I'm really wanting to rebuild my motor this winter and want to lower the compression to use more boost. I'm not sure on what type of head gasket-part numbers(copper-maybe o-ringed). I am also interested in lowering the compression by either head gaskets, or new pistons/rods. what type of piston rings and head gaskets do you guys reccommend? If anyone has done this i would love some pointers, as stillen and jwt are no help at all and can't offer any info. Also how hard is it to change the water pump? I'm planning on doing this tonight. I am also wondering if by not installing the allen head bolt behind the idler pulley could cause my belt to be jumping to the outside if the alternator pulley? any ideas- it looks to me as the alternator sits inboard about 1/8-1/4 of an inch and causes the belt to jump? Also how much tension do you guys run on the belt I 've been checking it down by the crank and have noticed 1/4 inch movement. is that about right--when i push down as hard as i can.

 

Sorry, I can't help with your questions about rings and gaskets.

The water pump is not too difficult, except that you have to remove the SC bracket to be able to get to it. After you get the water pump cover off, turn the crank pulley about 20 degrees CCW in order to put some slack in the timing chain. If you don't you'll never get the pump out. You have to use two M8-1.25 bolts as jacking bolts to jack the pump out of the engine block. The procedure is well explained in the Haynes manual. By the way, when I replaced my pump not too long ago I found that really the only thing needing replacing was the pump seals, which had hardened over time and were leaking when the engine was cold.

The standard method for determining belt tension is to twist the belt 90 degrees down in the section of belt between the AC compressor and the crank pulley. If you can't twist it 90 degrees it needs to be loosened some. This is somewhat subjective, since the amount of twist depends on how much force you use. Maybe a better way to do it is to first get the belt tight enough so that it doesn't slip when you are at idle with the AC on and all the lights turned on. Then do some runs up to full boost and check your boost gauge to make sure the belt is not slipping resulting in boost loss.

Is your alternator pulley not in line with the AC compressor and the crank pulley? I'm having trouble seeing how that could have happened.

 

My motor isn't finished yet, but I have opted to just use the MLS gasket with head studs from ARP other than o-ringing.

 

do you have to take the entire timing chain cover off? haynes says to take that off and the accessories if i read it right. I want to change the pump and would rather not take the timing chain cover off?

 

There is a cover there that comes off that allows access to the pump. You'll have to attain slack in the chain though, there is another cover for that.

 

I see the other cover, how do you loosen the chain-slack??