4tnv98 questions about internals and head damage

[etpm]

I cannot image a round disk would make me happy once the straight edge came out. I have a guy on marketplace with a good head, waiting on a shipping quote for that. If it does not pan out soon I will buy a reconditioned one online, they sell for 6-700. If you went with a stone what grit would you recommend on the block? I can see that stone has 1000 and 6000 so I was curious. When using a stone what should I wet the surface with? Was thinking wd40 but what the hell do I know, lol . I already drained the coolant because it likely has oil in it or combustion gas. If I plan to flush it with water, drain, then fill with new coolant should I still plug the coolant jacket holes? Thanks for all the help!

For a good flat surface the best bang for the buck is a granite surface plate. Less than 50 bucks for your purposes. See this link: https://www.jbtools.com/hhip-12-x-9...VaYepTrfTKGTnhEs30KmAqGR_PPeFaOhoCdR4QAvD_BwE
The surface plate will check your pushrods. Then a piece of wet or dry sandpaper can be used to flatten the block if need be. The sandpaper can be glued to the surface plate with spray contact adhesive. Oftentimes just wetting the sandpaper with kerosene is good enough to keep it stuck to the surface plate. So you could wet the sandpaper with diesel, stick it to the surface plate, then invert the plate over the block and use the sandpaper to flatten the block. You don't need to go any finer than 600 grit. Start with 240, then 320, then maybe 400. And then 600 if you really want to. You can sand the head too on the surface plate. If you decide to stone the block then 1000 grit is still way too fine. Use diesel, kerosene, or tiki lamp oil for the stoning lubricant. Float plate glass is plenty flat too, theoretically with the radius of the earth, but you need thick glass and larger thick pieces start to get expensive. Glass is not as stiff as granite so it will deflect before granite. A 2 inch thick piece of granite is way stiffer than a more expensive 5/8 thick piece of plate glass with the same 9 x 12 dimensions.
Eric

 

[mrmikey]

If you went with a stone what grit would you recommend on the block?

I'd go around 200-400 in that range, I should have looked for a better pic, that was just to give you the idea of the size, sorry. As for lube WD-40 works good, thin enough to flush the bits out of the way, think enough so it stays in place....somewhat LOL.

If I plan to flush it with water, drain, then fill with new coolant should I still plug the coolant jacket holes?

It wouldn't hurt but I'd still be flushing, be more concerned about the oil passages to keep the crap out of them as well as the cylinders.
I think Dodge man was referring to getting the head done at a local shop, not the complete engine. If the head looked to be in better shape, that would be my first thought to, probably a bit cheaper but I think that is beyond. Wouldn't hurt to take it to a shop and see if they can do it if it is salvageable and how much $ .

 

[franka02809]

For a good flat surface the best bang for the buck is a granite surface plate. Less than 50 bucks for your purposes. See this link: https://www.jbtools.com/hhip-12-x-9...VaYepTrfTKGTnhEs30KmAqGR_PPeFaOhoCdR4QAvD_BwE
The surface plate will check your pushrods. Then a piece of wet or dry sandpaper can be used to flatten the block if need be. The sandpaper can be glued to the surface plate with spray contact adhesive. Oftentimes just wetting the sandpaper with kerosene is good enough to keep it stuck to the surface plate. So you could wet the sandpaper with diesel, stick it to the surface plate, then invert the plate over the block and use the sandpaper to flatten the block. You don't need to go any finer than 600 grit. Start with 240, then 320, then maybe 400. And then 600 if you really want to. You can sand the head too on the surface plate. If you decide to stone the block then 1000 grit is still way too fine. Use diesel, kerosene, or tiki lamp oil for the stoning lubricant. Float plate glass is plenty flat too, theoretically with the radius of the earth, but you need thick glass and larger thick pieces start to get expensive. Glass is not as stiff as granite so it will deflect before granite. A 2 inch thick piece of granite is way stiffer than a more expensive 5/8 thick piece of plate glass with the same 9 x 12 dimensions.
Eric

Thank you for this information. Is there a specific type of wet dry paper that needs to be used or is standard stuff just fine? I like this granite idea and will be getting one.

 

[renegade99]

be careful with the carbide scrapers so you do not gouge the block. use as long a
FLAT!!! plate, glass or granite surface plate as you can and be very careful so you do not "warp" the block while trying to surface it, use long diagonal strokes. I would also get a bottle of "Dykem" it is a blue marking coating, paint it on the head deck to help you keep everything flat. Also take off as little as possible. I think you will find the pushrods you are concerned about only look shorter because they are on the compression stroke and sitting lower on the cam, just pull them out (keep them in order) and compare length and roll them on a surface place to make sure they are not bent. I don't know if your headbolts are torque to yield or not but it never hurts to replace them anyway, if they they are torque to yield you HAVE to replace them. Get, buy or rent a ridge reamer to clean up the bore above the top piston ring, that will help make sure that you don't break a ring when first starting it up. above all else make sure you have everything as clean as possible. Find out if you you need to use a sealer on the head gaskets, some types do and others like MLS gaskets don't, and NO RTV on the gaskets.

 

[denchen]

I think your trouble started when you said 'It started to run hot before all the troubles'. When you get your bits, get a new thermostat and gasket. They are not very expensive and don't last forever. Looking at your photo's, it doesn't look as if any long term damage has been done. Clean everything up, and then clean the surfaces again for good measure, pull the head down a bit at a time, starting in the middle as per the makers recommendations, new oil, and I would change the coolant to new stuff whilst your at it. Don't worry about the push rod, it's the right length. I use Lucas UCL mix in all my diesels and petrol engines, a little bit oily, yes but every thing works better and better start and run.

 

[franka02809]

Thank you everyone, I did not use the scrapers yet and I got that granite block. Soon the new head will be here and I will be diving in.

 

[franka02809]

Any wet dry paper work on that granite block or do I need a special one?

 

[franka02809]

About that ridge reamer, do I need to clean the black rings at the top? Or should I? I was gonna leave it because others said it was normal.

 

[mrmikey]

IMHO unless you're removing the pistons, I wouldn't worry about it, I can't remember if you said you were or not.

 

[etpm]

Any wet dry paper work on that granite block or do I need a special one?

Any decent wet or dry paper will work. Norton and 3M are good choices. A good hardware store will sell single sheets. No need to buy 50 sheets of one grit. Remember to let the weight of the head or the stone do the work. This may take longer but will help insure flatness.
Eric