Cylinder Head What's Included In The Warranty And Service?

When you replace the cylinder head on your car you might wonder what exactly is included in the cylinder head service. Such a job is best left to the professionals who have the right kind of equipment to machine the head and duly see that it is in ship-shape condition. Very often they will simply supply you with a reconditioned head, complete with everything else that is needed.

If not, you need to ensure that the valve guides are straight and otherwise in good shape. These vital components keep the valves in position - they should be thin wall bronze replacement guides to properly maintain the cylinder head integrity. The valves themselves need to be replaced with new ones in case there is any stem wear, though in some cases the old ones can still be used.

The stock exhaust valve seats on the cylinder head should also be renewed to prevent seat erosion that high temperatures cause. This is particularly important if the seat has been machined before as such work can removed the hardened part of the seat.

The deck surface of the head must also be machined perfectly level and straight, otherwise the gasket will not seal properly and you will have the same problem all over again. Checking the height of the installed springs is also important. This can be done by using springs under the shims.

Usually the machine shop will do all these chores for you so that all you need to do is put it all back together again. Of course, you may want the cylinder head modified in other ways such as having stainless steel valves or porting work done to improve the performance of your car, but these tasks are usually considered optional extras for which you will need to pay more.