Suggestions for reassembling my RB25 head/motor??

[kouki-gymkhana]

Guys, I've finally got some vacation time coming up and can head back down south to finish my stillborn HG swap. The head was dissasembled, planed, and new valve stem seals were swapped in by the shop that broke my camshaft (hence the reason for why it has taken so long.) My Poncams are here and are ready for me to swap them in.

I am concerned, however, that the head has been sitting on my garage workbench for so long that the lifters may have dried out. Would it be advisable to take them out and soak them in oil for a few days before I throw everything back together? Is there any specific preparation of the block I should take care of? The engine is still in the car and I will, of course, get rid of all the old HG material and clean up the mating surface. Is there anything else I should do to the head before I mate it back to the block?

Thanks in advance!-kouki

[Carl H]

good call on bleeding the lifters, prime time to clean them if need be... look on twinturbo.net for a good write up on how to clean them.use copious ammounts of assembly lube when putting the cams and lifters back in...better to have too much than too little.

[rotorimp]

Now would be a good time if you have the means to upgrade to ARP head studs.

[minivan_don]

a great complimentry part if your already replacing the hg are (as mentioned) arp bolts/studs. i just bought mine last night - the ebay link below seemed to be the cheapest by a min $20 US (summitracing.com came close too)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...ZWDVW

also what hg are you planning on going with? i ask as some metal hg (like the cometic) require that the block be decked too on top of other little unknown facts - such as using copper spray.

[Darius]

If you aren't planning on going past 20 psi of boost, do not bother with a metal head gasket. If you want to go higher than that, you'll have to plane the block which means complete disassembly and a logical time to buildup. I've tried the copper spray stuff and I would argue that it doesn't make a bit of difference. Personally, I think it just makes a sticky mess, but to each his own.

And +1 for ARP head studs

[kouki-gymkhana]

Sorry, I should have been more clear in my original post. The ARP studs are a no brainer! They were the first things I picked up even before I pulled the head off the block, number one because I don't know where the heck to find OEM replacement RB25 head bolts, and number two because they a very cost effective upgrade. Also, I'm swapping in an OEM replacement HG instead of a replacement triple layer metal HG that surprised me when I lifted off the head, mostly because I don't want to have to plane and polish the block to ensure that it doesn't leak.

As for my plans, the car will stay with a factory tune and stock boost until I can do things properly when my budget allows for a proper build. I'm aiming for 450whp (yes, I know first hand what this level of power feels like in an S-chassis) eventually but I'm shifting my plans to bodywork and suspension until I can build the motor thoroughly. Unlike most other folks on the boards, I plan on having this car FOREVER and it will go through many iterations and states of tune in the future. My father and I have built it together over the past 3 years (I'm 28 and he's 62) and it means too much to me on an emotional level to half *** things while I'm still making relative peanuts. I just want to get the car back on the road so that he and I can enjoy it together as soon as possible.

Thanks for the tips so far and keep them coming!!-kouki