The $225 was only the work at the machine shop, no parts.  I paid for the parts and shipping separately.

 

I suppose we will find out if the rings and cylinders are badly worn.  I had really poor compression figures, but I also think I was doing the test incorrectly.  The engine didn't put out a blue smoke before, though, but we'll see!!

How do you guys clean the block face before mounting the head again?  I have some left overs from the old head gasket..

That's another issue I have had to deal with. Believe it or not A series cyl. heads are not a hot mover at your local auto machine shop. Not only do I order my own hard seats from SBI but I also had to buy the mandrels and seat insert cutters for my jobs. Also boring small bores can be a problem for many shops. 

Something else we haven't talked about, I'm not sure you listed your compression test figures. I think you said there was standing oil in the piston dish. My concern as a former machine shop employee for 25 years. A engine tends to wear evenly though out. There was a time when we would redo cyl heads at 50,000 miles and rebuild the top and bottom ends at 100,000 more less. If you think about it the guides, valves and seats are all worn a little. The rings and cyl. walls are also worn. So we are leaking a little up and down. A possible concern is once the head is properly sealed the additional compression and vacuum may over whelm the rings and cyls. I would not expect worn guides to pass enough oil to fill the piston dish. 

Just wondering does the $225. include the cost of parts, shipping and cyl. head resurface?  Steve (CTR)

PS Spank, in the early 90s we ran a Jefferson 500 vintage race. During the qualifying race saturday we burned a valve and cracked the cyl head. We pulled the head and lapped a new valve into the seat. Started 5th if I recall and won the race on a lap by myself. The head was junk when done. During the tear down of that engine the crank was also found cracked, yes even EN 40 B cranks die in time. 

Well, I ended up taking the head down to a machine shop that a car buddy of mine recommended.  He said he couldn't put in the hardened seats as he didn't have a tool small enough.  But right now, with me having to supply the guides and seals, he said the valve job and all will end up running me about $225.

I'm happy with that, and will get back on the road!  I am hoping to drive it to MME2017 in Columbus, with perhaps a few more upgrades I am planning...

Sore. Very very sore. Took a few days.

And it was more like .020 and then some. I finally said "f#@% it" and ran it as seen in the last picture.

(it had gotten so hot that it severly puckered the head face. Next time, I'll stick it in the harbor freight press and press the middle back down some. Or pay to have it decked. That one WAS a bit ridiculous, I'll confess)

I think I looked at it a few years ago in Calgary, but can't be certain. I have not seen it in Regina.

Mur: While on the subject of 997cc engines and you residing in Alberta and also you being the "King" of all things mini in the prairies, do you know any of the history of the red woody wagon estate that l purchased in Edmonton Alberta ? It has a 997cc with twin S U carbs, Cooper disc brakes etc

I believe it might have been around Regina SK before ending up in Edmonton 4-5 years ago

Big AL

I have a 997 Cooper copy-ish thing from some dude who machines lumps into stuff. Comes with a sheet with numbers all over the page and a few lines highlighted with fluorescent highlighter.

Pistons are pretty flat. RE-A1118-080

I'm just not into 1300 heads on 998s. I put those heads on 1300s. Call me a rebel. Just for kicks Marcel and I had ALL of our AEG 163 heads repaired, rebuilt, re-inserted and so on. Did you hear that they sometimes crack? 

Also, I do have a set of press fit A+ small bore connecting rods. Those will go in the cool 997 I shall build some day

Mur, what did you go with as far as camshaft. Are the big O/S pistons dished or flat? I'm struggling with small bore vs big bore cyl head. Plan is to set up all 998 blocks and machine for exhaust reliefs. That way it won't matter and can be set up with 11 studs. I'd like to see how Spank feels after lapping .125 off a 295 cyl. head by hand.  Shop I use charges $50 for clean up cut and $1 per .001 removed after that. Blocks are $100 plus $1 per .001 as well. Steve (CTR)

Maybe it is the way I budget and have parts sent, but I don't see rebuilding these engines as being particularly costly. I bought some +0.080" Russel Pistons from our hosts here at Mini Mania and had the block bored. I bought a cam and bearings and still need an oil pump. I have Pauter small bore rods left over from a 1098 spridget racing program and was given a factory 998 race crank, std/std and dark like an S crank. I was also given a voluminous but with hardened seats fitted 12G295 head, which is a bit big, but eventually it will work out so I may have to spend some money there skimming it down.

Do you guys realize what people pay when they take their Hyundai to the dealer for service? A couple of oil changes, getting a cautionary brake job ....well, you don't need it right away, but you will soon... and a pair of winter tire changeovers and pretty quickly a depreciating commuter thing with Bluetooth has sucked in the cost of a nice mini engine.

In support of Spank's argument, I must admit that the car this big 998 is destined for only needs new valve stem seals, as there is an embarrassing whiff of smoke sometimes. It is a strong, fun engine with years of excellent road trips under its belt. The next engine will be stronger, and more fun.

I bought my first mini at age 18. I worked two jobs and went to school in order to blue print the engine from that one. I have heard the new cyl. heads from Swiftune are in the $6500. range. There are those who will buy them and those who think that is crazy. We are all not the same and never will be. I believe in a once and done approach, to each his own. Steve (CTR) 

Harvey... here I was thinking that you were talking about an aluminum head for the Mini. I sit corrected!

Spank, speaking of Briggs and Stratton, I had an intake valve seat that popped out.
I staked the heck out of the aluminum head to hold a new seat and it held. Replaced the valve at same time.
Sometimes shadetree/cheapskate stuff works for a while although I would not do this on a mini head.
Eventually problems arose from severely worn valve guide that I gave up and just got a 2 hp bigger replacement motor.

Al, I too have drank my share of nickle Cokes in the distant past. Yes, things are changing in the mini power unit market. 1275 cores are getting hard to find and harder to pay for. We can compare what we have paid in the past, which makes a good story. I currently have in my shop a 1400 cc 1275 GT, three 1293 SPI s, a 1293 1275 GT, .060 998, std. 998 all engine builds compete with their trannys. I'll be glad to share info about build and costs with anyone interested. 

I rebuilt my first A series ( a sprite 948 ) in 1967 and my first mini engine in 68/69. Returning from the draft in the mid 70s I began rebuilding trannys for Seven Ent. In 75 I began working for an auto machine shop which I retired from 25 years later as GM. Until a few years ago I didn't feel hard seats were required with the limited use they mostly see. After doing an engine the customer drove it to the west coast and back. As a result the exhaust valves receded closing the valve clearance. I offered to send a replacement head with hard seats and all new parts. The owner really wanted his head back. It was removed shipped to me and I had it fully reworked with hard seats. Shipped it home with gaskets. No charge. As you may have noticed I can't afford to piss anyone off. Thank you for your support in that matter. I have two people very unhappy with me as a result of their leaving jobs in my shop for six (6) years with min. progress and ongoing money problems. I did not charge storage just ask the stuff leave my shop. 

Mur, I'm having a ball working with the 998s. Have you found a set of 998 press fit rods? I have ideas for two 998's I want to built for me. The std /std / std 998 I recently built was giving 50 MPG (US gallons) with a 3.1 cwp, dead cyl. If it does as well rebuilt I want one for my car. I plan to build a 998 full race unit for auto cross. A set of Russel pistons, what around 1050cc the right cam and cyl. head. Not sure about carbs. Contact me here or off line about your build spec. Steve (CTR)

Edit: the failed head was in no way the fault of the owner. In fact I believe I ask for hard seats in all four heads done in that batch. I failed to strip the freshly done head for a cleaning and inspection. The owner was very good about the whole issue and I hope is still enjoying his mini. I now strip all heads or ask for them not assembled so I know without a doubt what is in them. Just like parts purchased from the UK or anywhere for that matter have to be inspected. The last set of Rover synchros I bought in the poly bags were just junk. I installed them and could not rotate the assembly. I stripped the tranny and blued the inside of them and turned them on a new gear. Seems they only made contact in three places. 

PS not sure why I'm writing this as there is no longer anyone here who cares. 

On the converse side of CTR, I bought a set of hand cutters (started with a set for briggs and stratton engines from CL for cheap) and then got an extra cutter and a slightly oversized guide to deal with worn valve guides-- and i cut my valves seats by hand. I've even banged out and pressed in my own valve guides. It's not rocket science.

I got a reamer, too, but haven't found the need to use it even with new guides-- the NEW guides seem to be larger than used worn guides.

to surface the head, I have a cast-off piece of countertop granite and I adhesive spray some sandpaper onto it. Then I just use the glued down paper to grip another 2 sheets of sandpaper on top the glued down pieces. I then sand in a figure 8 pattern.and flip flop once in a while, blow the iron dust off, and groan about how my shoulders hurt, sand, repeat

The cutters I think I have maybe $200-$300 invested in them including the additional new pilots and one cutter I bought, and I hand-cut 3-angle valve seats and I've done a couple dozen heads so far. I'm looking for my own valve cutter, but I'm finding it's cheaper to buy some new valves than it is to have used valves cut.

(I don't worry about putting in hardened seats until I absolutely must, and then I must pay a shop do it for me)

I think people can get caught up a bit much into thinking that they have to spend $500+ on things like valve jobs and whatnot to keep their minis running. If you take enough motors apart-- RUNNING motors-- and you see how in such terrible, out-of-spec shape they are in but yet they were STILL RUNNING FINE, you'll relax. A LOT. 

Some people take tremendous pride in "blueprinting" motors, and that's wonderful. And if you have the means, please go ahead and do it "right". I'm not saying NOT to do it right. But please, anyone who's still listening, don't feel you MUST spend wads of money on your hobby car in order to be able to drive it. Don't let the financial hurdle of "doing it right" prevent you from doing it "good enough" and getting back out on the road to enjoy.

Take some time, read Graham Russel's site.  

The head turned out to be a 12G202, which is consistent with what the Vizard book says comes on a 1098.  I was hoping to find it was a 12G295...

It did have some gnarly build-up on the chambers.  Also, each piston had oil resting on it.

Part of me says build my 1275, the other part says get this Moke back on the road and concentrate on the Mini, and do the 1275 later.  The Moke has metal work and paint in the future...  But runs and drives now!  Except that the head is off and all..

I do agree, sir.  However, I am hoping to just "get by" for a while until I can really do some work on this Moke.  I need to rebuild the brake master cylinder, and in doing that I will likely put some disc brakes in the front..

I am in the middle of restoring a Mini, and I had hopes of getting it done before summer, but right now I am afraid I have a lot more body work ahead of me than I can accomplish before then.  I am slow at it since I have never done it before.

No way man!  Getting it ready for another summer of driving it as much as possible!!

Sharp looking moke. 

I think you should pull the drivetrain out and rebuild it. A set of big Graham Russel Pistons and a fully rebuilt head with hardened seats and as close to ideal valvetrain components, along with a warmed up camshaft, will bring a smile to your face every time you start the engine.

The low compression could just be wear in the cylinder head, and original spec small bore exhaust valves are pretty weak spec items, but the effort to get the engine back to original performance is nearly as much as it is to turn it into something awesome.

 I might have a head for you here in NY.  Shipping might be costly. What is the casting #?