My 98 PI Head Swap (and some other stuff)

Wild Horses · Oct 5, 2014

Figured I'd go ahead and start this thread and I just may feel kinda obligated to start on it for the forum. Haha.
Been procrastinating for a while with the swap. I think I'll start today. I have a few other things to do while she's out of commission in the garage.

Going to to be doing some engine bay clean up as well so here's how it sits as of now. Hopefully it'll be a big change from this picture.

Here are the $150 windsor heads before a clean up, valve seals and Romeo cams..

And since I'll be under the car and it's leaking anyway, I will be installing this bad boy. Picked it up for next to nothing. $20. Gotta love craigslis. Gonna have to clean this thing up too.

Thats all for now. Hopefully I'll have some progress pics later tonight. Gonna go put it on stands, start draining coolant and disconnecting the engine harness.

One question I have is, Should I disconnect the headers at the collectors and pull them out on the heads or should I try to unbolt them from the heads? I don't want to unbolt them from the heads. That's just crazy frustrating.

Barner1 · Oct 5, 2014

Nice score on the diff. cover

Wild Horses · Oct 7, 2014

Heres about all the progress ive made since the weekend.

Decided not to start tearing the motor apart yet and instead focused on the heads.
Got all surfaces ready for gaskets, finished the clean and the valve seals done. While the valves were out, i got rid of what looks like aluminum 'slag' in the intake ports.
I cant imagine that helping performance at all.

Im sure this probably did nothing besides give me piece of mind.

They are ready for the car now. And yes, i had a machine shop that a friend frequents fully inspect them for nuthin.
Don't have the extra $ for P/P work, so they are going in stock.

Some nice factory take-off Romeo cams that came with my car when i bought it last year. Just gonna set them aside until i get the heads on the car, and timing in 'safe mode'.
Bought new ARP cam gear bolts for these as well.

96blak54 · Oct 7, 2014

Looking good! Its all very exciting, isnt it?
Pi heads untouch are surprisingly awesome heads. What makes them so great is completely not understood. Most think its the intake port volume which is only a part of the equation and not its strongest points. Ford 2v heads match our tiny bores, long rod and big stroke very well!

Our you notching pistons for valve reliefs?

Wild Horses · Oct 7, 2014

96blak54 said:
Looking good! Its all very exciting, isnt it?
Pi heads untouch are surprisingly awesome heads. What makes them so great is completely not understood. Most think its the intake port volume which is only a part of the equation and not its strongest points. Ford 2v heads match our tiny bores, long rod and big stroke very well!

Our you notching pistons for valve reliefs?

In all the research Ive done, notching for PTV clearance is only needed if you have the cams degreed. Correct? Or do I have to slice them? I really hope it's not another windsor obstacle or something.

96blak54 · Oct 8, 2014

If it were my engine with the heads off, I would notch the pistons.

Wild Horses · Oct 8, 2014

How do you notch them with the motor in the car? I thought this was a direct swap and no need. Ive heard you can even run bigger cams without notching them.... what am i missing??

Wild Horses · Oct 8, 2014

Wild Horses said:
How do you notch them with the motor in the car? I thought this was a direct swap and no need. Ive heard you can even run bigger cams without notching them.... what am i missing??

Im gonna just go with the months upon months of research ive done and not bother. When the timing chain is set correctly there is no advance in my tune where those valves come anywhere near the pistons. The only way there could be PTV contact is if timing is off over 1 tooth. Im gonna get those stage 3 cams from AM eventually and still wont have to notch i dont think.

Can anyone else chime in on this? Ive done the reading. Im pretty sure ive got it right

lwarrior1016 · Oct 8, 2014

Wild Horses said:
Im gonna just go with the months upon months of research ive done and not bother. When the timing chain is set correctly there is no advance in my tune where those valves come anywhere near the pistons. The only way there could be PTV contact is if timing is off over 1 tooth. Im gonna get those stage 3 cams from AM eventually and still wont have to notch i dont think.

Can anyone else chime in on this? Ive done the reading. Im pretty sure ive got it right

Honestly if I was to the point you are I would do the valve reliefs. Especially if you plan to run a big cam in the future. You shouldn't have any issue with the stock cam though. The point of decreeing the cams is to make sure both banks are firing at the same time and have the same amount of advance. People degree their cams to ensure they do not get PTV contact. Im going to post a link here that takes you over to corral, a guy on there did fly cuts on his pistons. I think you should check it out.

http://forums.corral.net/forums/gt-sohc/1480777-poor-mans-junkyard-2v-2.html

D3VST8R96GT · Oct 10, 2014

Just cut them and degree them.

96blak54 · Oct 10, 2014

Your gonna want them intake valves opened as much as possible at TDC as the piston travels down, the pi heads and that lip overhang on the valves kills any major lift for overlap.
Low lift air flow is why these heads rien in comparison to the npi, why would you hinder capabilities at the stage you are at?

96blak54 · Oct 10, 2014

http://www.lindytools.com/

Wild Horses · Oct 18, 2014

Been a mechanic for years and I've never heard of anyone cutting them while they're in the block as a DIY project. Pretty ballsy if you ask me. I have my reservations about doing this myself. Maybe I'll reconsider my cam choice and just skip this for now. I have another block I may build for a charged setup anyway. Got some thinking to do.

In in the mean time here's some progress with the rear from thismorning. Getting ready to install the cover. Also confirmed my gear ratio. They were in the car when I got it so I was never positive. Just knew they felt like 4s. And they are.

Nasty leaking MESS.

Getting there... Letting it drain completely before i go back out and throw that cover on..

Wild Horses · Oct 18, 2014

96blak54 said:
http://www.lindytools.com/

Oh WOW. Just noticed this post. Im gonna have to grab a set of two. THANK YOU. Makes it look easy.

There are so many tools that just blow my mind.

96blak54 · Oct 18, 2014

Using the lindy valve cutters is a very time consuming process, but effort worth while

Wild Horses · Oct 18, 2014

96blak54 said:
Using the lindy valve cutters is a very time consuming process, but effort worth while

Im sure it is.. Head, on and back off, checking and switching cylinders...then the actual cutting. Not to mention id have to pull all my valves back apart. Gonna call em monday and price a kit out.