VR6 Cylinder Head recon, whats involved?

[Dilated 0]

As above: what work is actually done when reconditioning as VR6 cylinder head?

I'm going to buy a used one from someone on this forum so i can have a play with it and understand exactly how they work etc. I assume i'll have to get new guides and get them pressed in by an engineering shop, and it comes with new valve stem seals ready to go on, but what else in involved in reconditioning? Just general cleaning up or is there something major i'm not thinking about?

 

Cheers for any info!

[Henny 0]

a cylinder head should normally have new valve seats and guides fitted during a re-con.

 

As I guide, I'd expect a decent re-con to include:

 

Flatness testing and light skim if needed (machine shop job)

Head cleaning both inside and out. (machine shop job)

New valve guides pressing in as per manufacturers specs (machine shop job)

New valve seats + 3 step cutting to give the best valve seal possible (machine shop job)

Valves checking for true-ness (machine shop job)

Valves cleaning and lapping into seats to ensure near perfect seal. (can be done at home easily enough)

New seals and re-assembly of valves/springs/seals (can be done at home with a valve compressor tool)

New tappets (if you're gonna do it properly! ;) ) (easy to do at home)

I'd also get the cams checked if they come with the head to ensure that they're within spec, although VW cams tend to be pretty good and not wear much at all... 8)

 

Specialist tools you'll need to buy are:

Valve compressor (so you can dismantle the valves/springs/seals etc)

Valve lapping tool + Paste (stick with sucker pad on the end + cutting paste, a couple of quid from most motoring stores)

[Dilated 0]

Sounds like a lot to do!

You think after getting the tricky/main stuff done by a machine shop and paying £80 for the head to start with, i'm gonna end up saving on just taking it to a garage and saying "head job please" and lobbing down a bunch of cash?

 

To be honest, I've not had mine off yet so don't know the condition - could end up being just the guides/seals, or could be worse. But I haven't seen many used cylinder heads for sale and thought it might be a good opportunity to get intimate with the thing and learn all about it.

What ya reckon?

[Henny 0]

yeah, there's not really a lot you can do on a head without all the machining tools and presses, so you'd have to give the head to a machine shop to get the guides and seats done anyway... That shouldn't cost you too much...

 

The bits that WILL save you the cash are lapping the valves in (only takes 5 or 10 mins per valve, but with 12vales at £30 an hour, it's a nice little saving considering the tools are less than £5!) and re-assebly of the valves...

 

You could also have a play with a dremmel and enlarge the ports and have a go at flowing the head a little... if you read up online about gas-flowing it's actually pretty easy and makes a lot of sense once you read into it.... I have no idea how much difference you can make to a VR head though... :|

 

The part which will save you the MAJOR cash is swapping the two heads over... If you've got the second hand one all ready to go then your time off the road will be drastically reduced, your costs will be reduced and you may even be able to do it yourself which will save you muchos dosh! 8)

 

Anyone else want to chip in who's actually done this on a VR in case I've missed anything? 8)

[Mike Edwards 0]

Or you could perhaps talk me into selling my spare...

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Mike Volkswards to the rescue......

[Dilated 0]

ah cheers Mike, got this a bit late as I bought the cylinder head from robbo149 last night.

Thanks anyway.