Hey All...since I could not sell the ported heads, I've decided to just put them on myself. I only have about a 6 day window to do this in so I'm trying to get my ducks in a row beforehand. I ordered a upper gasket kit, thermostat, and hardened pushrods (as per this site's recommendations) from Justin. I know I'll need new coolant as well. Are there any other minor things I'll need to buy to complete the head change? I've never done this kind of work before but I have the complete service manual on my laptop and plan on following the steps contained to a "T". Any help or advise would be appreciated as always.
Jim.......hoping to be a member of the 500rwhp club soon. :rock:[/QUOTE
It is a MUCH easier job than a cam swap. Take your time.
The new gold coloured gaskets will give you nearly .5 a point more compression over the o.e.m. black ones so that is an added bonus. You will have to get creative to remove the black residue left by the old gaskets if you don't use a spray on gasket remover.
Some of the head bolts are close to the head itself so make sure your socket sits completely on the bolt before removing or installing them. The bolts are coated so reinstall them dry to get the proper torque.
Don't forget to reattach the ground strap on the back of the passenger head; your electrical system will thank you.
The white plastic tabs under the intake manifold that hold the f.i. wiring will have to be broken to be removed and aren't sold separately.
If you are using the factory spark plug wires and wire looms, most of the looms break when trying to remove them. They were a bit tough to find in the parts books. They ARE listed for an '03 Viper car however. Use a 1/4" bit and drill out the new ones so you can actually remove them again without breaking them.
Open your bleeder before adding coolant to purge the air out of the system.
Remove the black plastic corrugated cover that runs along the top edge of the driver's valve cover before you start the project, it gets brittle and tries to drop crap into the engine.
I am not sure what was done to the heads you are installing, but if any of the intake bolts pierced through the intake port itself, MAKE SURE they are well coated with an O2 friendly sealant or you will have a vacuum leak.
It is a great time to change your plug wires if you have some miles on your truck.
Also, get a buddy to help you lower your intake back on; it isn't heavy but it is a good idea to keep an eye on things as it get lowered back into place.
