How's it going everyone? Happy new years first off.
Now then, I have a 65 Valiant 225. I have some cash avaliable and was going to do the rings, while the head is off I was thinking about machine work until I read on here the 68+ heads are better in the long run for building..

Im actually buying a /6 thursday from a 69 Dart. But before paying a machine shop $500+ for work..
would this head work for either engine?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayI ... MEWAX%3AIT

Thanks in advance! Ill keep reading to possibly answer myself in the meantime.

The head in the auction is a '75-'79 for use with air injection. If you plug the air injection port and use tapered seat short reach spark plugs like Autolite 26 you can use this on just about any slant six provided you have a 1980 and earlier valve cover.

Here is the casting number table: http://www.slantsix.org/articles/parts-matrix/jpg.htm

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Joshua

Thanks I appreciate that. I found that chart shortly after posting but still wasnt too sure. Would this be a better buy (auction head) than spending $500+ on my '65 or '69 head?

That head looks fine for a stock driver, but it's not a performance piece. According to the auction they have put hard exhaust valve seats in that head. This is good so long as you are happy with stock size valves. The seats may be large enough for the 1.44" exhaust valves, but you won't know without measuring. The last performance street head I did worked out like this:

Head I had done about 2 years ago:

Serdi Valve Grind 6 cyl OHV $92.00
K-line bronze valve guides $48.00
Machine for hard exh seat $63.00
Surface head $36.00
Additional milling (raise CR) $80.00
Clean and magnaflux head $25.00
Valve seats $11.40

Machine shop bill: $355.40

Engnbldr valves (with locks) were $63 at the time, picked up at his store in Portland. 340 replacement springs and retainers were $61.

Total bill was $479.40 without gaskets or paint. That price doesn't include any of the port work as I did that all myself and those tools were paid for a long time ago.

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Joshua

This is true I didn't think about the hardened seats already done.. Hm sounds like the head off the '69 will be my project than. Ill have it in the garage tomorrow!

I've been calling around to some shops round here in Reno and the cheapest and actually most recommended shop goes like this

Valve grind $180
Surface head $80
Hardened seats $90
Valve guides $132

??

Wow, and I've been just gritting my teeth and agonizing, because it will cost me about 380 to do my head, including the guides, larger valves, seats, and milling down .070 to raise the CR.

just took my head to machine shop....$400 to cut for oversize valves,and cut 90 thousand off ....i already have valves ,still looking for springs

Been a bit busy sorry for the mia. Just looked today and the gasket blew I do believe. Ive got a little oil coming from there so I think its finally time. Ill be pulling it off hopefully within the next week. Ill also be calling around to some more shops.

Ive found some "nos" style gaskets as well as the cork. Any preference or advice on either? Appreciate it!

Been a bit busy sorry for the mia. Just looked today and the gasket blew I do believe. Ive got a little oil coming from there so I think its finally time. Ill be pulling it off hopefully within the next week. Ill also be calling around to some more shops.

Ive found some "nos" style gaskets as well as the cork. Any preference or advice on either?

Hello again, so after pulling all the hoses to change em my thermostat housing area is pretty corroded and eaten away. So, rather than putting the money into it only for it to die I think ill do something like this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayI ... _835wt_941

Called the seller and he says its got new exhaust valves and read to go. Not a bad price!

I would ask if it has hardened exhaust seats.

Others posting prices, I guess my machine shop is taking good care of me.

Clean block, Bore and hone .060, cut deck .030. Install cam bearings (I supplied), and core plugs. Clean head, install hardened exhaust seats (shop supplied), and oversized valves (I supplied), Guides were fine (no disasembly or assembly). Press pins, clean and recondition rods, install new pistons on rods. Clean crank, check and polish. $500.00
Took the parts in on Monday, and got back on Friday.
Head still has to go back for milling once I measure everything, and determine amount to cut.

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Charrlie_S
65 Valiant 100 2dr post 170 turbo
66 Valiant Signet 170 nitrous
64 Valiant Signet
64 Valiant 4dr 170
64 Valiant 4dr 225

Just got off the phone with the machine shop around here. Looks like they're charging $180 to hone my cylinders. As of right now I just have the rebuild stock head on its way. So should I just have them clean any glaze, scrub the block and new rings? Put it back together and cruise?

Sorry about all the questions but this will be my first "internal" rebuild and I wanna make sure im not missing anything..

New head
All new gaskets
Cylinders honed (any specifics??)
New rings (standard size of 3.4??)

Thanks everyone!!

$180 should be a bore and hone. You're going to need new oversize pistons and rings if this is the case.

The amount of cylinder wear including taper and out-of-round determines whether the cylinder should be bored oversize.

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Joshua