Okay, so let me walk you through getting this thing sorted. It all started when the old engine part, you know, the top bit, decided it had enough. Wasn’t pretty. Leaking coolant, running rough. Knew I had to replace it.
First thing was figuring out where to get a new one. Spent a bit of time looking around online, checking forums, asking a buddy who messes with engines more than I do. Found a place that seemed decent, had a few options. Decided to go for a remanufactured one – saved a few bucks compared to brand new, and they swore it was pressure tested and all that jazz.
The Waiting Game
Placed the order. They said maybe a week, ten days tops. You know how that goes. Ended up being closer to three weeks. Tracking number didn’t update for ages. Started to wonder if it got lost or if I picked a dodgy supplier. Just gotta be patient sometimes, right? Annoying, but what can you do?
Finally, the big day. Saw the delivery truck pull up. Heavy box, greasy just holding it. Got it inside and ripped it open. Initial look? Seemed alright. Packed okay, covered in oil to stop rust, which is standard.
Getting Down to Brass Tacks
But looking okay isn’t good enough. You gotta check these things properly before you even think about bolting them on. Wasted too much time in the past skipping steps.
Here’s what I did, step-by-step:
- First, cleaned off some of the transit oil so I could actually see the metal.
- Got out my straight edge and feeler gauges. Laid the straight edge across the mating surface – the flat part that bolts to the engine block. Checked it every which way. Needed to make sure it was perfectly flat. If it’s warped, it’s useless. Looked pretty good, thankfully. Huge relief.
- Then, a real close visual inspection. Used a bright light. Looked for any tiny cracks, especially around the combustion chambers, the spark plug holes, and the bolt holes. Paid extra attention to the areas between the valve seats. Sometimes cracks hide there.
- Checked the threads for the exhaust manifold bolts and spark plugs. Made sure they weren’t stripped or damaged.
- Took a quick look at the valve guides, just peered down them. Didn’t seem to be any obvious damage.
Spent a good hour on it. You just have to. Finding a problem now saves a massive headache later after you’ve put half the engine back together.
The Verdict and What’s Next
So, after all that checking, it seems okay. No major flaws found, surface is flat. It’s a remanufactured part, so it’s not gonna look brand new, got some staining and stuff, but structurally it seems sound.
Now the next phase begins. Gotta give it a proper clean, maybe take it to a machine shop just to get a second opinion or a final valve check before I start assembling everything. Got my gaskets and bolts ready. So yeah, the head is here, it’s checked out, now the real work starts. One step at a time.
