Machine head?

[Cdumpert]

I've seen a lot of people having their head machined when replacing their head gasket even though there was no sign of any issues. Is this necessary, wouldn't taking away metal effect the compression ratio? This is my 1st build, trying to do it right the 1st time. I'm upgrading to the cometic gasket and ARP studs.

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[Builtfc1]

It’s because the head lifted when pushing power and the head tends to warp so machining it down makes it a perfect new mating surface for the block. It’s for peace of mind you can machine the head a few times there’s enough material there.

 

[Chris_19Si]

Do you already have the head off? If not, I just swapped bolts for studs one at a time and kept the OEM gasket. I run flex fuel and never had any issues. If you didn't blow a gasket already and just want to change the gasket, no machining required typically. You may want to check with your supplier on your specific gasket for their recommendations.

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