24 replies to this topic

[petey81]

Hi all

My head gasket went again after 1000 miles and 50 miles after a rolling road and tune up.
It was time to check the head over and I have checked prices with a local engineering company and have been given a sum of £1067 without valves and any modifications
This includes cleaning, pressure testing, valves seat valves guides and skimming

It's seems pricey to me so I will try and find a refurbished 12g202 for a straight swap.

To note it dropped 5bhp since the last tune up 3 years ago.
The block is flat with no cracks.

Any company recommendations?
https://www.classicm...ctured-unleaded
I have seen this one-

Edited by petey81, 08 January 2025 - 04:40 PM.

[Spider]

That price to me seems way over the top.

It might be worth having a chat to Mini Spares, while I can't see a 12G202 Head listed, I'm sure they could sort something for you if you gave them a buzz.

 

As a guide, this is an 850 / 998 head;-

 

https://www.minispar...er-hole-1967-on

 

And that includes an Unleaded conversion. I would think yours should be the similar money as all the parts needed and machining operations are the same.

[petey81]

Hi

Yeah I thought so. At the price I can get a highlighly modified one.

I wasn't happy when they said other large companies have poor workmanship.....when I mentioned a few popular ones!

I will give mini spares a call

Cheers

[imack]

I seem to remember reading somewhere that the one you've linked to has something to do with the notorious A series spares, but I could be wrong.
I've had fantastic machining work done by KAD. Aaron at HT racing at Brands Hatch might be worth speaking too as well. He specialises in Ford stuff and does all the machine work for some well respected Ford engine builders. He was Recommended to me by KAD for rolling road tuning.

[petey81]

Hi ok cheers sounds good

Brands is only 25 minutes away.

I have a few places that will refurb the head but I'm getting crazy prices! Minimum so far is £850 with the valves ..
I'm definitely going down the exchange head route

[Ethel]

Turbo Phil on here might be worth a shout.

[MatthewsDad]

Have a chat with Peter Burgess in Belper. His cylinder head work is very good and reasonably priced.

[MatthewsDad]

Sorry, Alfreton, not Belper.

[Shooter63]

The prices you have been quoted are absolutely mad and suggest the companies in question don't actually do the work themselves or don't need the work and are throwing out take the p##s prices, if you take them up, they have a right result. I wouldn't have thought you would need to spend more than £300.00 for the sort of work you are talking about.

Shooter

[petey81]

Exactly what I thought. He showed me the screen and I laughed! It was at £796 without a clean and valves fitted... He even asked his boss to check it over.
I mentioned I would strip it completely and he said the price would not really change lol

[Cooperman]

Unless you are looking for a competition standard gas-flowed big-valve head, that price is ludicrous.

First of all, check out the Mini Spares price for a set of cast-iron guides, a set of valves, inlet & exhaust and a set of new valve springs.

 

Then measure the volume of the combustion chambers on the head as it is now, with valves installed.

 

Strip the head, including the guides and clean up the ports and chambers. Whether you do or get done some light gas-flowing is up to you.

 

If some opening up of the chambers has been done, re-measure the chamber volumes, if not use the original volumes as measured.

 

Determine what the volume should be for the compression ratio you would like. I would suggest between 9.5 :1 and 9.75:1. The formula for doing this is on this site if you search. With the head absolutely level, use a syringe to put in the volume you have calculated and measure how far that level is from the face of the head. This is the amount to be skimmed from the face of the head.

 

Take the head to a good machine shop and have the valve seats re-cut and the head face skimmed. The machining should cost around £150 give or take a bit. 

 

Lap in the valves yourself and re-assemble. Then fit it and fire it up. With everything, including a new head gasket, it should cost no more than around £350 to £450 which is for the parts and machining. Of course, you will be doing a lot of it yourself which keeps the cost down. Any help you need is available from un nice guys on here  .

[Shooter63]

Where are you in the world? No doubt someone on here would have used a company which is decent near you in the past

Shooter

[petey81]

Hi

I'm in godstone Surrey.

I have lots of places near me so I will start calling around again today.

All I need is it skimming, valve seats insert and cut and pressure check. I can do all the other work

[slidehammer]

I have used Southern Rebore Services down near Uckfield (not too far from you) 01825 733659 I found them helpful, good and did a quick turn around. I have also used Bensham Engineering in Croydon and found them to be good. Both have plenty of A Series experience.

[MiniMadRacer]

I have used Bensham Engineering in Croydon a lot in the 80s and 90s, and found them excellent for my race engines, boring skimming etc, even welding up diffs for me when doing PROD A mini grass tracking, though no doubt their personnel has changed over the years. I used a guy there called Andy mainly