milling and resurfacing

[jrturbo909]

Im in the process of rebuilding my ca18 and i already tore it apart and cleaned most of the motor. I bought a 1.6mm HKS metal headgasket for it and i heard that the surface of the block and head need to have a mirror like finish. So I know that i need to get the block and the head resurfaced. I was wondering bout milling the head. Does anyone know approximately how much the compression change would be for a how ever much i want to mill it(per mm or whatever)? Does anyone have any experience with this motor?

Also, does anyone know of any good machine shops to go to in so cal? Im not sure where I should take it. How much does this usually cost? Thanks in advance for all the help.

Shah

[justinmc]

You generally won't see much compression change unless the head has already been milled or if there is a irregularity that forces them to mill alot off to bring it back to spec... (things like a valve that broke and tore up the bottom of the head, or major overheating). There is a formula you can do to figure it out exactly.. but its a PITA... you don't see alot of change until they go .030 or so.. At least from my experience...

[Myetball]

You shouldn't be thinking of trying to take mm off, whether you're trying to change compression or not. Typically, an unwarped head will have only about .002" taken off to clean up the surface.

Best thing to do would be take off the minimum necessary to clean up the deck and head, install the metal gasket and crank up the boost. Some ARP studs would be nice too.

[paul_s13]

As has been said, you want the minimum neccecary taken off the head to sort it out, also you don't need a mirror finish for a metal HG, I never did with my 2mm Greddy HG, and I reused that twice!

[float_6969]

Paul are you ever gonna get another S13? I miss your car. Makes me sad whenever I see that pic of yours....

[jrturbo909]

hey thanks guys. Im just trying to figure this out. Does anyone know how much this would usually cost? Anyone know of a good shop in socal or does it not really matter? Thanks again.

Shah

[paul_s13]

Paul are you ever gonna get another S13? I miss your car. Makes me sad whenever I see that pic of yours....

Nope, i'm going to get something quick next time......A Caterham 7 with a turbo engine of some sort..........0-60 in the 3's here we come!

[float_6969]

Dang! So what are you driving now?

[paul_s13]

Errr a very nice Vauxhall Cavalier (2.0 8valve) family car, slow as hell but uses little petrol and it just works, and it was cheap as hell too!

Its rubbish but its perfect for me at the moment, but I was supposed to leave it alone but i've already fitted Bilstien shocks and springs and uprated the brakes!

[Myetball]

Does that Vauxhall have the brazilian OHC?

[paul_s13]

Does that Vauxhall have the brazilian OHC?

I don't think so.....but i maybe wrong, Vauxhall have been using that engine for years.

[float_6969]

Well I don't think we have anything comprable stateside, so I'm not sure what it is. But anything w/8 valves couldn't be knocking too many socks off. (4 cylnder applications anyway. V8's don't count) But if it gets you there you can't complain. I'd love to have some decent gas mileage. I'm driving my grandpa's '87 jeep till mine gets out of the body shop and the 15 miles to the gallon (about 6km/L or 18 miles/gal UK, or 29km/gal) Any way you look at it's crappy. (btw http://www.onlineconversion.com rocks!)

[paul_s13]

Well I don't think we have anything comprable stateside, so I'm not sure what it is. But anything w/8 valves couldn't be knocking too many socks off. (4 cylnder applications anyway. V8's don't count) But if it gets you there you can't complain. I'd love to have some decent gas mileage. I'm driving my grandpa's '87 jeep till mine gets out of the body shop and the 15 miles to the gallon (about 6km/L or 18 miles/gal UK, or 29km/gal) Any way you look at it's crappy. (btw http://www.onlineconversion.com rocks!)

Well when i drive sensibly I can get about 35-40 MPG but if I use ALL the 115bhp :rolleyes then its a bit worse.

[Myetball]

I don't think so.....but i maybe wrong, Vauxhall have been using that engine for years.

Just curious since my turbo Grand Am uses the same Brazilian/Opel engine used in many Vauxhalls. My little 8-valve engine is pretty peppy, 165hp @ 5600 & 175 lb/ft @ 4000. This is on a T25 at no more than 7 psi. Doesn't rev anywhere near as high as a CA but it's still fun to drive. Of course mine is dead right now but I've got a new short block on the way. Hoping to get a little more spunk out of it during the rebuild.

[float_6969]

Hehehe, Paul said 115hp. Thats funny....

[paul_s13]

Hehehe, Paul said 115hp. Thats funny....

Shut it!:pface

[float_6969]

You know I love ya man! (In a non-homosexual kinda way)

[paul_s13]

You know I love ya man! (In a non-homosexual kinda way)

PHEW!

I need all the friends I can get now I drive one of these....



Its very likemine but mine doesn't have alloys but mine is lower though

[float_6969]

Oh, it's not too bad at all. I'd drive one everyday if we had them here. What is the name of the company? Are they owned by someone else? They look almost Saab-ish. I could be way off...

[paul_s13]

Its a Vauxhall part of the GM/Opel/Vauxhall/Saab group, its a slow, dull car but it did only cost £400 for a 1995 car!

[float_6969]

Dang, THAT is cheap. I can't think of any cars here you can pick up for that kind of money for that model year. I guess I'll have to leave you alone...Heheheh

[r34 gtr]

vauxhall is just the european brand of chevy. think of it as a slightly different looking chevy cavalier/malibu hybrid (size wise) with a volkswagen 8 valve engine in it.

as far as the caterham super seven with the turbo engine, id say go with the ford zetec or miata 1.8l engines. both are frequently put in those cars. i believe the toyota 4a-ge is also quite often used. since youre paul though, i think you'd be more suited for an evo or cosworth motor (since you can get them you basta'd). hell, you could even go with a CA and make us all happy campers.

- tim

[paul_s13]

as far as the caterham super seven with the turbo engine, id say go with the ford zetec or miata 1.8l engines. both are frequently put in those cars. i believe the toyota 4a-ge is also quite often used. since youre paul though, i think you'd be more suited for an evo or cosworth motor (since you can get them you basta'd). hell, you could even go with a CA and make us all happy campers.

- tim

I doubt i'll go for any japanese engine because of cost, a cossie lump is very easy to get and bits are cheap (compared to Japanese engines) and a stage 1 chip gets you to 330bhp

I love the cossie YB its a very strong engine and with 220bhp in stock form you can't go wrong!

Good 'ole british beef!

[r34 gtr]

god i love that one. its beefy like campbell's chunky soup. and just like american v8s they can make tons of power from the smallest things.

- tim

[paul_s13]

Hard to believeit was developed from one of these....

[r34 gtr]

yeah, ill take the top picture. something makes me think the basic head design of that one isnt quite as good as the cossie head on the engine in the picture above it. you guys get all the good engines, maybe i should move back there...

- tim

[float_6969]

Damn American's and their Torque and straighline performance.... I WANNA TURN AND GO FAST!!! Grrrr

[r34 gtr]

but there is something unbelivably (i know i spelt that one wrong..) sexy about a massive v8 and that bag-of-nails idle they have when theyre making any kind of power. also love that whole carbureted-no-wires thing.. i want a '69 charger r/t with the 440 magnum and a 4-speed....waah!!!

- tim

[float_6969]

My 3 favorite sounds in the world (in this order) V12 Ferrari, H6 Porsche, V8 Any. The other two have a silky smooth quality that I love, but something about a V8 just says, "I've got balls. Is that a problem?"