Miata head machine shop recommendations

Kevin Butler · **Posted:** Wed Dec 26, 2007 4:00 pm

Ok, after struggling with overheating issues in the SM2 car all summer, I need to take affirmative action now. I'm going to replace the head gasket in the next couple of weeks and figure I should also have the head decked/refreshed. I'm pretty sure you can't check it for flatness, you just have to fly cut it. Correct me if I'm wrong. Refresh would include a valve job.

After asking around G'ville I don't think there's anyone familiar with working on import heads. I figured I would take the work to T. Hoff in Raleigh. Are there any other trustworthy candidates in the Raleigh area for working on a Miata head?

Of course, while all is tore down, I'll do a coolant reroute also. Also the new head gasket will be a little thicker so as not to increase the motor's compression.

Thanks,

Kevin Butler

Ryan Holton · **Posted:** Wed Dec 26, 2007 4:22 pm

DO NOT TAKE IT TO BRINKLEY IN GREENVILLE

I'd ask Bill Hutchens in New Bern if there is anyone he trusts.

How did you arrive at the fact that the Head or Head gasket is bad??

Kevin Butler · **Posted:** Wed Dec 26, 2007 8:17 pm

The discolored coolant and easy overheating on hotter days has to mean something. I think it's an intermittant (sp?) head gasket leak that only occurs under harsher conditions. This is the second year it's behaved as such and I'm pretty tired of it, but I just couldn't bring myself to blow it up. :wink:

While water and oil temps are perfect in sub 90*F weather, water kept going up to 250*F all summer on hotter days. These problems still persisted, though not quite as quickly even after I vented the hood, pierced the nose and relocated the oil cooler behind the nose piercings. I gotta do something for reliability this summer. I feel if I don't do it, I'll have to put up with the same crap again in '08.

BretLuter · **Posted:** Wed Dec 26, 2007 10:44 pm

I would recommend Cylinder Head Specialties in Wake Forest, on the US1 (Crapital Blvd) service road, just before the Wakefield intersection. I think there's a thread around here somewhere about them- I'll edit this post if I can find it...

Talk to George- he is the man when it comes to cylinder heads and machine work in general. He doesnt' really specialize in any specific kind of head, but he's done work on several BMW heads for me and even a Kawasaki 4 wheeler head and he's always done good work at a good price.

I've heard mixed reviews about T-Hoff- I havent' had any work done there in a longgggggg time so I can comment from personal experience.

Bret.

EDIT: Copied from an old thread-

Bret Luter wrote:
I have been using Cylinder Head Specialties (CHS) in Wake Forest, right off the US1 service road (Star Rd?) on the right before you get to the Wakefield/US1 Business intersection. They're tucked in behind a used car dealer- I think it's called Hollingsworth. George and the guys there do a great job at a great price. They do all sorts of race motors so they won't look at you funny if you ask about something that's not stock. They also do full engines, not just cylinder heads as their name implies. Highly recommended.

Carl Fisher wrote:
I used them too when the Neon was having probs and they fixed me up quick and easy.

Cylinder Head Specialties
(919) 556-0775

MikeWhitney · **Joined:** Wed Aug 20, 2003 9:15 pm **Posts:** 4724

+1 for CHS. They have done 4 heads for me and I have always been happy with the work and price!

Marty Howard · **Posted:** Tue Jan 08, 2008 2:00 pm

Kevin,
Missed this earlier. Have you already pulled the head?

I am having the same issues and I am going to pull mine this week if I get time.

Kevin Butler · **Posted:** Wed Jan 09, 2008 6:23 pm

Not yet. I'm still trying to figure out what all parts I'll need. I can get a gasket kit from MMS, but I don't think I want to put the same thickness gasket back in.

If they shave the head a little, I think I want a gasket that is stock plus the shaved amount thickness. That way I won't be increasing compression (forced induction) and shouldn't have to worry about bottom end problems.

Know where I can get quality head gaskets of varying thickness for a 1.8 Miata?

I definitely need to have new valve seals to give to the shop when they recieve the head, that's a given.

I figured on getting a new set of ARP head bolts, but haven't had time to source them either. Work has just been too much in the way lately!

With the head off, it's probably a good time to do a coolant reroute too. There's zillions of ways of doing it, but I think only a couple really have merit. I saw one with a seperate T-stat housing in the middle of a pipe going from the back of the motor to the front. I like the idea of easy T-stat access, but can't find that posting or link again. Seen it?

At the rate I'm going I probably won't get to it until late March or April. I'll be ok in the cooler weather in the meantime.

Kevin Hoff · **Posted:** Wed Jan 09, 2008 9:42 pm

+1 for CHS - they recut the valve seats, replaced the valve seals, checked the guides, and fly cut (like .005) the sealing surfaces on my RS heads. They were done in less than 24 hours. Highly recommended!

--Kevin H.

JamesFeinberg · **Posted:** Thu Jan 10, 2008 11:57 am

I probably should start a new thread but my question is closely related so I'll just attempt to hijack Kevin's thread.

Does anybody know of a trusted local place to clean, bore and possibly deck a Honda Civic/CRX D16 block on the cheap? This isn't a performance build or anything (it's for my "new" rally-x car) and my main priority is reliability.

Thanks,

Jim

Kevin Butler · **Posted:** Thu Jan 10, 2008 1:58 pm

I was talking to a chum last night about the head gasket thickness issue and he asked me if I had called Flyin' Miata. Doh! They should know about this if anybody does.

So I called them up today and they said stock head gasket and ARP head bolts. Their reasoning was that the material removed should be so minimal that it shouldn't make a difference regarding compression. Just make sure your machine shop knows it's an FI engine.

Something else I learned last night was the discolored coolant I've been experiencing (dark cinnamon brown with no oil film) was probably from using Water Wetter and it's reaction with the cast iron block. No more Water Wetter for me! I had already changed to this stuff called 40 below and the discoloration had significantly diminished.

Flyin Miata said since I no longer ran antifreeze (just distilled H2O and 40 below) that I needed a radiator cap of 24 psi to accomodate for the lowered boiling point. Not too sure about that one. I agree with the cap concept, just not the pressure rating.

I still need to come up with a coolant reroute...

Ryan Holton · **Posted:** Thu Jan 10, 2008 2:04 pm

I told you I didn't think the damn thing had a blown headgasket.

Miata's get hot.

Supercharged Miata's get hotter

Michael Westerfield · **Posted:** Thu Jan 10, 2008 2:04 pm

Kevin Butler wrote:

Flyin Miata said since I no longer ran antifreeze (just distilled H2O and 40 below) that I needed a radiator cap of 24 psi to accomodate for the lowered boiling point. Not too sure about that one. I agree with the cap concept, just not the pressure rating.

Better check your hose clamps and hoses. Once the cap can take more pressure and your coolant is running hotter you will expose the next weekness.

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Miata head machine shop recommendations

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