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Quick shout out to the groups here…
Broke a rocker arm this weekend on Sunday. Thinking of a reconditioned head vs. replacing just the rocker in question…
Any shops selling reconditioned heads and if so, cost? Or is the common practice just to buy the parts and do it yourself using a local shop?
Have one lead I am working now, just looking at my options…
Thx in advance…
Lots of shops will do this for you. High profile shops will cost ~2x what low profile shops will cost. $$ will range from $400 to $2k or so.
Examples (in no order):
Ireland Eng
Stickley
Turner
Bimmerworld?
Korman
Metric Mechanic
Hard to recommend one over the other. I’ve a relationship with Metric Mechanic, but Bimmerworld is a series sponsor.
The problem with having a local shop do it is they may not understand the different requirements of racing. You get some 70yr old machinist that’s been doing engines for low rent types longer than I’ve been alive and he’s going to be really set in his ways. For example, it was years before I found out that my local machinist was doing a crappy 2 angle job on my heads because “that’s the way he’s always done it.”
I’m not a machinist. I only barely have a grasp of the subtleties that might make one legal head a little more powerful and durable than another. But I bet an engine machinist with all sorts of experience in race applications does a number of things a little differently then my local machinist, in ways that remain legal.
Decisions.
New cam? $200. Have shop evaluate your old cam and let them decide.
New rockers and what type? $250-$300 This is prob worth doing. IE HD rockers are supposed to be more rugged, but we’ve had some failures with those too. Metric Mechanic has done a lot of rocker testing but I don’t know what they current rocker of choice is. Rich Bratton prob knows tho.
New valves? Prob not necessary.
New springs? IMO not necessary. Others will likely disagree.
New valve guides? Let shop decide. A little loose is ok for a race engine.
Be sure to specify that the Spanish sourced head isn’t acceptable. It has to be a head with BMW markings. IMO we need a rule change allowing the Spanish head casting, but I don’t see a rule change on it any time soon.
Thanks Ranger…
Any of these shops sell reconditioned ones complete? ( or any shop for that matter ?
See gear boxes and other assemblies for sale… Just wondering if you know…
[quote=“Ranger” post=78950]
Be sure to specify that the Spanish sourced head isn’t acceptable. It has to be a head with BMW markings. IMO we need a rule change allowing the Spanish head casting, but I don’t see a rule change on it any time soon.[/quote]
More information on this Spanish head please?
Spanish head performs poorly when compared to a stock head; it simply doesn’t flow as well. Some shops use them when building a highly modified and ported head with good results, but that is obviously not allowed in Spec E30. I’ve never seen one in person, but understand the casting is not as clean and slightly different.
Going for the head refresh approach as I was discussing with Lako at Daytona…
In addition to the broken rocker arm, on inspection, we have a cracked head, apparently though to exhaust port. Sourcing a replacement now so will go through the rebuild routine with Joel at Barber Raceworks and get the car back in racing shape…
Hopefully this will add back a few HP’s to the ol motor… She was feeling pretty tired… 
[quote=“Jon62” post=79050]Going for the head refresh approach as I was discussing with Lako at Daytona…
In addition to the broken rocker arm, on inspection, we have a cracked head, apparently though to exhaust port. Sourcing a replacement now so will go through the rebuild routine with Joel at Barber Raceworks and get the car back in racing shape…
Hopefully this will add back a few HP’s to the ol motor… She was feeling pretty tired… :)[/quote]
Make sure they use the right valves when they rebuild the head. :silly: