Austarion

Hi all I've installed my new pistons and bearings. I've now skimmed the head and fitted and cut in new valves along with new valve stem oil seals. My question is do I fit a evo 3 head gasket or a starion sohc gasket? Also which head bolts do I fit? One last thing I've read some people have opened up the head bolt holes for "better oil flow" which is the correct way to go?

Thanks in advance,
T-man.

You need to use the gasket that suits the head, so in your case, an EVO 3 one.
As for head bolts, go the ARPs and do enlarge the headbolt holes if the ARPs are bigger than stock bolts (do you have them?)

At the moment I don't have either the head gasket or bolts. That was going to lead to my next question, do you recommend uprated bolts or use the standard ones, that goes for the headgasket too.

Cheers,
T-man

If you have to enlarge the head stud holes then you will need to be careful with the oil feed to the head as it enters the head via the stud hole where there is a recess in the mating surface so the hole needs to be larger than the stud to allow the oil to flow thru around the stud/bolt. You may also need to do a little grinding to the recess to ensure that the flow is not reduced seeing the head has been resurfaced.
Turn the head upside down and you will see the oil feed hole in this bolt hole.
Compare a head bolt to a stud and you will see that the bolts are thicker under the top for app 10mm and are smaller the rest of the way and studs are the same diameter all the way.
I would reccomend a MLS gasket
Hope this all makes sense to you. :)

I will purchase a uprated head gasket and uprated arp bolts, when I order do I order head studs suited to the 2.0ltr starion or the evo 3 head?

Cheers,
T-man

I would have thought you order to suit the head, in case the height is different between standard head and tc head. If the heads are the same height then it wouldn't matter.