What else should I do?

[XJ_Dan]

Well, it's been a busy weekend of ripping my heep apart, I started out with a busted stud on the cylinder head that was causing a leak in my intake manifold, looked like it was going to be a simple 2 hour job, but it didn't quite end up that way, Anyways, here I sit with the entire head off, and headed to a machine shop to get a new stud put in, and I'm wondering what else I can be doing since I have the top half all torn apart, the valves were quiet and didn't seem to be in rough condition, so I'm not sure if I should start screwing with them, any ideas what all I should be doing aside from the obvious?
The other thing I need to know is, do the head bolts need to be replaced, or can I re-use them? I know that some newer ones have to be replaced every time the head is off... anybody know for sure?

 

[badron]

Cherokee recommends that you reuse them only once. If the head of the bolts have paint on them they are in there second tore of duty and need to be replaced.
If your that board and need something to do till the head comes back my tires need rotated bad.

 

[badge714]

had bolt snap on mine got a sett of left hand drill bits center punched ,drill heat from drill was enough that the bit backed the broken piece out. they recomend using new bolts. badge714

 

[old_man]

Since you have the head off, I would get the valves ground, or at least lapped and then replace the valve seals. Personally, I would spend a couple of bucks and have the valve guides sleeved. NEVER have them knurled.

 

[5-90]

Considering the 242 has integral valve guides (cast into the iron, not a bronze guide,) I'd say don't mess with that unless there is excessive clearance. The problem is, you'd have to have the head machined to install bronze guides - it needs to be bored out, then the guides are usually frozen and installed. As they warm up, they expand to stay in place.

Also, if you weren't having any compression loss, there probably isn't anything that needs doing on the valves. Worst case - lap them a little to clean them up. Make sure to remove any deposits that have collected.

If you do a lot of top end work and put it on an old bottom end, you WILL be doing a bottom end soon. It's better to keep them going together, and then rebuild them both when the time comes! Cheaper, too.

Concur on the bolts - if they're painted, give them a flotation test. Throw them in the water - if they float, keep them. They're listed as being reusable ONCE ONLY, but I don't even go that far. I don't remember a new set of bolts costing that much, all else being equal.

5-90