Personally I wouldn't recommend removing the bonnet. The inconvenience matches or outweighs the benefit and then you have to worry abut the delicate hood.

also PERSONALLY I would tack the gaskets on with seal and that is it. I am not criticizing or saying anyone is wrong but I personally would not slather the outside in sealer like greg did. But I can see where this makes some feel like they have extra insurance and confidence against it leaking again.If you do I'd at least go with some black RTV. I guess greg has some wild colors going on in his engine anyhow though. (seriously,no offense greg). Btw what exactly is that blue stuff greg? I've seen your pics dozens of times and wonder what it is. It seems to react to being touched or wetted almost like velour or a chalkboard? Is it like silicone paint?

I would put a healthy bead on the half moon seals though.

Greg, DO NOT build shims. Find the thickness you need and purchase that one and throw away the old one.

You can shim the buckets with the head off but you should be comfortable and plenty understanding of timing and sure the lobe facing completely away when measuring, you don't want to measure any of the ramp.


Here is some info for the job:
VALVE CLEARANCES


Inlet and Exhaust 0.012-0.014in

EXCESSIVE CLEARANCE - EXAMPLE


Size of existing shim 0.100
Plus the actual clearance noted 0.019
= 0.119
Less the specified valve clearance 0.013
Equals required shim size 0.106

INSUFFICIENT CLEARANCE - EXAMPLE


Size of existing shim 0.107
Plus the actual clearance noted 0.010
= 0.117
Less the specified valve clearance 0.013
Equals required shim size 0.104

TORQUE


Bearing caps to carrier 71-13.5 Nm

Camshaft sprocket to camshaft 23-27 Nm

Camshaft cover 11 Nm

EGR valve to throttle housing 9.5-12 Nm

Elbow to inlet manifold 12.2 Nm Hose clips 2.5 Nm

Inlet manifold to cylinder head (nuts) 23-27 Nm

Inlet manifold to cylinder head (bolts) 23-27 Nm

Silencer to compressor union 34 Nm

 

Here is a visual of what you are measuring greg

 

SS

Thanks for the very useful info, really a big help. I am gradually getting the bits together, and then, as is my wont, I will wait until my Karma says "Start". This engine rebuild project has been somewhat further pushed into the distance by my aircon compressor going wrong, this vital funds for an engine stand have been realocated...

The orange "slather" (love it, no offence at all) you refer to in my pics is not the cam cover gasket seal. They are standard gasketsand are just under the red blinged up cams covers! The orange stuff is bodge to seal up the gravity leaks from the join between the tappet block and the actual head casting. This is an unsealed ungasketed joint from the factory and starts to leak eventually, dropping oil down onto the exhaust manifolds.

Remarkably, this works perfectly as an oil leak stopper and the engine is bone dry of oilleaks from this join. When I do the heads I will seal this join with some special Loctite sealer for the purpose and it will look normal again.

The blue paint is on the pipe between the water manifolds. It is high temp engine paint. To keep costs down I R&R'd these pipes rather than buy new ones or get stainless ones made. This type of paint does not go off properly until heateed up a bit. Same idea on the cross pipe.

Thanks again for the info on setup of the valves.

 

Oh so they were a bit nasty looking so you just painted them instead of blasting them or totally replacing them, I gotcha.

I can't believe that area doesn't have a gasket..i figured it had a paper one at least

 

I did clean them up and anti-rust them, then painted them!

AS to the tappet block join, extraordinary, isn't it?

 

Perfect!
Thank you all so much!