i think that i am posting this in the right place if not sorry...... i am getting ready to replace the head gasket on my car which is a 96 cavy with the 2.2

and hopefully this isn't a full on newb question

i am wondering if i should or should not have the head milled at all to try and raise the compresion or if that is a bad idea to do to these cars??

any help would be greatly appreciated

thanks again
dave

Raising the compression alone won't do a whole lot for performance. You can only take off about .015" from bothe the block and head, witout running into lifter preload problems with the stock non-adjustable rocker arms. If you do a roller rocker conversion from here, you can do more.

The biggest restiction is in the ports in the head. If you want more performnace, you need to do the bolt-ons; header, 2 1/4" high flow CAT, full 2 1/4" exhaust, an intake and especially a port & polish on the head, with a good multi-angle valve job and 1.6 ratio rocker arms. If you valve springs are in good shape, you will have no problems with the 1.6 rockers. After all that, you can get the Throttle body bored out and a new throttle blade made. Read the Performance FAQs at the top of this forum, for more performance tips, or the many posts we (myself, OHV notec, slowolej and others) have been making concerning the 2.2L and 2200 motors. Theres allot of reading there, but also allot of good info.

If you want any more power, would require allot more work, to include going into the block.

thanks for the reply, i suppose that any modification will have to wait untill over the winter, b/c i don't want to half @ss it now and pay for it later.....

also i already have a header and full exhuast so i am kind of on my way ........lol


thanks again