Special offer on HAM head service, we have room for 5 orders right now Options

[HAM Inc]

Over the past few months members of 914 World came through for me as I searched for parts for my F-Prod car. Good deals and even some freebies followed my desperate pleas for help. Now I'd like to give back to the community the best way I can, so I'm offering a wiz-bang deal on my value-added cylinder head service to the first 5 914 World members to PM me. I always give a 10% labor discount to members, but for this offer I'm slashing the regular $950.00/pair price to $800.00 (no added 10% discount). This is a turn key job and includes the following new parts parts and service.

-42mm x 36mm stainless valves
-Guides
-Seats
-Manton single springs
-Chromoly retainers
-Ground keepers
-HD rocker studs
-HD ex. studs

-Meticulous cleaning

-2 hours of casting crack/damage repair

-2.0 914 plug bosses are welded shut and new plug threads machined. No extra charge for 12mm threads, but must be requested as 14mm is the default. 1.7 and 1.8 threads repaired as needed.

-Machined for oversize valve seats with proper interference fit. Seats are hand blended to port bowl.
1.7 and 1.8's upgraded to 42 x 36 valves with bowl work performed to blend seats.

-Chambers hand deburred

-Rocker vent tubes replaced with welded billet tubes.

-Ex. stud bosses are machined for new step studs and oval counterbore is re-faced. No shortcuts taken here (or anywhere for that matter) If prior work has been done or bosses are damaged, they are removed and new ones welded in. Machine work is done on a Bridgeport mill using a fixture to ensure original factory fit.

-Damaged M5 and M6 threads repaired as needed

-Valve seats receive a radius cut using Serdi tooling

-Flycut and depth correction cut

-Valve stem ht's set to within .25mm, which is a 1/4 turn of an adjuster.

-All studs installed

-Chambers cc'd

-Assembled, bagged, boxed and shipped (shipping not included)

This is a true turn-key service that allows the customer to remove the heads from the box, inspect and install.

Options are available with this service like valve size upgrades, dual springs, extra port work, etc.

Heads must be in servicable condition and be free of hack work from previous shops, excessive damage from detonation or dropped seats or valves. Dropped seats that just turned sideways and stuck will be accepted.

A 50% deposit will be required when the heads are shipped and a committment to pay the balance within 2 weeks of notification that the head are ready.

I hope this helps some members keep their teeners running without breaking the bank. Cylinderhead work isn't cheap for these engines, so maybe this will come as a welcome oppurtunity for some folks.

I would prefer that members interested in this offer PM me for details and to make arrangements.
Thanks!
Len Hoffman

[HAM Inc]

Lavanut if your engine runs great now you won't see a very big improvement in performance unless you make other changes too. If it's running great and you don't want to make a cam change, I'd keep on driving it until it gives some indication it's time to do some work.

The one consideration you have to keep in mind is that from time to time even good running T4 engines toss a valve seat. Peace of mind would be the biggest benefit to pulling your heads from a good running engine and having this service done. You can help prevent this by installing a CHT guage and monitoring your CHT's. This might spark a CHT guage debate. If you are going to monitor just one cylinder, monitor #3. Westach makes a single guage that allows all four cylinders to be connected to one guage. I have driven a race car that had this and really liked it.

Over the years I have had lots of 1.8 and 2.0 914 heads come to me with an intake seat dropped and wedged sideways in the chamber of a head that showed no obvious signs of overheating. My hunch is that the seat fatiqued and the engine had a spike in temp. I have had seats fall out in my oven from just gravity when heated to 400*. I then measured the interference fit and every one I hve checked has been between .003" and .004", not enough. I have a hard time believing that VW installed the seats so loose. That is why I think the seats fatique over time and lose the ability to expand and contract with the head, eventually becoming static when exposed to heat.

As I said before, if it's running good and you aren't interested in making other upgrades I'd keep on motoring. Just keep an eye on your vitals!