Happy Saturday  rustlovers!

So I decided to go for it, I would fix the Kia. When people give me cars they often do it with the expectation that I will fix it to a reliable state and sell it pretty cheaply to someone who really needs it. Although this is not a promise I make to anybody and I am a firm believer that once given, a gift belongs to the receiver to do with as they please, it IS something that I often do, hence the expectation.

 I just have this nagging urge to fix everything to the best of my ability. Did I break a plastic clip? I must replace it! Did I spend 4 hours taking off a useless factory bracket? I must spend 5 hours putting it back on! Is a Kia valve making a slight ping? I must replace the valves. ALL THE VALVES!!! 

First the head had to come off. On many small engines it is easier to pull the head off with the intake and exhaust manifold still attached to it. This was not one of those engines. I unhooked the exhaust manifold then struggled in vain to unhook various wiring harnesses, fuel and vacuum lines, brackets etc. from the intake manifold. I ended up splitting the two halves of the intake to expose the tangled web of wires and lines beneath. I unhooked what I could but ultimately ended up leaving the intake in the engine compartment and pulling the head off of it.  

The Pistons looked good and the valves didn’t look bad either until upon closer inspection when I could see that several were just slightly open. 

Only one valve seemed to be bent though, or at least had any visible damage.

Stay dirty my friends!