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Build a head, or buy race heads?


Draco-REX

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I've been trying to get a used head for the BRZ. Unfortunately I've had either no luck, or bad luck. Thought I finally had found one, but when the head showed up today, it was for a FA20DIT engine, despite the salvage yard trying to convince me otherwise. :dumb: I have only one more shot at a used head, but I'm not confident.

 

If that falls through I'm looking at building a new head. I thought I could assemble it myself, but the more I looked into valve lapping the more it appears that simple hand/drill lapping doesn't cut it when it comes to modern engines; especially boosted applications.

 

So I have come to two options:

 

1. Have a shop build a new head. I'm looking at roughly $2000 in new parts, plus labor to have the RH head assembled and the LH head's springs swapped.

 

2. Buy a set of built race heads. Full Blown Motorsports heads with upgraded springs AND valves, and are P&P'd. $3250 in parts, but no labor.

 

What's killing me is that most yards won't break up one of these engines, and I've got quotes on whole used engines between $3500 and $4000. Everyone else that had this failure got away without much damage. I managed to luck out and get a fucked head out of the deal. :fuuuu:

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can you buy the whole engine from the yard take what you need and sell off the rest??

That would work. But I don't see a demand for a stock short block or individual heads on ft86club. If I'm going to sit on 3/4 of an engine for a long time, I might as well get the race heads.

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That would work. But I don't see a demand for a stock short block or individual heads on ft86club. If I'm going to sit on 3/4 of an engine for a long time, I might as well get the race heads.

 

Or swap in a factory engine and build your bottom end to the sky and back then swap the heads over ??

 

Seems like no option is cheap here however you go about it.

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I kinda of wondered if you would have a hard time finding a single head, or even a pair of heads.. sucks.

 

edit.

 

Im assuming you tried the listings for heads on car-part?

 

Yup. One was listed twice, and turned out so bad they wouldn't sell it to me. Another was the FA20DIT head I mentioned above. And I can't get a hold of the last one. EBay is a bust too.

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Built heads, then sell your factory heads (I realize one is junk) to soften the blow. I think if you had the one rebuilt and swapped springs on the other, it wouldn't be long before you'd wish you had just spent the extra grand to have 2 brand new p&p heads with upgraded springs and valves. The labor is a wash because it's necessary for either option, correct?
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Built heads, then sell your factory heads (I realize one is junk) to soften the blow. I think if you had the one rebuilt and swapped springs on the other, it wouldn't be long before you'd wish you had just spent the extra grand to have 2 brand new p&p heads with upgraded springs and valves. The labor is a wash because it's necessary for either option, correct?

 

Agreed completely.

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Built heads, then sell your factory heads (I realize one is junk) to soften the blow. I think if you had the one rebuilt and swapped springs on the other, it wouldn't be long before you'd wish you had just spent the extra grand to have 2 brand new p&p heads with upgraded springs and valves. The labor is a wash because it's necessary for either option, correct?

Have to turn in my stock heads for cores or it's $1500 more (even more evidence that stock heads are unicorns). Installation labor is a wash, but there would be additional labor to have a shop build a head.

 

If you're going to be 3+k deep in just heads with no labor, why not consider spending a few extra bucks and put a better motor in the car?

It would cost a lot more. Motor swaps are 10k+, what few there are. I might as well sell the car, and move to a Vette, Exige, or NSX. I really like where the car is with the stock engine and blower.

 

Really, I just managed to encounter a perfect shit storm. Rare issue, excessive damage, rare used parts, expensive new parts. I rolled the dice and I lost. Never bet what you can't afford to lose. When I bolted the supercharger onto a stock n/a engine, I was prepared to write off the engine. At least this way I get a set of built heads instead of just a replacement stock engine.

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  • 1 month later...

The heads are FINALLY here.

 

Full Blown Motorsports Stage 2 heads.

 

23182621160_d8fd47e0f8_b.jpg

Ferrea hardware including dual springs, titanium retainers, Comp Plus valves, seals, etc.

 

 

23110430009_0df2dc16c3_b.jpg

Shiny new valves. Exhaust valves at 1mm over-sized. Also FBM performed their "Competition Valve Job".

 

And a full P&P:

22850098114_abf0985a5e_b.jpg

Exhaust.

 

22850105054_4065d926bf_b.jpg

Intake.

 

 

Can't wait to get these on. With these and a new tune by Delicious, I should be easily above 300rwhp. The estimate is 315-320, but I'm not holding my breath. Definitely going to get it on a dyno and see what the final numbers are.

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$3k+ for built heads makes me :barf:...but having gone through the same "rare-head" used parts search for my friggin' 4-cyl BMW - plus the cost of machining and hardware - I agree that this path was the right one to take for not a huge price penalty.

 

Hope she buttons up well, and drives better than you hoped!

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$3k+ for built heads makes me :barf:...but having gone through the same "rare-head" used parts search for my friggin' 4-cyl BMW - plus the cost of machining and hardware - I agree that this path was the right one to take for not a huge price penalty.

 

Hope she buttons up well, and drives better than you hoped!

 

$1500 per head seems about on par. a Good DSM head will run $1500-$2000+. I Think Curt Brown is in the $1600 area and I would LOVE to have him do one for me. When you look at the cost of good springs, valves, lifters, seals, machine work, hand porting, etc, you really wouldn't save much trying to do it yourself, let alone the work isn't going to be as good as if it were done by someone who's work has been proven.

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$1500 per head seems about on par. a Good DSM head will run $1500-$2000+. I Think Curt Brown is in the $1600 area and I would LOVE to have him do one for me. When you look at the cost of good springs, valves, lifters, seals, machine work, hand porting, etc, you really wouldn't save much trying to do it yourself, let alone the work isn't going to be as good as if it were done by someone who's work has been proven.

 

One of the reasons for this of us in the build/repair business farm out our machining work. Its not worth my tying up highly skilled tech on something I'm going to make very little profit on. Unfortunately finding a good machine shop who knows what they are doing and can turn product reasonably quickly is a tough situation.

 

And only going to get harder as you don't see a lot of new "Machinists" opening up shops these days. Heads look great btw, hopefully all goes on well and you get to start getting some smiles for all the $$$s!

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