One Step Further

Well after talking to the guy at the M+B machine shop I decided to pull the rear head too. First to ensure that everything is fine back there but also to have the whole system running optimally. The front head will have new seats and will be tight. For balance it makes sense to the same in the rear.

After removing the rear head everything looks fine. The piston has a small amount of carbon but not too bad. The valves and related gear look good. I had a personal/financial delema however in this process. I realized as soon as I pulled the rear head I'd just incurred some extra costs (head gasket) but there is the feeling of doing a job right and, for me in this case, that feeling was worth the extra $17 for a rear head gasket. But the decission was harder around whether to replace all the valve guide seals. They look fine and even the head guy at M+B seemed to think leaving them was okay... BUT! When's the next time I'm going to be inside this motor if ever? After staring at my cart in checkout for WAY TOO LONG I decided to do it right even though it's another $40. I'll feel better when its all done.

All told I have another $100 order for parts. The only saving grace on this one is that I may be able to combine it with my order from the weekend to save on shipping. It hasn't been processed yet... I don't think they open till Tuesday. Yay for saving $10.

This baby should purr like a kitten when she's all back together. I can't wait... I have a lot of ideas about phase 2 (basically cosmetic) but I'm trying to stay focused on where I am now.