E-bay purchase (Lucky Get content)

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Wed May 24, 2006 10:51 pm

For those who didn't see my post earlier I have bagged a bare K16 head for £20.50 + £10 P&P

I bribed the guys in the paintshop (8 cans of Stella) and they bead blasted all the crap off and it's mint! No visible cracks and totally flat. No digging in round the liners and no obvious problems! I'll dye penetrant test (Crack test) it if I can find the right stuff (I may have a way of getting it x-rayed too, investigating) Yay!

Now the question is what to do with it. If it wasn't perfect then I would have a crack at porting it, but as it looks like it is I'm considering asking Mr DVA to have a look....

What do you all think? Worth the cash or waste of money?

Rich

PS They can bead blast any small (Probably head/block sized) component for a suitable bribe....

robin · Post by **robin** » Thu May 25, 2006 8:16 am

Don't do it.

In the long run it will be cheaper to purchase a VVC-style or VHPD-style head. If you want to go the DVA route, start with a VVC head - even the best prepared standard head is a liability once you've removed all the metal and run it at 50% more power (= 100% more waste heat).

If you want simple power buy and fit a PTP 170 instead.

If you want to make more power with the standard head do a light 135-style port on it and/or fit some hairier cams. You'll get 20BHP each for these two mods and it won't cost you very much money.

In fact just porting it and matching the ports to the manifolds carefully is the most satisfying mod - the car turns into a rev monster, you gain 20BHP without too much trouble (especially if you combine with the usual sports exhaust and air intake), the engine looks completely standard and is so much more fun on track ...

Robin

hiscot · Post by **hiscot** » Thu May 25, 2006 8:46 am

Bargin price for a good head , But beware tuning gets very expensive
I fitted a ported head , kent 1811 cams, new buckets titan verniers, mgtf /vvc larger 6 stud exhaust ,mgtf c/r box, and the car goes like stink but failed emissions rather badly so now has a expensive DTA S60 ecu and now requires programing / r/road so thats another skill I need to learn and more expence

on another note I have seen a k series with a blanked vvc head lightly ported , 270 cams, vernier pullys, jenvery t bodies, dta 48 ecu, loom ect running for offers around £1700 cost at least £3000

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Thu May 25, 2006 10:39 am

robin wrote: If you want to make more power with the standard head do a light 135-style port on it and/or fit some hairier cams. You'll get 20BHP each for these two mods and it won't cost you very much money.
Robin

That whas what I was thinking TBH, I don't want huge power (I'd just stuff it) but a little more would definatly not go a miss. I also want to retain some of the low down torque as this is my only car and I don't want trouble in traffic.

Looks like I'll have a go at it myself....

Plan would be this:

Matching ports to manifolds
Tidy up the chambers
Tidy up ports
matching valve seats to ports (Inside edge of Ex valve seat is woeful)
remove valve guide bosses in inlets (Ex looks ok)
fir Piper 270H cams + verniers

Next step would then be Emerald if I could be bothered.

Any other thoughts?

robin · Post by **robin** » Thu May 25, 2006 8:37 pm

RICHARDHUMBLE wrote: Next step would then be Emerald if I could be bothered.

Any other thoughts?

You won't need the emerald - with that spec the car will produce more-or-less 160 on the MEMS and the emerald won't get more power (though it can give you a few 100 extra RPM if you want them) - been there, done that

Just make sure whatever cams you pick generate maximum power at or near 7,000rpm

Cheers,
Robin

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Fri May 26, 2006 12:42 am

Piper 270Hs (but there are 2 grinds IIRC?) seem the way to go. OK with MEMS and not hairy, the next one up is the 285H but beyond MEMS.

I don't really know much about the other options TBH, Kent 1811s?

Any top tips on ports? I can see where they need opening up. Esp the ex side, there the valve guide is recessed into the port wall and the inlet guide bosses need to come off. But what can I do about the short turn ex side? The insert is under cut by the port so no way of smoothing it w/out cutting into the insert (Sounds like a bad idea!)

I'll unshroud the inlets a little in the CC too.

I have already tidyed up the water ports around inlet and ex ports. Ali is a piece of piss to cut!

Rich

hiscot · Post by **hiscot** » Fri May 26, 2006 8:31 am

richard you realy need to see a ported head , biggest differance i clocked was the valve seat insert being smoothed into the port std has quite a step
I wouldnot bother too much with the guides but the valves are quite shoulded and i think maybe biggest gains there , the ports are opened up and you can see a differance compaired with std
its a lot of work I think I would leave the ports and smooth the seat/ should area for a mild boost

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Fri May 26, 2006 10:38 am

OK I'll have a look.

Next question, cutting valve seats without spending a fortune, any ideas? I have seen the Neway/Sykes Pickavant stuff, anyone actually used it?

Post by **Shug** » Fri May 26, 2006 3:19 pm

hiscot wrote:Bargin price for a good head , But beware tuning gets very expensive
I fitted a ported head , kent 1811 cams, new buckets titan verniers, mgtf /vvc larger 6 stud exhaust ,mgtf c/r box, and the car goes like stink but failed emissions rather badly so now has a expensive DTA S60 ecu and now requires programing / r/road so thats another skill I need to learn and more expence

on another note I have seen a k series with a blanked vvc head lightly ported , 270 cams, vernier pullys, jenvery t bodies, dta 48 ecu, loom ect running for offers around £1700 cost at least £3000

Slightly at a tangent, but that's an interesting spec mate. Any specific reasons why you didn't go down the more common Piper/Emerald route?

Just interested from cost/performance perspective.

hiscot · Post by **hiscot** » Fri May 26, 2006 8:40 pm

read good reports about the kent cams also +25bhp titan verniers not a good move they locate on a peg but move when you tighten them up ,head was a cheap sp performance one from e bay but looks well done dtafast s60 is their most uptodate ecu comes with very good honda /bike maps for a poss later upgrade ,will as off today run vvc
I got it with a neat custom harness not alot more than emerald and is highly rated but I havent a clue what to do with it or an emerald steep learing curve is required

Lawrence · Post by **Lawrence** » Fri May 26, 2006 9:58 pm

Rich
Can you do a piccy of the top of the inlet flange straight down.

ta

Can't be bothered to retype all the stuff I wrote the last time

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Mon May 29, 2006 10:15 pm

As requested

I'm going to ask workshops to make me a drift to drift out the valve guides. Then I'll need a reamer. I did look at valve seat cutters but they are £150 each (I'll need 2 for 3 angle seats!) so that is a non-starter.

Any ideas for a cheaper route? Is it worth seeing if an engine re-conditioners will do them for me?

Cheers
Rich

Lawrence · Post by **Lawrence** » Mon May 29, 2006 10:24 pm

sorry I meant looking from the top or rather to see the amount of metal there is between the inlet face and the main part of the head IYKWIM

I stll have the old VHS tapes that Lorne Mason did if anyone wants to see how to do a head DVA style

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Mon May 29, 2006 10:49 pm

I think I know what you mean, it looks the same as my current head:

I am very interested in theose tapes now I have a head to play with... (Assuming it is a high port!)

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Wed May 31, 2006 6:07 pm

Just got some brand new springs and spring caps for £7.50 inc P&P!