preppin head install

w0158981 · Post by **w0158981** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 5:45 pm

alright soo i picked up a used magnum head and intake manifold, when i intall this i want it all done right and perfect..

so i realiza i need magnum head gasket, intake gasket and exhaust gasket.

is there anything that os beneficial to change while the head is being swapped, i herd arp head studs are a good idea, any maitenance or upgrades?

second question, just simple cleaning, i'm sure the intakes got oil in there and the head could probably use a clean, any easy way of doin that?

ZeroChad · Post by **ZeroChad** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 7:08 pm

Dude, arp studs are amazing. Its worth your while to get some. You might want do your thermostat and gasket as well. VC gasket, PCV valve as well as the cam seals (gear and sensor ends). I used degreaser and seafoam when I did mine. Rags and brushes are all that I used. If you can get some sanding drums, you might wanna polish the exhaust ports too.

Are you going to do your Tbelt too?

Post by **occasional demons** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 9:00 pm

For cleaning the head, I just filled a 7 gallon pail with Castrol Super Clean/water (strong on the purple stuff), and soaked it overnight. A decent amount of the carbon in the ports pretty much washed right out. The combustion chambers cleaned up easier also. The only way you can truely clean the ports, is to remove the valves, of course.

Edit: Just don't leave the aluminum in there for a few weeks, there may not be much left.
May be exagerating a bit, but it does eat aluminum, but overnight won't hurt.

w0158981 · Post by **w0158981** » Sun Jul 19, 2009 1:28 am

see i'm not opposed to do anything as for replacement wise,

so i figure a mopar gasket set will come in handy, hopefully it covers all my needs gasket wise,

pcv valves, thats relatively easy to change correct? simply unscrews....

cam seals.... i'll have to reasearch those

thermostat would probably be a good idea if its easy to get at with the head off,

as for the timing belt, i don't believe so mine was replaced 40,xxx km ago so i don't believe it needs changing yet, unless its a million times easier and i may as well do it, as long as the positives of doing it now outway the face of just doing it later when its about up

oooo and the arp studs.... head stud kit and main stud kit? i realize the head stud is for the head instal, but main stud kit is??

ZeroChad · Post by **ZeroChad** » Sun Jul 19, 2009 3:02 am

Unless you plan on dropping the oil pan and swapping internals I wouldn't bother with the main studs. You'd probably need to reseat the beadplate too. Yup pvc valve is cake. Cam seals you for sure want to do now, since they are cheap. You can pop them on your head right now. I'd do the thermostat too. Its held on with two bolts to the neck on the upper radiator pipe. Timing belts are what, 30-$40? If I was pulling the head, and my old one was 2 years old I'd put a new one on.

INVUJerry · Post by **INVUJerry** » Sun Jul 19, 2009 11:14 am

Do the Timing Belt, and save your self headache later. Do the waterpump too while you are at it. I used rags and brake to clean up the mating surface on my 98's block when I did the head swap.

You can take out the middle layer of the headgasket if you want, but it could fail over time.

Post by **occasional demons** » Sun Jul 19, 2009 12:16 pm

For cam seals, the CPS seal is one of them. The other of couse is behind the cam gear.

You may want to have the valve guides checked if the head has over 80,000 miles also. May as well start fresh.
Edit:
I only say that, because at 112,000 the exhaust guides in mine were way out of spec.
New valve seals wouldn't hurt either, and if the valves are removed, it is a requirement, as removing the valves may damage the seals.

neonslg09 · Post by **neonslg09** » Sun Jul 19, 2009 8:35 pm

whew, so many damn seals and everything lol.

excon · Post by **excon** » Sun Jul 19, 2009 8:54 pm

+1 Timing belt and water pump