Honda cylinder head help.

[cr-xbrian]

Hey guys, just wanted to ask before i went ahead and installed this head i bought off of a user here. So i bought a port n polished head for my dohc zc. He said it had about 10,000 km on the rebuild. the thing is it never came with cam caps. (the mounts that hold the cams down). Now im just wondering do i have take this head to a machine shop with a set of cam caps and get it reground or would I be ok with just swapping the heads with the cam caps i have on the motor in my car now...any help would be appreciated..

Thanks,
Brian

[streethondas]

"I was putting a head together with the "original" cam caps. I cannot say if these actually were the original ones that came with the head or not, but the alignment was very close. Upon further inspection I discovered that two of the cam caps had damage on the journal, one had BAD damage that was de-laminating the metal.

I was worried that The head would be a total loss, since that's what the Helms says. I called some local machine shops in the area, and asked them about align honing and align boring the cam bores, and what else I could do.

a little trick that the machinist suggested to me was to take a socket slightly smaller than the cam's journal, and wrap it with 400 grit sandpaper. then put the caps on the journal, insert your DIY honing stone, and turn it.

Well I fortunantely had a cap that was pretty much on spec to replace the damaged one, but there was a little bit of a lip at the joining/parting line. it took a few times of assemble, inspect and rotate, dissassemble, hone, clean, lube assemble, inspect and rotate...
but eventually I got it all done up.
there were a few I had to do this to, but only a little clean-up type of sanding (less than a gnats ass)


Some particular things to pay attention too: direction of rotation, and wiping. the cams normally only turn one direction, and you can easily see it by the oiling holes in the journals. the mismatches will typically be on the same spots on the intake and exhaust sides of a replacement cam cap. if the transition from cap to head, or head to cap goes from a loose clearance to a tight clearance you will wipe the oil off of the cam and possibly damage it.
Also if there was wear on the journal that is minor and you are going to hone it out, look at the flat mating surface. Chances are there is a burr that goes to the other side, and if you torque the caps down to spec that bur turns in towards the cam... not good.
if you methodically check clearances, lube and test you can easily find where the mis-match is, and then determine if you have the clearances to work with honing it.

another "tool" is that the cam is much harder than the aluminum caps. After you have given it a little honing( one or two turns), the aluminum is dull. after you clean, lube, and reassemble, the binding spots will be polished. just a little turning of the cam (by hand) will do this, so you can dissassemble and then hone a little more.

Remember to err on the side of caution, just do one or two revolutions at a time, and focus on spreading even pressure across the surface of the socket, tanget to the binding area.

Now some pictures.

First the Torque and clearance specs:
http://www.team-integra.net/sections/members/images/4a9a73a0-f9fd-407a-8787-365234f7a75a.jpg
http://www.team-integra.net/sections/members/images/9a931bc8-c2f3-43b1-ae06-b7888e4a0dc5.jpg

13/16th socket (the closest fit that I had) and 400 grit wet/dry paper. make it wider than the socket, and cut it with scissors.
http://www.team-integra.net/sections/members/images/f29f18f1-5606-4c9a-9a02-e27bd3127591.jpg

Assembled. I know it looks raggedy, bu this was just for the shot. notice the paper is longer, that is so you can pinch it with your thumb while your fingers are inside the socket turning. it keeps them turning together. also fold the inside part of the paper back so it lays against the socket. this will help keep it from sliding.
http://www.team-integra.net/sections/members/images/b357295d-1746-422e-9cf2-25d7e601f372.jpg

Two shots of the polished spot after the initial honing. this spot was still binding a little and needed more attention.
http://www.team-integra.net/sections/members/images/765b56db-e455-42b9-8f66-2484213df72f.jpg

Remember to check your clearances, give it the feel and look tests before honing. and ALWAY ALWAYS ALWAYS clean your parts between each cycle or honing. keep the abrasive and metal dust out of your engine!

YOU are responsible for any damage you do to your engine, I cannot be held liable, nor will I do it for you. the above post was solely for educational purposes."

[Sentry]

Let this be a lesson. Never buy a head without cam caps or a block without bearing caps. Maybe that's just me.

[cr-xbrian]

Streethondas, thank you very much, Sentry, im new to the game. I now know lol