Head rebuild unleaded

[JTSprint]

Hi

Can anyone recommend a good place to get the head rebuilt to unleaded spec and skimmed if needed

Needs to be within a hour drive from Bristol or could post.

Thanks

[Carledo]

The Sprint head is already unleaded compliant, being made of ally it has of necessity got steel seats fitted. The most you should need to do is back the timing off a touch to compensate for the lower octane rating of standard unleaded - or use super unleaded!

Steve

[trackerjack]

As stated,
I ran mine on unleaded with no probs for years.
Rimmers used to give a price for an unleaded head but see if you can find a price for unleaded valves or seats in their catalogue

[JTSprint]

Thanks guys

I'll just get the head skimmed and get it pressure check too as it was pressurising the cooling system, hopefully on a blown head gasket

Cheers
John

[xvivalve]

Does it need skimming?

Better to check first; machine shops like to skim, Sprint heads don't always benefit from it, especially if it has been skimmed before!

[JTSprint]

Starting to sound like a dummy now, what's the best way to check if it needs skimming.

The body work is more my thing lol

[Mahesh]

Reading the thread, it looks like you don't have a problem, if it ain't broke don't. ........

Are you having any specific symptoms? or is it just the cooling system pressuring.

Would suggest checking (flushing) the cooling system for blockages and airlock first.

On the upside, your car in the avatar picture does look.

[Robert 352]

John

My cylinder head specialist carries out two steps before he contemplates skimming a head.

He does a hardness test on the head for if the head has overheated at any stage then it is likely to have gone soft and as he explained to me, it is that which often causes the head to distort. He is a Triumph Stag enthusiast and has a (new) Stag cylinder head which he uses as a hardness reference.

He has a stout straight edge which he places lengthways down the (cleaned) head and then attempts to pass something like an 8 thou feeler gauge under it at various points across the head.

I would suggest therefore that if you have a good straight edge that you carry out that latter step, and only if it appears to have warped and is no longer flat that you contemplate skimming it. Otherwise as others have said, if it ain’t broke………..

Robert

[Jon Tilson]

Is this Justin Presland's old car? If it is I can assure that unless its overheated there is nothing wrong with the head.

Jonners

[JTSprint]

Thanks everyone for the advice .... All good.

I will hopefully get the engine apart over xmas now I have some time, if this rain ever stops!!!

I'll let you know how I get on.

Happy Christmas

John