with automatic transmission fluid, spray both sides of the new head gasket with copper gasket compound and put it together with clean if not new studs and nuts.

and repete: did I forget anything? did I forget anything? http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Paul

[Machinos]

The proper tag is [img]http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Paul]

a quick check of the valve sealing can be done by building a dam around the valves (a pair at a time) and pour a little solvent in around the valves, if it leaks away through the seat you need to at least lap them in if not have a complete valve job done.

it looks like the intakes on three and four are discolored between cylinders?

and rust on number five exhaust?

[4woody]

Everybody-thanks for the photo help.
60's- that was exactly the kind of advice I was looking for. It does appear that #5 exh has rust, and that there is a problem between 3&amp;4 as you suggested. When I took it apart several headbolts in that area were suspiciously easy to get out. Funny thing is it seemed to run just fine with all that going on. I'll put the straightedge on there after I clean it up.
Do I also do the scrape-and-vacuum on the tops of valves and pistons, or clean them up some other way?
Thanks again
4w