Head off

[Tobz]

Hey all,

Am considering taking the head off the engine to replace the head bolts.

am thinking of doing some preventative maintenance while I'm at it.

I am planning to make around 450hp and is used as a fun weekend car and also for some track days.

i want to replace the head studs, but wondering while I'm there  should i add some restrictors and a head drain? I have a catch can and it's empty at the moment, but it's only making 380hp.

In regards to the restrictors, ii was thinking of blocking the front and adding a 1mm restrictor to the rear. This is for a Neo motor (is the Neo oil pump considered an N1?)

also planning to get billet years for the oil pump and also a head drain. 

i don't really want to drill the returns though. It's it worth doing the above even if I don't drill the returns?

Also what head gasket would be best to replace? Just a new OEM?

It's there anything else you guys think would be worth doing while I have the head off?

 

[Tobz]

 also would I be better off ignoring all the above and just replace the head bolts one at the time and leave the head on?

[admS15]

Don't open it and let the Nissan out if there aren't any issues that need to be addressed. If the head studs help you sleep at night, you can do that but again if there's no problem to fix, I'd leave it alone at 450hp.

 

The good ol if it ain't broke don't fix it. My 2c.

Edit. If you are going to open it, do the whole lot.

[Tobz]

I kind of agree with you. The guys I'm looking to use to tune the car want me to do the head studs, so I'll do that but will keep the head on and replace them one at a time

[Ben C34]

just tell them you did the studs! problem solved.

 

Seriously though, i would replace one by one with head on if moving to studs on a healthy engine.

[Dose Pipe Sutututu]

14 hours ago, Tobz said:

 also would I be better off ignoring all the above and just replace the head bolts one at the time and leave the head on?

Do this please, trust me you don't want to do what I did.

Also when you move to the billet Spool oil pump gears, you also increase flow (bad thing).

I took apart a fully working NEO motor, got carried away (was suppose to only do HG, studs, bearings), nek minnit built dis dat, ARP rod bolts, ACL bearings, blah blah blah.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Killed the motor after 2x track days, stock unopened motor did about 10+

[Tobz]

2 minutes ago, Dose Pipe Sutututu said:

I took apart a fully working NEO motor, got carried away (was suppose to only do HG, studs, bearings), nek minnit built dis dat, ARP rod bolts, ACL bearings, blah blah blah.

yer i can see how u can get carried away!  i think ill just change the head bolts one at a time and nothing else.

[DaymoR32]

my neo just has uprated headstuds and is happy at 300kw on 98 and 365kw on e85.

dont really have any oil issues either, catch can is usually empty

[NZ-GTT]

22 hours ago, Tobz said:

just replace the head bolts one at the time and leave the head on?

AKA hot bolting. +1 for doing this.

[robin schembri]

You must remember if your upgrading your head bolts and the torque on the bolts are greater than the old ones you will put your cylinders bores out of round slightly. this may lead to other problems

[Tobz]

17 hours ago, robin schembri said:

You must remember if your upgrading your head bolts and the torque on the bolts are greater than the old ones you will put your cylinders bores out of round slightly. this may lead to other problems

Isn't that more an issue for rods?

I know it may slightly distort a little, but from what I read noone really cares it's that small

[Dose Pipe Sutututu]

Have done this on my previous motor, others have done it on theirs with great success. Most of the mild SR20s I helped build & tune all have the same methodology applied and have held together well.

 

[GTSBoy]

The difference in cylinder distortion would be about 2% of any other possible f**kup that is usually made in putting an engine together. Is not to be worried about.

[MoMnDadGTR]

ive been running 23 psi on a stock motor now for 3 years, no issues with -5's. people get caught up on all this shit on forums and think they need to spend 30k for a strong motor...then put it together wrong and the 30k race engine is in the bin while the stock motor gets put back in and ran for years. sure in cases money needs to dumped but not at 450hp. I've seen this many times with rb motors and unless going for some serious power keep it uncracked...ill take a well maintained stocker over a sketch built motor any day at 450hp.... but that's my 2 cents. if your not smacking your limiter and over revving it all the time they seem to last quite long. usually poor maintenance and driving habits that seems to kills them. look how much power the motive gtr made before it popped. they tougher than everyone makes them out to be. have faith in your rb mate!

Edited January 3, 2021 by MoMnDadGTR

[Dose Pipe Sutututu]

53 minutes ago, MoMnDadGTR said:

driving habits that seems to kills them

This lol...

 

[Tobz]

Have totally come to my senses. Just did the heads studs one in one out. So leaving it unopened and in original working condition shouldnt be an issue at all

[MoMnDadGTR]

9 hours ago, Tobz said:

Have totally come to my senses. Just did the heads studs one in one out. So leaving it unopened and in original working condition shouldnt be an issue at all

nice mate, little off topic but im fully convinced that use of a high zinc oil on the stock rb engines is also a great thing to do helps hold oil on engine components great for older motors i don't know about new rebuilt. cheers good luck with studs.

this is a link for what i use here in Canada, sure you guys got something better or much like it down under.

Premium Protection 10W-40 Synthetic Motor Oil AMO - AMSOIL

 

[Dose Pipe Sutututu]

@MoMnDadGTR we have Penrite 10 Tenths Racing here in Australia, high in zinc for limiter bashing goodness and 3rd gear burnouts at baby gender reveals.

[Tobz]

2 hours ago, Dose Pipe Sutututu said:

@MoMnDadGTR we have Penrite 10 Tenths Racing here in Australia, high in zinc for limiter bashing goodness and 3rd gear burnouts at baby gender reveals.

Yep I only use 10 tenths in the skyline, but it in bulk when it goes on sale