Installing Head Next Weekend, Any Tips?

[bmwman91]

So I am finally getting my rebuilt head back next weekend and I will be reassembling the engine. Obviously, most of it is going to be done in the reverse order that it all came apart in, with special consideration for the head bolts. The piston crowns are pretty carbon'ed up and there is some silver flaky residue crap on the block deck from the old head gasket. Anyone got good tips for cleaning that stuff off? I was thinking of using a plastic putty knife to knock the carbon off of the pistons, with a shop-vac in the other hand to keep any crud from getting between the pistons and cylinder walls. Same sort of idea for the flaky gasket crap. When done, I'll probably give the crowns and deck a good wipe with a lint free rag and some MEK.

As far as putting the head back on, are there any special tips or tricks? I assume that the head gasket goes on dry / no sealers or anything? Talking to Metric Mechanic, they recommended that I put a VERY small amount of oil on the head bolt threads so that they all torque evenly. MM said to go up to 64ft-lbs over 3 passes with the bolts that they are providing. All of the timing case gaskets and the profile gaskets will be sealed with Permatex Ultra Grey RTV and allowed 24 hours to cure before I start the engine up.

I guess that I am just a little paranoid about all of this and I really just want to put it back together and do nothing more than change the oil and some belts on my shiny new engine for the next 10 years. Despite being an E30 guy for over a decade and pulling the timing case 4 times, this is the first time I have needed to reinstall a head, due to a combination of luck in terms of reliability (until a year ago) and never quite having the money AND motivation to do a rebuild until things aligned and I paid MM to do it for me lol.

Thanks guys!

[SmokeE30]

Installing the head is pretty self explanatory if you are the one that removed it, obviously be careful when torquing the bolts to use the proper sequence. If your head was decked be sure you get the 2 dowl pins back in place, and be sure to get all your head bolt washers on there as new bolt sets don't include washers.

[dnguyen1963]

^ "New Head Bolts"...do not re-use your bolts.

[FLG]

New head bolts, chasing the thread in the block and blowing em out with compressed air is also a good idea. Also for lube on the bolts i like to use ARP assembly lube rather then oil.

As for sealant, some people like to use the copper spray, some dont.

[mrgraphics]

Make sure your socket is pretty beefy and strong. I snapped two in half on my second 90 degree turn. I was using a standard 3/8" socket. Moved to a 1/2" socket that had a thicker wall and it held up.

[bmwman91]

I am using whichever bolts that Metric Mechanic provides. Same goes for the head gasket.

[Kozworth]

goetze is oem and great, I used the kit off of pelican and it worked fine. I heard to stray away from vr gaskets.

I used a razor blade to get the crud off the deck. Takes a while but u can never be too clean.

[jrobie79]

purple power BEASTED through the piston carbon buildup. I've heard horror stories about letting it sit on aluminum though, so be careful it doesnt contact the head.