I have officialy started a new, BIG project. I decided to do a full head build on my 2200. I'm going to do a p&p, new valves, lifters, valve springs, rocker arms. My question for you guys is, do you think i've gotten in over my head? is it possible for me to do this out of my garage? and where is the best plave to find all of the items fairly cheap? I know that this is going to be an expensive project, and time consuming, but i have an extra head, and not too many bills.
i think i'll leave the internals the way they are(not cryo trated). i did some rough estimating, and figured that this build is going to cost me $600+, and thats if i p&p myself.
contact your local machine shop, and start getting quotes, tell them you'll supply the parts, you just want to know how much the labor will be.
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Thank-you Admiral558, I've been busy and haven't had much time to answer this on. Yeah, I know I'm a post whore when it comes to the 2.2L/2200 head and valve train threads!
Brandon, remember that most of the valve train parts are for V8, so you'ld get enough to do two heads. If you know someone else who's doing a 2200 head, you can split it with them or sell the other half. As stated in the links above, the springs on the 2200 pose the biggest problem. The simplest thing to do is to use a cam and rocker combo that allows you to stay within the .480" valve lift limit. The +1mm valves and a good P&P will help alot.
Good Luck
with +1 mm valves wont i need to get a valve job done? and if so how much do most shops charge? i would call some tomorow, but its saturday and out where i live no one is open on the weekends. with the spings for a v8 i would most likely end up having extras, because none of my friends have cavs, or would even care to mod there car. maybe some one on the JBO would want them though.
ok i'll tell the whole story about my head that i'm using. i ment to do this in the first post, but completely forgot. i bought the head off ebay for $62 shipped, and that is the head that i'm going to use. if i buy ne lifters, springs, and valves do i need the head on my car to install them correctly? because in one of the threads that Admiral558 posted it said that the 1st cylander needed to be a top dead center, which cant be done if the head is off the car.
First of all, you bought a head that has an unknown history. At a minumum, you need to have the head pressure checked and checked for straightness. If there's a crack in the head, it's trash. If there's a cracked valve seat, you'll need to replace the affected seat(s). If it's warped, you'll need it surfaced to straighten it, or it could be trash. Going with a roller rocker conversion, you can go up to about.025"-.030" sufacing, with stock rockers you can only go about .015", due to the ability to adjust for proper lifter pre load. Surfacing the head will also boost the compresion ratio slightly, wich will help with the torque and horsepower.
I would highly reccomend getting a valve job, due to proper sealing of the valves and a proper valve job flows better than a worn seat. Since you are getting a valve job, why not get the +1mm valve, since they cost the same as the standard size valves and you're getting a valve job anyways and they flow a little better.
As for machine shop pricing,
check out this thread. (sorry, there's no direct link) Click on 2006 Editorial Articles, then click on May 2006, then on Rebuilding the GM 2.2L, Labor Cost Study. That article will give you a breakdown of the national averages for machine shop charges.
You said you wanted to do a fully built head, with out the basics I've listed above, you'll only hurt your performance and/or engine in the long run, if the work is not done properly.
BTW, besure to use new head bolts, whenever you remove the head. The head bolts are Torque-to-Yield bolts, meaning they nead to streatch a certain amout for the head to seal properly. The used bolts are already streatched and won't seal properly, resulting in a blown head gasket. It can sometimes take up to a year before it blows, but most likely it will blow.
i didn't realize that if i bought a useed head i would have to go through so much stuff. but with my car idont know the history of it either, because i bought it used. all i know is htat it runs, and the tach says 65000 miles. the reason i bought it is that it was cheap, and they guarenteed that it would have no problems, that it was strait. also i didnt want any down time wiht my car, because i only have one.
madjack, what did you do to your head?what parts did you use?
I did the build on the head I'm currently using too mild. I had the head surfaced .015", a three angle valve job with stock sized SI Valve stainless steel valves and I did a too mild of a P&P. I'm also using ARP rocker studs with Crane 1.6:1 Self-aligning Gold Race Roller Rockers.
Currently my head and cam are limiting my performance. My next head will be surfaced .025" with a continuous radius valve job, new (larger, 1.924" od) intake vale seats machined in, Custom made SI Valves(1.84" intake, 1.497"/+1mm exhaust, valve keeper grove cut -.030" lower), K-Motion K-700 Valve Springs and K-7500 Retainers and Manly 10* -.050 locks. The springs will be installed at 1.730" for a seat pressure of 106lbs. The head will have a much more aggressive P&P and I'll be using the ARP rocker studs and Crane rockers(only rockers we've been able to find, so far, to clear the springs). When I do the head, I'll be replacing the cam with a custom regrind from Crane Cams (.467"/.498" lift w/ 1.6 rockers) and new stock replacement lifters.
This set up won't work with the 2200 though. Your valve spring pockets aren't deep enough and the valve stems are too short. The head can be modified to work with this set up if you use the older ('95-'97) valves with the longer stems and machine the valve spring pockets deeper to fit the springs. You would also need to get longer custom length pushrods and make a valve cove spacer to clear the taller valve train components. You probably would have to shim the rocker studs up to ensure you have sufficient thread engagement for the rocker arms on the studs.
You won't need this much of a setup if you stay with a stock cam or keep the total valve lift to under .480"(cam and rocker ratio combined). Also, when using stock springs, the closer to max lift you get, the more susceptible to valve float your springs will be in the higher rpms.
I would reccomend you surface the head about .025" to make sure you have a true surface to mount the head and to bump the compression a little. Also like I said above be sure to use new head bolts, they're about $25 from the parts store.
I'm kinda up in the air about the JBP springs, a few have had problems with them. See the
2200 Valve Springs thread for more information. It's a long read, but alot of good info in there. As you read though the 9 pages you'll see how we came up with alot of the valve train data for these heads.
madjack, you're my new best friend, everytime i post i can count on you for a response.
besides the springs everything else is goog though?
i found the bolts, i also am going to get new gaskets, because i know i'll need them. i'm going to look into the resurfacing, i'll ask at the shop where i'm getting the valve job. as for springs i think i'l skip them, i have an auto trans, and i dont really see it necessary to get new osprings. there was somthing i had a question on, but i cant remember what it was, oh well, maybe i'll remember later.
