Installing Head Next Weekend, Any Tips?

[bmwman91]

So I am finally getting my rebuilt head back next weekend and I will be reassembling the engine. Obviously, most of it is going to be done in the reverse order that it all came apart in, with special consideration for the head bolts. The piston crowns are pretty carbon'ed up and there is some silver flaky residue crap on the block deck from the old head gasket. Anyone got good tips for cleaning that stuff off? I was thinking of using a plastic putty knife to knock the carbon off of the pistons, with a shop-vac in the other hand to keep any crud from getting between the pistons and cylinder walls. Same sort of idea for the flaky gasket crap.

As far as putting the head back on, are there any special tips or tricks? I assume that the head gasket goes on dry / no sealers or anything? Talking to Metric Mechanic, they recommended that I put a VERY small amount of oil on the head bolt threads so that they all torque evenly. MM said to go to 64ft-lbs in 3 passes with the bolts that they are providing. All of the timing case gaskets and the profile gaskets will be sealed with Permatex Ultra Grey RTV and allowed 24 hours to cure before I start the engine up.

I guess that I am just a little paranoid about all of this and I really just want to put it back together and do nothing more than change the oil and some belts for the next 10 years.

[wazzu70]

Sounds like you have a good handle on the job. To get the deposits off the block deck, use a razor blade. Most auto parts stores will sell a "gasket scraper" that is a razor blade holder essentially which works well.

I wish you smooth sailing with the new engine from here on out!

[bmwman91]

Will do, thanks. I'll have a shop vac in my other hand (or whichever friend I rope into helping) to ensure that no crap gets into the oiling holes or bores.

Do head gaskets usually leave a flaky silver residue? I know that people use copper sealant or something (different color obviously) so could this have been something like that, or is it just something on the HG to keep it from burning on? Maybe I should just make a quick call to MM tomorrow lol.

[colin86325]

Pretty common to see that silver flaky material.  Not to worry; I think it might be mica or whatever heat resistant material goes into making a headgasket.

[wazzu70]

Pretty common to see that silver flaky material.  Not to worry; I think it might be mica or whatever heat resistant material goes into making a headgasket.

Agreed

[bmwman91]

Good to know, thanks. My god, this whole year-long process has made me into a nervous little bitch! In the time that I blew up my original engine and ordered the fancy one last April, I have gotten married and I am closing on a house right now. At least I'll have my own garage to fix this damn car in soon!

My saving grace has been that I have lived 1.5 miles from work for the last 5 years, and even when the car is running I NEVER drive to work (it is literally faster to bike since I don't have to deal with this one awful interchange). The house we are getting is 7 miles away, which is still only a 20-25 minute ride to the office and I plan to ride most days. A bike is the ultimate reliable commute vehicle lol. Only running shoes can beat it, although they are way too slow most of the time haha. I'll probably run to work here & there just for fun.

[Gabs]

I actually just finished putting my engine back together, as daunting as head gaskets can be, it really is an easy process given you follow proper torque specification and prep well. As for cleaning the the block surface, personally what I did was put regular ol grease in the top of the passages & cylinders. Then used scotch bright pads and a bottle of throttle body cleaner to clean the surface of the block and top of the pistons. It took a fair bit of elbow grease but worked quite well.


This is after my first pass. To clarify my first pass was about 5 scotch bright pads and about 35 mins.

As for the install, its always good practice to lower the pistons into the cylinder by turning the crank 45 degrees (assuming your at TDC). Make sure all your surfaces are flat and completely clean of any dirt or residues from cleaners. Make sure your hands are clean, put the head gasket on the block, make sure everything lines up correctly. Lower the head on gently, check to make sure everything looks lined up and what not. Put the head blots in by hand and then follow the torque procedure.

I found this thread helpful: http://www.m42club.com/forum/index.php?topic=11162.0