If im looking to do a mini me swap and i get the Y8 head would i have to mess with the pistons at all? What would all need to be changed for internals and how much work is it? Im sure i could do all the work myself but im scared to mess with my pistons

 

Would you have to mess with the pistons, no. But, if you're disassembling a motor, and you have the money, why not? It'll just act as extra insurance for future upgrades. The only issue is that you need to determine now whether you want to go boost or N/A. Make that decision BEFORE altering the pistons.

Are you having any work done to the head, port n polish, valve/retainer upgrades, anything of that sort?

 

Changing the head doesn't require dissasembling the bottom end, and I don't suggest you do that unless you've done it before. And if you've never removed a head before, I suggest you do a LOT of research first, because there are a lot of little things you can screw up in the process.

And if you already have the head off, and you've got some cash. I would have the head rebuilt with a three angle valve grind, a mild port job, and put in your cam/springs/retainers of choice. If you were to take the whole engine apart, I would at least put new rings/bearing in, shot peen the rods, and possibly change pistons depending on your budget. That kind of build would get you some reliable HP.

If you plan on going forced induction, then you want to look at lowering your compression with a thicker headgasket and/or pistons. If you're looking at staying motor, then I would suggest having the head milled (you need to get it milled before you install it anyways) down a ways and get domed pistons.

 

damn i came into this thread hoping for a phone number.....oh well....[&o]

theres a lot of info out there about changing your bottom end and head. im pretty sure HMT (homemadeturbo.com) has a very good writeup on both.

 

I have done a lot of research and am pretty positive it will be a semi-easy job for me. What is a three angle valve grind, a mild port job, and what cams/springs/retainers should i look for? And how much do think this would additionally cost?

nails edit: fixed it for ya

 

a three angle grind is a job that you do with your valves. basically it makes it easier for air to move around your valves. i'll see if i can find a drawing of one.

porting and polishing is something you do to the ports of your head. theyre the holes that are opened and closed by the valves. porting makes them bigger, polishing smooths them out and reduces turbulence.

for valvetrain, look at Crower and Omni Power.

 

K i will. Ill find a setup and post it so you can let me know what you think.

How much does the valve grind and port n polish cost?

 

I didn't say it was a requirement. If you've got time, money, and an already half disassembled motor, why the hell not dig into the bottom while you're at it. It's really not that hard. Just like all projects its going to involve little tricks and hang ups, but overall its not THAT hard, and will save you from having to pull things apart twice

 

^^personally...i think tearing into an engine from the bottom is easier than tearing into it from the top. thats just a personal opinion though.

 

I would have to agree. Far fewer moving parts on the bottom end.