My Engine Build

[Ben's Z]

Ben, Sounds like you might have exhaust valves from a N47 head. If so that is a PITA. They are 0.80" (2mm) longer and will cause that problem. Those valves are used in a P90 if you go NA, shave 0.80" of the head and shin the cam towers.

Are they new valves? If so try to get hold of the originals and compare them with the ones in the head. I cant remember what the total length is. Maybe someone here can tell you.

They are all the original valves except for 1 they had to replace.

[Zedyone_kenobi]

Just take a deep breath Ben.

things will work out. Time and Patience are your allies. I LOVE your engine bay and I am totally jealous of the firewall. Glad automotive touch up worked out. I am a believer.

[Ben's Z]

Ok. Dropped the head off at the machine shop. They had put the 2mm longer exhaust valves from the N47 in the head and not the shorter turbo valves. Now I know why I was killing myself to compress the valve springs to get the rocker arms in! I bet they didn't keep the rocker in order though. Whatdya bet?

[EuroDat]

They had put the 2mm longer exhaust valves from the N47 in the head and not the shorter turbo valves.

Ouch, its a pitty they didnt compare the vavles before pulling that stunt. Then they would have seen it in time. It was the only reason I could think and its a common mod when using the P90 on a NA engine.

Well look at it this way Ben and not trying to be rude. When your finished youll be a expert on what can go wrong when rebuilding z engine.

When its all finished up an running all the frustration will be forgotten.

[esmit208]

VERY NICE JOB. Wouldn't it be cool if we all lived in the same town?

[EuroDat]

VERY NICE JOB. Wouldn't it be cool if we all lived in the same town?

YEP, I second that. Im like out there on planet pluto.

Everything I want is overthere in the states and the frustration of getting it here with shipping costs often more than the part itself. And then I have to pay 21% tax on everything, just to rub a little more salt in.....

Ben, keep up the good work. Your doing great. You probably dont think that atm, but later when you are finished and look back it will be ok.

Chas

[Ben's Z]

Welcome to my hell and happy new year to all. Update...

My cam wouldn't spin they way it should, not when compared to my other cams spinning in my old head. I was told over ay hybridz to have the top of the head milled. I took it to a different shop this time and they cleaned it up .012, they said it wasn't true. They gave it back to me but it just wasn't right. I didn't need that $130 anyhow.

I thought I would try one last time to torque it to the block. The cam loaded in the towers but it took some tapping to get it in the last tower. I noticed when I stared through the back of the last cam tower the cam was favoring the 2 o'clock position. I confirmed this by using some prussian blue machinist die later on applied to the inside of the towers.

What I found out was this...

My head is warped like "(" from front to back. It is parallel top to bottom now but warped and bent like a banana. I put my Stanley level on port side of the head and I could get some drag on a .010 feeler gauge on the center exhaust ports. Some of the resident experts at hybrid tell me now both machine shops should have checked and straightened this before they milled the top and bottom of the head and trying to fix that now will ruin the previous milling. Thus I have about $400 in this awesome paper weight. So I began the search again for another P90 head. I have a guy from the Houston Z club with a P90A and I have the inserts to convert to adjustable lash.

I have been told that Westside Machine and Scroggins machine in Houston do excellent work. I am going to go with Scroggin. I may take my bent head down there first and see if they can save that first. If not it will become a parts head and I will get the P90A from the Houston local.

What a nightmare.

[EuroDat]

Hi Ben,

Ouch, thats a dam pricey paper weight. Hope you have better luck with the P90A. Its a pitty youcan not get the hydraulic units for the P90A head. They ran very quiet and smooth.

Goodluck with it, maybe 2013 is your lucky year

Chas

[conedodger]

Not really necessary to mask off the block like that. I have painted several and you just paint judiciously, avoiding what stays raw metal then wipe down the surfaces you don't want painted with paint thinner. In fact that is what I thought you had done because your tape is the proper block color. Then I opened your pictures up... 8)

[Reverend]

YEP, I second that. Im like out there on planet pluto.

Everything I want is overthere in the states and the frustration of getting it here with shipping costs often more than the part itself. And then I have to pay 21% tax on everything, just to rub a little more salt in.....

Ben, keep up the good work. Your doing great. You probably dont think that atm, but later when you are finished and look back it will be ok.

Chas

21% taxes? Lucky you, we pay 24%. And shipping via ship takes up to 7 weeks...bah. Sometimes i order trough airmail, when i have saved for couple of months..

[ksbeta]

21% taxes? Lucky you, we pay 24%. And shipping via ship takes up to 7 weeks...

You need to find yourself a friend Stateside and work some voodoo to skirt Johnny Law.

Ben - Realize you're having a rough go, but wanted to chime in and thank you for the tip on Automotive Touchup.com. Saw this yesterday, and ordered a couple cans of paint to finish the exact same project you posted about. Thanks, and I hope things start looking up.

[EuroDat]

21% taxes? Lucky you, we pay 24%. And shipping via ship takes up to 7 weeks...bah. Sometimes i order trough airmail, when i have saved for couple of months..

24% ahh, dont they realise how much it already cost to restore these carsLOL

I try to use sea freight as much as possable. The parcels get knocked about a lot, but it cuts cost a lot. Biggest problem is a lot of E-bayseller only use priority mail at tripple the cost and still takes two to three weeks.

PS I pay 21% tax and import duties which start at €7.50

Edited January 23, 2013 by EuroDat