MG ZR: Cams & Maps

[Niall]

Those heads have f*ck all material around them, they're ripe for warping and they're sensitive to it anyway!

No way I'd do it without skimming the head... Way I see it, is my time worth the same as the money spent on a head skim if it goes wrong... No... Not only do you could yourself time, you've then got a new gasket, theoretically new bolts - don't be cheap - get it pressure tested and skimmed, you'll kick yourself if you don't and it goes wrong again - half the time with a straight edge you can't see because there's deposits and crud from the old gasket stuck to the head which you'll struggle to get off without damaging the head.

And yeah, I've reused bolts, I've reused gaskets before - but not on cars that have to get me from A to B - f*ck doing it it if you have the money not to, they're an awkward job, why on earth give yourself more chance to have to do it again.

But if it checks out to be dead true still, why skim it? What possible benefit could you gain from skimming a head except ever so slightly raised compression? I'm not just talking about checking it with a bit of old scrap metal. I'm talking about using a proper straight edge.

Also yeah i would reuse head bolts if I was skint and they were in tolerances but generally you don't know how much they stretch when you re torque them so you don't know if you are pushing them past their tolerance.