O'rly

[Phish]

I have been trying to track down an oil leak since i built the LQ4. Since i had the motor pulled i figured i woudl pull off the heads and have them cleaned up. Since i would have them cleaned up i figured i woudl take .020 off them just for a little extra. Now, upon pulling the heads off i find this:

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee44/Phish806/0516131816b_zps8272c1d5.jpg (http://s232.photobucket.com/user/Phish806/media/0516131816b_zps8272c1d5.jpg.html)

All of the pistons on the pass side look like this. All the ones on the drivers side look perfectly fine. This confuses the hell out of me. I can only think of one reason why this would happen and thats if one of the heads was previously milled and the other was not.

My plan of attack: I sent the heads off to Karls with the instructions to check them and make sure both are the same height. If they are, then i will have them mill .020 off. If they are of different height, i will have them celan up/level out the short head and match it other one to it. Either way, i am going to have to fly cut the pistons that are in the motor to accept the heads and make sure this does not happen again.

Any other theorys on why this would have happened?

On a side note, i have been thinking of donig a dual stage 200 shot. ( i have been running 150 through it all spring). However i do not really feel to good about doing it on 91 octane. I have enough fuel system to run E85 with just a tune. Anyone have any input on this nitrous/fuel situation either. It seems like E85 would be a good way to go since the car is not a daily by any means.

[sparkles]

Why not just get some better pistons that are already fly cut and forged if you're going to up the shot?

[Phish]

You know i thought about building a motor, but then it gets to the point where your afraid to run the bajillion shot because of the money you have in the motor. I bougght this bottom end for 350 bucks. I dont care if it goes. Infact i plan on it going at sometime. I figure at 350 - if it can last one summer then its paid for itself. I guess its just my mindset twords the car.

[sparkles]

That's exactly where I'm at. Thats why I say just buy some better pistons and call it a day.

My issue is that I didn't expect my motor to make the power it does. Now I have the problem that the stock rod bolts or rods are going to eat my block when they let go. I wouldn't normally care, but the block is probably the most valuable part of my whole setup. Kinda hard to find.

[Phish]

If the motor goes, i would be more likely to build it.

However i hear that the rod bolts is what the first weak point is. I will have the oil pan off here as well. Maybe upgrade to ARP bolts and call it a day??

[slow ride]

What cam, spring pressure, lifters, etc were used? Heads valve job could be off height wise, deck thickness or block deck height. I'd guess the cam is lined up dot to dot or did you degree it in? If it's a close setup I would always clay it, but you need a solid lifter (or make one) to get true valve lift numbers on a hydraulic roller.

[Phish]

I am running the Tooley dual valve springs. Cam is a 232/234 .595/.598. It is dot to dot not degreed. also running stock lifters. I will need to fly cut now to matter what. I will see what i hear back from the shop and go from there.

Your thoughts on upgrading the rod bolts and going E85?

[slow ride]

E85 is good as long as it's consistent. What year bock do you have? Later blocks had a slightly better rod bolt. I'm not a fan up upgrading rod bolts without checking the rod big end for distortion after installing stronger than stock bolts. You won't hurt the stock bolts with power, but with high rpm and a stock fuel injected intake, hydraulic roller engine doesn't make a ton of power after 6500 anyway.

I like those valve springs (I run titanium retainer ones also), but one should always check the install height to know exactly what pressure you are set up to. Valve jobs can greatly very where the valve sits in the seat and alter spring pressure. I might go to the extreme some, but that's just how roll. Your cam is getting close to the pistons for sure with it's duration and XER lobes (it's a texas speed t2 right?) Those are 112lsa and I'm not sure what the ICL is, but it gets tight at this point.

If you wanted to build it later on the cheap use a decent forged piston (even going to a 5.7 bore) and scat I beam to keep costs down. It's always a decent amount of money to change parts and have machine work done though. Gaskets and crap start to add up also.

On a side note, did you ever find the correct VR head gaskets to seal up the oil leak? I haven't used them yet, but sure I'll need them one day and would rather use those and a stock graphite type gasket.

[Phish]

The cam is actually a comp cam. Its almost identical to the TS cam you mentioned and yes its on a 112 LSA. When i boutght the springs i went with the whole kit the retainers and seals and all that jazz as well.

As far as upgraded bolts, maybe i will hold off. I have the limiter set in the car at 6400 i believe but spray the car to right around 6000. Its stupd because i am so close to runnign out of gear at the end of the quarter i have to spray that high.

[sparkles]

You should degree the cam in. You'd be surprised at how far off they can be installed straight up. Mine is still of 1 degree on the advanced set of keys.

[Phish]

I dont have the tools or the knowledge to do so...

[sparkles]

Aaron does. We accept beer



...and hookers. Don't forget the hookers.

[Phish]

Hmm how difficult is it to degree it. Do i need anything besides the tools? Probably not?

[slow ride]

A timing set that allows it. Front end parts need to come off. You could do it just to check where it's at. Unless it's way off I don't see it being the reason for the PTV contact and even if it was it would show on both heads if clearances were identical from side to side. I'd guess valve job over anything else if someone has worked on the heads.

[Phish]

Supusubly it was a completely stock set of heads when i got my hands on them. From there jsut the runners were smoothed up and hand "ported" Nothing has been done valve related to my knowledge.

[rb69]

check with Tooley, he rents a bare head with seats removed and the cutters to fly cut the pistons while still in the motor.

[Phish]

Well the heads checked out to be the same cc. I am not srue how this happened still. I had the heads milled .020. I got them back and checked PTV clearance. Same side as the marks and same head. There is no way that the exhaust valve in my head could have made that mark. Yes, now the pistons will need to by fly cut.

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee44/Phish806/playdoh_zpsf5cc50b1.jpg (http://s232.photobucket.com/user/Phish806/media/playdoh_zpsf5cc50b1.jpg.html)