Fixing my burned valve...

[douellette]

Student loan interest writeoff.

 

That $150 includes the whole 85k mile engine, including alternator, coils, icm, you name it. Only problem is that the whole engine is in northern Wisconsin and I don't have a truck so I'd have to get the parts pulled and shipped and he could scrap the shortblock.

 

 

oh yeah that is a pretty good deal still though. and i have a student loan im paying off too, but i didnt know you could get money back from it? pm about that lol.

[xtremerevolution]

Yep. Interest paid on student loans is tax deductible.

[RobertISaar]

your engine will be fine while getting ahold of the "new" heads, just go that route. it's not a life/death issue like certain things that can go wrong.

[xtremerevolution]

your engine will be fine while getting ahold of the "new" heads, just go that route. it's not a life/death issue like certain things that can go wrong.

 

Oh I'm sure it will, especially if its been fine all this time. I'll just keep driving it the way I have been. Like I said, it has plenty of power.

 

I'm actually planning on driving the regal up there to pick parts off that engine. Its a 100% complete engine down to the throttle body, sensors, icm, coils, and so forth.

[Night Fury]

Nice deal!

[RobertISaar]

might as well take the other parts that you can grab, like the intake, TB, valve covers, coils and other fun stuff that can break randomly.

 

and like with valve covers: polish those ones up and install them in place of the stockers when you do swap heads.

 

basically, take everything but the block/rotating assembly itself.... i would anyways.

[xtremerevolution]

Yeah, he's got the engine in a shop and I'll grab absolutely everything I can get. All of the sensors, the ICM, the coils, the power steering pump, alternator, everything. For $150 that's not a bad deal at all. I'll definitely get the valve covers as well.

 

I called him up and sealed the deal. I'll drive up there after my honeymoon in 3-4 weeks and pull everything off the engine.

 

What gets me here is the amount of power the Regal is putting down now. Its definitely not slow, so I wonder what it will be like without burned valves and even some mild porting to smooth out casting defects.

[RobertISaar]

What gets me here is the amount of power the Regal is putting down now. Its definitely not slow, so I wonder what it will be like without burned valves and even some mild porting to smooth out casting defects.

 

it may pick up what you felt has been missing from what you've done to it...

[slick]

Hell... if it's decent weather, and you really don't need the car right away, I'd just be done with the S1 non sc'd and just do l67 swap.

[xtremerevolution]

Hell... if it's decent weather, and you really don't need the car right away, I'd just be done with the S1 non sc'd and just do l67 swap.

 

I'll need the car when I get a job and my fiance gets a job after we get back. I can always fix the Jag the moment I get back, but then I'll be driving a 300+ rwhp RWD monster V12 around town getting piss poor gas mileage with no air conditioning.

 

The problem with the L67 is that it will cost me in the ballpark of $2500, and if I do it, I'm going to spend that kind of money, I'll go all the way and put another grand into it. "Go big or go home." Headers, cam, ported heads, dyno tune, you get the picture. to take this L27 to 300k miles will take me less than $300.

[RobertISaar]

I'll go all the way and put another grand into it. "Go big or go home." Headers, cam, ported heads, dyno tune, you get the picture.

 

headers, cam, tune, ported heads(though you could do it yourself)? for 1K?

[xtremerevolution]

I'll go all the way and put another grand into it. "Go big or go home." Headers, cam, ported heads, dyno tune, you get the picture.

 

headers, cam, tune, ported heads(though you could do it yourself)? for 1K?

 

I'd be doing the porting. Cams go for what, $350? Headers are another $350, and I suppose I might go over budget with the tune.

[RobertISaar]

I'd be doing the porting. Cams go for what, $350? Headers are another $350, and I suppose I might go over budget with the tune.

 

we get billet ones for 330 through WOT-Tech... i'm amazed the 3800 stuff isn't cheaper. i don't look into 3800 headers so i have no reference there. dyno time could kill though unless you do quite a bit of street tuning first.

[xtremerevolution]

I'd be doing the porting. Cams go for what, $350? Headers are another $350, and I suppose I might go over budget with the tune.

 

we get billet ones for 330 through WOT-Tech... i'm amazed the 3800 stuff isn't cheaper. i don't look into 3800 headers so i have no reference there. dyno time could kill though unless you do quite a bit of street tuning first.

 

I'll keep that in mind. Headers are $600 ish, but you can get them for $300 used all over the place.

[RobertISaar]

I'll keep that in mind. Headers are $600 ish, but you can get them for $300 used all over the place.

 

eek, used headers

 

clean them up internally and externally, ceramic coat the outside, attempt the inside and call them good i guess...

[BXX]

Andrei, im glad you did find out whats up with it.

 

But to give you some advice from experience (burned exhaust valves on my Nissan and first GP (in-op EGR and too much abuse)

 

But you can still put plenty of miles on it. Its not gonna just break down on ya, and if you drive it somewhat easy (aka non-anthony abuse ) then the issue will just slowly get worse normally. I drove my Nissan another 20K (still had decent power, but noticable drop over that time) and ran fine when I was broadsided and it was totalled out.

 

So just dont worry about it to much, you still have plenty of time to maybe get everything in order for a L67 swap on get a low mileage stock engine, freshen it up and do some porting or whatnot.

[xtremerevolution]

Andrei, im glad you did find out whats up with it.

 

But to give you some advice from experience (burned exhaust valves on my Nissan and first GP (in-op EGR and too much abuse)

 

But you can still put plenty of miles on it. Its not gonna just break down on ya, and if you drive it somewhat easy (aka non-anthony abuse ) then the issue will just slowly get worse normally. I drove my Nissan another 20K (still had decent power, but noticable drop over that time) and ran fine when I was broadsided and it was totalled out.

 

So just dont worry about it to much, you still have plenty of time to maybe get everything in order for a L67 swap on get a low mileage stock engine, freshen it up and do some porting or whatnot.

 

Honestly, if I was in a different circumstance, I would do just that with the L67, but in order to do that, I have to find $2500 for just the engine swap alone.

 

That's not really going to happen within the next 18 months. I'm planning to buy a house within the year, and once that starts I'll have a mortgage. I have credit cards I need to pay off and student loans and such, and on top of all this, I have a 87 Jaguar V12 that I need to get running again as a project car.

 

$150 for heads, $50 for head gaskets and bolts, and gas for the trip up there won't be too big of a deal. The problem with me is that I can't stand having something wrong with my car. It irks me to get in the car and drive off knowing something's not quite right. That's why I'm so set on fixing this engine.

 

I'll take my time as you mentioned, as I'll need to find a compressor, do the porting work on the heads, and then swap them in. Once I get back from my honeymoon, my #1 car priority will be getting the Jag back here from California and replacing the head gaskets so I can hear that monster roar again.

 

Thank you very much for the help. You hit the nail on the head the first time you said I had a burned valve.

[BXX]

Well good luck with it.

 

Just if your gonna yank heads off the engine, remember to check the cylinder walls really good. If they are still nice and smooth with some crosshatching then it might be worth it to put time and money into porting the heads and such. If not, just slap some heads on it until you can afford the L67 swap.

 

And be forwarned, if they heads arent redone 'perfectly' the valve seat wont be anywhere near as good as factory and can imitate a burned valve. Same goes with a weak valve spring.

[xtremerevolution]

Well good luck with it.

 

Just if your gonna yank heads off the engine, remember to check the cylinder walls really good. If they are still nice and smooth with some crosshatching then it might be worth it to put time and money into porting the heads and such. If not, just slap some heads on it until you can afford the L67 swap.

 

And be forwarned, if they heads arent redone 'perfectly' the valve seat wont be anywhere near as good as factory and can imitate a burned valve. Same goes with a weak valve spring.

 

I won't have that problem though if I'm not doing a valve job, right? I'm replacing the heads with ones from an 85k mile engine.

 

I'll do some practice porting on the old heads before I start on the new ones.

[BXX]

Well good luck with it.

 

Just if your gonna yank heads off the engine, remember to check the cylinder walls really good. If they are still nice and smooth with some crosshatching then it might be worth it to put time and money into porting the heads and such. If not, just slap some heads on it until you can afford the L67 swap.

 

And be forwarned, if they heads arent redone 'perfectly' the valve seat wont be anywhere near as good as factory and can imitate a burned valve. Same goes with a weak valve spring.

 

I won't have that problem though if I'm not doing a valve job, right? I'm replacing the heads with ones from an 85k mile engine.

 

I'll do some practice porting on the old heads before I start on the new ones.

 

Oh ok, musta missed that post.. 85K heads should be fine. Just make sure they are true or have a shop check them out (recommended) as these engines are known for headgasket failures. Yes, I said it S1s do have headgasket issues along with LIM issues. Believe it or not, you can easily warp an iron head. Doesnt take much to cause a weak HG seal especially if they werent removed properly or stored correctly.

 

I think a machine shop should only charge like $50 to make sure the heads are true and they are in great shape and dont need an overhaul to machined

[xtremerevolution]

Well good luck with it.

 

Just if your gonna yank heads off the engine, remember to check the cylinder walls really good. If they are still nice and smooth with some crosshatching then it might be worth it to put time and money into porting the heads and such. If not, just slap some heads on it until you can afford the L67 swap.

 

And be forwarned, if they heads arent redone 'perfectly' the valve seat wont be anywhere near as good as factory and can imitate a burned valve. Same goes with a weak valve spring.

 

I won't have that problem though if I'm not doing a valve job, right? I'm replacing the heads with ones from an 85k mile engine.

 

I'll do some practice porting on the old heads before I start on the new ones.

 

Oh ok, musta missed that post.. 85K heads should be fine. Just make sure they are true or have a shop check them out (recommended) as these engines are known for headgasket failures. Yes, I said it S1s do have headgasket issues along with LIM issues. Believe it or not, you can easily warp an iron head. Doesnt take much to cause a weak HG seal especially if they werent removed properly or stored correctly.

 

I think a machine shop should only charge like $50 to make sure the heads are true and they are in great shape and dont need an overhaul to machined

 

That's the first time I'm hearing this. At 213k miles, I haven't yet had a head gasket issue, and my LIM gaskets at 188k were still in great condition. I even took pictures. The L36 on the other hand had shitty gaskets by 115k on my fiance's regal.

 

I'll see if I can take the heads to a shop to have them make sure they're in good shape. I would doubt 85k mile heads would need an overhaul.

[BXX]

Yeah, I doubt they will need an overhaul, but maybe trued up.

 

Yeah S1s do blow headgaskets, but its not often known as there arent many left. I think its just been a matter of cooling system maintenance (the era of S1s people werent known for doing good maintenance)

[xtremerevolution]

Yeah, I doubt they will need an overhaul, but maybe trued up.

 

Yeah S1s do blow headgaskets, but its not often known as there arent many left. I think its just been a matter of cooling system maintenance (the era of S1s people werent known for doing good maintenance)

 

I hear you on the cooling maintenance thing. Although I did run my Regal hot about 4-5 times. The first was with low mileage when the water pump went and my temperatures just shaved the red mark. Other times, thermostats went bad or I had an air pocket in and the temperatures were two hairs below the red mark. Never had a head gasket or LIM gasket problem though.

 

Here are 188k mile L27 LIM gaskets. Dirty, but not broken or jacked up like the L36 LIM gaskets were.

 

Not too bad I'd say. By comparison, here's an L36 LIM gasket at 115k:

 

The UIM is however warped because of some of that overheating. I ended up tapping some threads and screwing in pipe plugs for the throttle body coolant passages in the LIM because I was fed up with leaking.

[xtremerevolution]

I picked up the heads today, along with a slew of other things. I need to get a wire brush to scrape off the old gasket residue from the surface, then clean it up.

 

I had an idea while I was at it. How would it look if I painted the heads? I was thinking red as the obvious color. Would it look tacky? I was also thinking of painting the valve covers with black textured paint.

[douellette]

I picked up the heads today, along with a slew of other things. I need to get a wire brush to scrape off the old gasket residue from the surface, then clean it up.

 

I had an idea while I was at it. How would it look if I painted the heads? I was thinking red as the obvious color. Would it look tacky? I was also thinking of painting the valve covers with black textured paint.

 

if you paint it, paint it all the same color. otherwise it wouldnt look good. i painted the valve covers on my 3100 red.