34 Cabriolet resurrection

BobWatts

BobWatts

Junior Member
I've been working on getting my Dad's 1934 Cabriolet running after sitting for 22 years and was just about to try and fire it up when checking the head nut torque a stud spun.
So I've pulled the heads using a plate I made (if you're interested here's a video- https://youtu.be/1o2x-4o4MSs ) to put a heli-coil in and sent the heads to a local head shop where after cleaning 20 years of built up crud out they milled them flat again.
They say it took 18 thousandths off in the process and recommended I get a thicker head gasket and that's where I would greatly appreciate a little advice.
I've heard of bolting on the heads and gaskets and then using putty of some sort to check the head to piston clearance.
Is that where I should be headed? Some where else? Thanks in advance!
 
Milling the heads is a good thing and no need to increase the head gasket thickness. But, that said, it never hurts to check the clearances. Ol Ron here on the Barn recommends using small tin-foil balls to check clearances. Believe he recommends .050 clearance. The piston needs to be checked in a number of places as the clearance is not consistent across its surface.
 
Dab of grease keeps the foil ball(s) in place from what I understand? Never had to do this so just repeating what I read.
 
Unless your Dad's car has domed pistons or some non-Ford heads, the piston to head clearance is unaltered by milling the heads. Rather it would be the clearance between the valves that is decreased when Ford flattop piston heads are milled.
 
Just put the heads on with out a gasket and turn the engine over by hand to see is anything hits then put the gaskets on.
 
Probably does not matter much but if you had both heads planed I'd measure the combustion chamber cc. If you do maybe someone here can say what variation is acceptable.
 
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