And as you can see the result of running too much boost on an old engine with stock head gasket is:
On removing the front bumper I was confronted with this:
As you can see it is the Bertone symbol sprayed onto the front crossmember, apparently all Evos made after Lancia officially closed the Chivasso plant were sprayed by Bertone. Maggiora assembled the car bare, then they were loaded onto a truck and sent to Bertone to be sprayed, then returned and the car was then put on the Production line. Side skirts, spoilers, bumpers, bonnet grilles were sprayed separately off the car, fitted, then quality controlled/checked and road tested on some local roads and on the Chivasso test track.
Anyhow, back to the job: The head was stripped and cleaned for inspection, skimmed, new guides fitted, valves and seats re-cut, reassembled and shimmed up ready to go back. Once it was back on the block a new water pump, belts and all bearings were fitted.
Is this any better than what your local garage would do? I have a great relationship with the local garages around here, but after seeing them take a complete head from a car with a blown head gasket which was full of emulsified oil and put it back on again as it was, well you just wouldn't do that with a 15yr old 16v Lancia head - the guides will be worn out and the valve seats pitted for sure, it's also prudent to check for wear on the cams and cracks in the combustion chamber too, a common failure of these heads.
While we were waiting for the head being skimmed we also cured the rust problem on the bootlid - the usual area on the bottom corner and fitted one of our rear bumpers, resprayed and head re-fitted it is all ready for pick up.
The recess where the glass sits is filled with Waxoyl before the rear screen is re-fitted:
You pays your money, you take your chances.....
Thankyou to Paul Baker for the Bertone info.
