New Cylinder Head - What else can I do while its open?

[Raven Hawk]

I'm contemplating buying a new cylinder head for my '03 Pro5 (auto). I've decided to keep it NA, but was figuring that while I was having a new cylinder head put on (two cracked exhaust header bolts), there was probably plenty more that I could do while the engine was open, minimizing labor costs for disassembling/reassembling the engine later down the road. So I pose this question to you all:

What else can I do (what is worthwhile doing) that is NA while the cylinder head is being replaced?

Additionally . . . how hard would it be to replace the cylinder head by myself? Being an beginner at car modding, how badly would I screw it up if I did it myself (considering I cracked two bolts putting a header on)? I don't have a picture but the bolts are (looking at the engine) upper left bolt and the stud immediately to the right of it. Should I even put a new cylinder head on/replace it?

 

[Dimitrios]

You can drop the pan and crack the rod bolts, then pull out the pistons from the top while the head is out and replace them with forged units. This doesn't do anything for your crank though or doing a proper prep on the block, but it's a path to take. There are places that can bore/hone your cylinders while it is in the car.

I'd replace the bolts.

If you need a hand locally (Chicagoland), let the 'Team know...we'll help out (one person vouching for everyone).

 

[Raven Hawk]

Thanks, Dimitrios.

I just got a quote from a local speed shop out here in McHenry and he said it probably wouldn't be too much to replace the bolts. He couldn't give me a true estimate until he saw them, though. But, he quoted me 70 bux per hour for the rate. Does that sound like a good rate?

BTW - The stealership in Crystal Lake quoted $2400+ before seeing the car. Mostly because they'd have to remove the cylinder head, send it out to get the bolts removed/fixed, then reassemble it in their garage. Heheh. The speedshop pretty much said that he could just pull the header off an do the work right in the compartment.

 

[GoProtege]

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[imnotatroll]

http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?p=3517526#post3517526

 

[lil_red_wagon]

$70 hr is reasonable for my area. idk about yours though. i would go ahead and drop a new set of cams in to give a little more torque.