Hey all, been a while since I've posted but I am finally making progress on my Buick! Today I started tearing down the smog era 350 I will be turboing and dropping into my 70 Skylark. I plan to make an official build thread with pictures and what not, but tomorrow I will be taking the heads off to deliver them to a machine shop this coming week. I already stopped by the shop to chat with the guys and they seem nice and knowledgeable but this will be the very first time I've had anything machined. After all the horror stories I've read on here, I'm a bit nervous! I plan to print and laminate the following and give it to the machinist when I drop the heads off. How does it read? Did I miss anything or add anything unnecessary? ---------------------------------------------------- Customer Name: __________ Customer Contact Info: __________ Engine/Parts: Small Block Buick, 350ci, OEM Cast Iron Heads Only Work Requested (Basic Head Rebuild): -Clean and magnaflux. If no cracks found then proceed with: -3 angle valve job reusing original valves. -New bronze valve guides -New exhaust valve seats if appropriate (if seat regression is present and/or valve job will require more than just touch up grinding). -Polish chambers to remove potential detonation hot spots (engine will see about 8psi of boost). -Reinstall original valve springs, retainers, keepers, and valve seals. Customer will change all after camshaft break-in. -Set valve tip heights. -Resurface gasket surface (only as much needed to make straight). -Customer will paint himself.
I'm no expert, but with the laminated plan, there's no doubt what the machine shop is asked to do.. Dont know how it works in the US, but perhaps some written prices would be good, ex xxx$ for that amount of work, xxx$ for that amount of work and so on?
They will most likely have no interest in reusing your stock valves and nor should you want them to. Stock 2 piece valves and aftermarket springs with increased psi are a no no, plus there is a good gain in having backcut, swirl polished, undercut stem stainless valves especially for as little as they cost Your not going to need a dual spring, so you need to provide them with the springs so they can adjust installed height if needed. No need to worry about break in with a single spring. I'd be more concerned about the stock tired springs giving an inconsistent break in on the lobes. Dont get your Hopes up on them getting the tip height even
You ought to provide them with your cam specs. The stock springs may bind at full lift. I wouldn't hand them a laminated paper like that. It's condescending.
To clarify a hand written note would be fine. Also i wouldn't bother with your valve spring idea. If you follow the proper break in procedure there isn't a need to use weak springs. In car spring swaps are a pita. At the very least you'll need them to set your seat pressure with the new springs. You can't just install the new springs and call it good. I suppose you could have them figure out what you need for shims and what not with the new parts and then have them reinstall the old stuff. I don't think it's worth it.
Bigger valves May eliminate need for seat intall. And apparently the heads flow alittle better with a flatter valve im told. Mike from TA did mention not to bake earlier heads to clean.
Thanks for all the feedback guys! I guess I won't give them a note with my heads, but I'm still nervous trusting a machine shop at all. I don't want to be condescending, just careful. All the work I've done on the car thus far, for better or worse, has been all me. Err this might sound stupid, but do I really need to get the heads rebuilt? This is the engine that I compression tested warm on a run stand and all cylinders were at 150psi except for 1 being at 148psi. I know it's a good idea, but just how necessary is it? I am also building a run stand so I plan to break in the cam on the stand before I drop it in the car. I have wiped a lobed during a break in before (SBC) and I really don't want to do that again, so hence my caution with the springs. In fact, the only thing that I thought I did wrong was not using break in springs. Will TA stage 1 springs really be ok on a flat tappet break in? I would even go so far as to purchase break-in springs if that is safer. Also, I will be using a TA dual groove cam bearing for at least the front, more on that later. If I need new valves, I was going to go with TA stainless. Already I'm around $300 - $400 in parts right there with valves, springs, keepers etc. I guess to be expected? For the cam I was planning on calling up Scott Brown to have a custom one made based on his recommendation. Here's the turbo cam Sean used so mine will probably end up with similar specs (but honestly I have no idea what cam to run): EDIT: A set of stock 1.5" and 1.875" valves on Rockauto comes out to a whopping $98 before shipping, maybe I should wait on the TA valves since they are also bigger than stock and will require more machining?
www.hotrod.com/articles/ctrp-1106-turbo-camshaft-guide/amp/ After reading that, the posted cam could very well fit nicely, based upon the car would still be street driven, with a smaller older design turbo? Then again, I'm no expert
Thanks for the link! Yes the car will be street driven but I may take it down the 1/4 mile once a year if everything runs nice and I have my tune down. Turbos are the standard CXRacing T3/T04E Hybrids, cheap offshore ones that come with Mark's kits. Here's a pic of them sitting in my garage
http://www.v8buick.com/index.php?th...d-new-seats-ta-350-1-6-roller-rockers.344177/ This seller is in California. Have you already seen this ad??
I hadn't seen it! Just jumped inline though, that would be a sweet deal and no machine shop necessary haha!
Ask to see the reciept on those heads. Barely any bowl work and seats look sunk. Also look like 76-80 heads. So ask for flow numbers. I would not say thats 1500 in work on those heads and its a home clean up job. Not even new guides. 1500 in head work should net new valves, springs, guides , and alot of port cleanup. Here you can see some actual bowl cleanup and new bronze guide can be seen. No mention of better springs, the only deal there are the rocker arms.
I will! $675 may be a good deal if the heads are as stated, but it's still a good chunk of change, definitely more than I was hoping to spend on my heads. I'm a total novice when it comes to head work, so the pictures your posted are very helpful! Anyone else besides me think I should just leave the heads on and change the cam as is?
Probably not,..the increased cylinder psi from the boost alone require healthy springs let alone with an upgraded cam. Same with the valve guides, boost can find it's way thru if it's all not sealed up good. You gotta do the heads or your going to be unhappy and going back in it. And so you have a clearer understanding of head work, expect to spend roughly $200 for a valve job , $50~60 to surface, $10 a hole for guides , and probably $100 to 150 to polish the chambers if they will even do it, alot of "machine shops" dont fool with that stuff it cost them more $ in lost time than they can make
Gotcha. I was hoping for something in the $300 to $400 range so it seems I'm not that far off. If things don't work out with those heads for sale, I will be taking mine to the machine shop this Tuesday if all goes well. The chamber polishing seems like something I might be able to do with a die grinder and 220 disc and scotchbrite pads if I go slow and am careful? Also, this block I believe is a smog era 76, but I will verify the block code today. I also have a set of 1970 heads from the original SP motor. Is there any advantage to getting the earlier heads redone instead?
Yes a smaller chamber resulting in more comp,..9.0 to 9.2 would be ok with iron. Heads and boost below 10lbs
