Headswap nearing complete, what can i expect?

im still kinda worried cuz all i see are threads of headswaps going wrong and chains slipping and such. all i gotta do is tighten the 4 exhaust bolts, bolt on the alternator, and wire everything.

i know the 2 rear oil plugs were on the heads, and i made sure the chain tensioners were locked so they couldnt move much (pushed the locking clip up) so im not too worried about the chains jumping.

the chains are timed perfect, everything is on the notches with the half-marked chains. everything is bolted on with the correct torque specs and sequence.

all the headbolts are torqued on to the exact sequence in the haynes manual....

only difficulty was getting the dip stick tube in, that was after i realized the romeo style came with my headswap kit, so luckily the store was open. that took about 1 hour with 2 people (me holding the head weight and my father guiding the tube in the hole).

i used rtv on the front cover/oil pan with new gaskets and put oil on the main seal and rtv on the crank key notch.

my biggest scare was...when i was torquing on the intake manifold, my ratchet bit came off and fell down the spark plug hole!!! luckily it just barely got stuck and used a magnet to get it out. my life flashed before my eyes

im trying to think if i did anything wrong, i followed everything to spec! but im still worried...yeah im a sissy.


so what will i expect apon start-up?

GinoGT said:

I'd crank the engine over a couple times with a breaker bar or something just to be totally sure it's timed right and there's no piston to valve contact. If the chains and marks are lined up correctly, you won't have to worry, but there's nothing wrong with cheap, simple insurance.

Are these new, complete heads? I'd check the oil level after you start the engine and let it idle for a little bit. I remember reading somewhere that getting oil into the new heads and lifters usually will consume a little bit. Just something to keep an eye on.

Good luck.

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yeah, i cranked it numerous times with the breaker bar, everything seemed consistant.

the heads are used but i checked them out myself, well, cheaply. i put a good level on all surfaces and it all checked out so they dont seem warped. i even did a "carb-drain" test by spraying cleaner down the ports and checking for leaks out the valves, and that went good, no leaks. so i think im fine. im just worried something's still gonna go wrong.

i doubt my timing chains will slip, there was hardly any slack when i pushed them down so i cant see them jumping...

gotta go up now and get the larger nuts to fit onto the larger upper 8 head bolts for the PS bracket.

thanx guys, its so close to done now. gotta get an oil filter and fill it up now then start it up. im gonna just crank the starter for now just to check how the chains react to the stress (i know, im a sissy). then gonna start it up and listen for sounds....

...but when i do, what can i expect on startup so i wont think something's wrong?