Head Probably Warped

[Saabtopia]

After a likely over temp, I have removed the head and have an informal warp measurement of .012 in. on the diagonal, both corners, using a wall paper straight edge. This is not a calibrated tool, but the best I have on hand. The head goes to a local machine shop tomorrow for a $40 measurement, to find the real flatness, but I'm expecting that it will need to be re-surfaced for $150. The shop measurement will also tell me if me how good my measurement was, and qualify the measurement I'll take on the block deck. So my question is, how much stock can be taken off? After a certain amount of stock comes off is the compression higher and premium fuel required, is there still enough valve to piston clearance? Has anyone gone through this process?

[Saabtopia]

The head was measured at a shop today and found to be .009-.0095 in. warped end to end. The shop owner said that his info states that .008 in (.203mm) is the limit for rework. He said that a "shim" could be used to make up a height difference if the full .0095 was removed. I'm not sure if a double shim arrangement would work. I had measured .012 in. with a home straight edge, and I watched him take the measurement so I think the .009-.0095 in. is real. I also checked the block deck with my home straight edge and could not get any gap, so I'm thinking that the block is OK. I'm not sure if it is OK to get the head milled flat or not. Would the valves run out of clearance?

[Finding41]

The valves clearance should be fine.
Did you get it back together yet?

[Saabtopia]

Not back together yet. My job is really getting in the way of car repairs. I have not had much feedback on allowable stock removal to take the .0095 warp out of the original head, so I'm reluctant to get it machined only to find out later that it won't work or that it won't last. I've called a bunch of places that recondition heads, and they did not have a head for this car. I've found a recycler in Waterbury, CT (Tom's Foreign Auto) that has 2 heads available and I may go for that. Things got complicated this week when one of our other cars, had..... I hate to say this,..... a head gasket failure, so we are replacing that car.

[Finding41]

Quote "Things got complicated this week when one of our other cars, had..... I hate to say this,..... a head gasket failure, so we are replacing that car."
Man when it rains it pores! I hope the other car isn't a SAAB.
Have you done any googeling about warped heads? You may find your answer there.
Good luck.

[Saabtopia]

http://www.serioussaab.co.uk/Procs_p...es/p_head.htmlhttp://www.saabcentral.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=171237

I think I made some progress today. I found two web articles on minimum headheight, which show that 139.0 mm is the min. and that 139.4 to 139.6 is the newhead height range. That would mean that.4 to .6 can be machined as long as 139.0 is maintained. Even if I had the minimum original head, .0157in. can be machined, which is above the .0095 in. measured warp on mine. Iwould prefer to get the original head reworked since I know the car was workingOK the overheat incident. I can't be sure what I'm getting with a recycled part. I’m going tocheck with another machine shop on Monday. BTW my second head gasket problem is with a ’05 Equinox with 120Kmiles. I made a big mistake buying thatcar.