Head cleaning

heydockyle · Post by **heydockyle** » Mon Dec 07, 2009 12:32 pm

What's a good price to get a head cleaned (hot tanked)?

And then a price to get two valves done that prolly just need cleaned.

Broken Glass · Post by **Broken Glass** » Mon Dec 07, 2009 12:47 pm

Ill do it for around treeee fiddy

but a serious answer would be to call around to shops near you and see what they say

heydockyle · Post by **heydockyle** » Mon Dec 07, 2009 5:03 pm

Well I got a quote for $100 for each and that was a discounted price. But my buddy told me he got it hot tanked for $45..

Donkeypuncher · Post by **Donkeypuncher** » Mon Dec 07, 2009 5:20 pm

It really depends on how much business the company gets. They tend to raise the price if they don't have many jobs to do.

I usually go to the most reputable shops in the area and ask who they use to do services like this. That's how I got my hub pressed into the knuckle for $40, and they got me a new front hub for dirt cheap when no parts store could find one for me.

neonpla · Post by **neonpla** » Mon Dec 07, 2009 6:04 pm

mine cost me 300$ from a recommended place.

heydockyle · Post by **heydockyle** » Mon Dec 07, 2009 6:17 pm

neonpla wrote:mine cost me 300$ from a recommended place.

Just to have it cleaned, or for a valve job too?

Post by **occasional demons** » Mon Dec 07, 2009 9:53 pm

I would hope that is for a valve grind!

If you want to clean it, buy a couple of gallons of Castrol Super Clean from Wal Mart, or AutoZone.
Get a 7 gallon Pail, pour the Castrol into the pail.
Drop the head into it.
Top off with water.
Let sit a few days.
The carbon will pretty much fall off.
It will eat aluminum, but it would take a very long time to eat away enough to do any harm. This is how I cleaned mine. Just pull it out and flip it every now and then, to ensure everything gets soaked.

If you want, after soaking for a day or three, take it to a self serve car wash, and blast the ports out well with the pressure nozzle.

This will cost you about $25 tops.

heydockyle · Post by **heydockyle** » Mon Dec 07, 2009 9:57 pm

Okay thanks because I'm not paying 100 just to have it hot tanked.

Did you pull the valves out or leave them in?

Post by **occasional demons** » Mon Dec 07, 2009 10:02 pm

I had the head completely disassembled. You could leave the valves in, but it will be harder to get the carbon deposits out. My exhaust ports were almost completely closed. The valves had so much carbon, they weren't seating 100%. I had to pull the head to change the springs, because it would not hold pressure.

neonpla · Post by **neonpla** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 3:23 am

heydockyle wrote:
neonpla wrote:mine cost me 300$ from a recommended place.
Just to have it cleaned, or for a valve job too?

valve as well

heydockyle · Post by **heydockyle** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 1:27 pm

occasional demons wrote:I had the head completely disassembled. You could leave the valves in, but it will be harder to get the carbon deposits out. My exhaust ports were almost completely closed. The valves had so much carbon, they weren't seating 100%. I had to pull the head to change the springs, because it would not hold pressure.

hmm. I don't have a valve compressor. Would purple power saffice or is castrol alot stronger?

Post by **occasional demons** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 3:45 pm

I think Purple Power will work. There is a decent price difference. I have been using PP, but just not for cleaning my cyl. head lately...

I haven't really used it for that purpose, so I can't honestly say they are equal, but it's worth a try.

heydockyle · Post by **heydockyle** » Thu Dec 10, 2009 5:55 pm

Intake is soaking in PP. My dad's friend owed him a favor so he is going to clean it and use parts from both heads to make one good one, plus new valve seals and that. Prolly cost around a 100 for it all, which is pretty good.

srtjesse · Post by **srtjesse** » Sun Dec 13, 2009 6:32 pm

just get the modernperformance head gasket kit its about 95 bucks and itll include all the gaskets you will need the best part is that they are the oem gaskets

heydockyle · Post by **heydockyle** » Sun Dec 13, 2009 10:02 pm

He did head for 80. Looks like new. Paid 125 for Felpro gasket kit + HeadStuds.