Hey Guys
 
I have a Jan 92 SW20 non turbo (ADM). Early Gen 2.
 
I have just discovered that it has a blown head gasket. Fortunate for me it is only leaking oil. (not coolant or the two mixing together).
 
As the head gasket has to come off, I'm thinking of the idea of having bigger valves put in it...perhaps more compression like the 94+ models.
 
Can anyone advise me if this is worth doing?
What should I be suggesting/asking my mechanic ?
Is there a robust head gasket brand/type that I should have installed to avoid this again for the time I plan to own the car (5+ years)
 
I love this car and would prefer to have it fixed.....I've been quoted $1500 so far and advised to go for a new timing belt while at it. Just want some help to get a bit more power out of it if possible...thanks :)

Fit a cometic mls head gasket. Dont need bigger valves, just fit some bc 264 cams and springs.

Cams will make a bigger diff than valves.

Also gen3 dropped cr, it was gen4 that bumped it back up. Unledd nonstock ecu retain std compratio

IF you want to squeeze some easy power, a ct20b turbo would be better than head work imo.
 
Just get the gasket done and get the gen3 turbo.

at the end of the day it depends on how deep your pockets are and how much you are willing to spend

the way i'm looking at it:
 
Buy Cams + install conservatively $600+ = a little extra power across the band, but the ct26 still won't hold boost to red line, so a lot of that is wasted.
 
vs. buy ct20b and install urself since much easier than cams ~$600 = more power, more response, boost all the way to red line.
 
But if you wanna go down eiter path, happy to help you out with parts if you need em ;)

Dylan the OP only has a NA, I think you overlooked that.
 
If not, it would be a 3SGE+T or a complete engine swap that would be a fair bit more in both parts and labour.
 
Especially due to the limited parts availability in WA.

Oh silly me. only just read the Non-turbo.
 
Cams it is then hahaha.

I've always been against spending money upgrading a motor when a much more powerful motor is a factory option. Working an NA motor is a different game, as individual mods tend to be insignificant on their own. To see a decent power increase you'd need to spend a lot of cash, and at that point its probably cheaper to do a turbo swap.
 
Do whats required to keep it running, and save you're mod money for a turbo IMO.

oops, missed the whole NA part too. yes the gen3 had an extra 0.3CR.

The first thing to do is get the head crack tested and checked for warping.
If warped it would need dressing if any new head gasket is to last.
 
But  I would be worried about doing a full reco on the head without doing rings and bottom end as well, which of course means $$$$