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Why NOT to let your head be Belt Surfaced

Old Jan 29, 2010 | 07:09 PM
  #1  
BogusSVO's Avatar
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From: Pensacola Fla
Default Why NOT to let your head be Belt Surfaced

Why not to let your head be belt surfaced/sanded
The subject head is a Mitsu 4G63T from an Evo VIII
This head was in very good shape to start.
The head was pulled due to a bottom end problem.
It was not overheated.
It was taken to another shop, NOT mine.
The customer was told it was surfaced .003-.004
It was then run and the bottom end failed, Then came to my shop.
The first thing I did was to check the thickness of the head.
I know a belt surfaced head will not be parallel nor square along with not having the proper surface finish for a MLS head gasket.




HN#
Date
CAST#G6EW
NOTES:
IV stock
New thickness 5.200
EV stock
Min thickness 5.185 (AREA SPEC)

EVO 8



Cam Gears

Combustion Chambers

Bolt Holes

4

3

2

1

5

4

3

2

1

10

9

8

7

6

Head Thickness 5.187

Head Thickness 5.184

Head Thickness 5.189

Head Thickness 5.188






























If you look at the 4 corners, you will see how the head gasket surface is not parallel to the valve cover rail.
It is close, but still off
This is the surface finish left by a belt sander
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This is how the surface looked after I milled appox .002
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It did cut most of the surface, but it was still low at one corner, and it would happen to be right around the oil feed port to the head.
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I made another pass of about .002
This is how it looked.
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I made another .002 cut
And was to this
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So one more pass to clean the gasket surface, and proper clamping force will be kept on the head gasket.
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I measured the head again, and it was 5.183 at all 4 corners
When I cc’ed a combustion chamber it was 44cc
I also did “oil port mod #1” before I surfaced the head.
This head is now .002 below AREA min spec, but is still a useable head.
 
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Old Jan 30, 2010 | 02:10 AM
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virgin1's Avatar
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Originally Posted by BogusSVO
This head is now .002 below AREA min spec, but is still a useable head.

I would assume that a thicker than OE gasket would then have to be utilized to maintain the proper combustion ratio and to help keep it from overheating/warping?

 
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Old Jan 30, 2010 | 02:17 AM
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wsoape281's Avatar
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the first pass definitely showed the ugly of the belt surfacing. i always take mine straight to machining so this is a good validation.
 
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Old Jan 30, 2010 | 11:40 AM
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BogusSVO's Avatar
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From: Pensacola Fla
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yes a thicker HG would restore the specs to OE

.002 is not really enough to worry about, a sheet of note book paper is apoxx .003

in shome "old school" hot rodding a head is milled way past its service limit so compression is raised , I have milled .075 and .0125 off a head to do this.

with OHC engines, other issues have to be adressed when excessive milling happens
a check of the block to head oil feed ports, and degreing the cams, valve to pistion clerance to name a few

the head being thin does not lead to over heating or warping....
 
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