well got bored 2day so decided to take my engine out my94 wrx and strip it down, ive already got a new head gasket set with 1.6mm steel multy layered headgaskets, i had no issues with the headgasket no overheating ect... and it all looks good and healthy, all the bores and pistons look good aswell, just woundering before i build it all back up is it worth having the head skimmed or not????
and before some askes why ive taken it out, it because i need to sort a oil leak out on the rocker cover due to a few bolts snapping and to tidy up the engine bay and get a coat off paint on everything and get it looking nice under the bonnet as its been sat for a while,

 

Why skim it unless it needs it? There is nothing to be gained, and you'll need a thicker than standard head gasket if you do, in order to keep the compression ratio pretty much the same.

Is your new headgasket standard, or thicker? If thicker, it will LOWER the cr, unless you skim.

You seem intent on spending unnecessary money....?

 

standard size, won the head gasket kit on ebay for £35 so not a big loss lol i needed rocker gaskets anyway so tought i may as well do the headgaskets as i got them for the same price that it would off coat just for the rocker gaskets. plus then it freshens the engine up and i will know whats what.

and i pulled the engine out cause i need to tap a few bolts out that i cant get to with the engine in,

 

So you are saying you are going to take the heads off to replace the headgaskets on a perfectly good engine. Just because you are taking the engine out to fix the rocker cover gasket oil leak and dress the engine up?
1. Have you looked into the setting up for replacing the cambelt?
2. £35 head gaskets Mmmmm, how good are they???????????
3. Why mess with something that is working okay??
4. Keep us informed of your progress.

Just re read your first post, it's in bits already. Good luck.

 

For all anybody knows you could look at the advice given so far, drop the engine back in and next week suffer from headgasket failure! Nobody on here can say whether they are worth doing or not but if its no bother to you then crack on, as long as the jobs Done properly with good quality gaskets then it may well last longer than it would of if you hadn't bothered.

 

As he said, so as long as the Gaskets are quality items!!

If your gonna do it get a new cambelt, water pump, and tensioners. Then if you can afford it an uprated oil pump, as then it will be as good as you can really do with old stuff.

 

obiviously a new cambelt kit and waterpump has been ordered, the reason im doing it now even tho theres noting wrong with them is because while its out getting everything else sorted i may aswell change the headgaskets as it would be a pisstake if a couple months down the line they decided to go and i have to take engine back out, and then replace everything again. some people might say its pointless but then im capable off doing them and got all the bits here. its like saying y do people change the waterpump when doing a belt if it aint broke!!!

 

Don't forget an uprated, or modded oil pump.
Some places will sell you one exchange. Worth the outlay

 

I can kind of see the point of this , but where do you draw the line. Do replace the shells & re ring it while you're at it, or even forge it incase you want to up the power at a later date. Also sometimes the gaskets fail not long after replacement for no apparent reason especially if not top quality items which is a good reason to leave it alone. However far you go with it all I can say is use top quality parts & good luck.