[cwapface]

Pertinent background info -

158k miles on the car, motor has never been opened up, currently all stock and on a budget. Shooting for ~300whp, i have oem HG and arp's on the way.

The question -

I called around to a lot of machine shops today, and they all want between $200 and $500 to clean it up, mill it, and install the new valve stem seals. Carquest said that if I bring them the bare head they will mill it for $40 and have it back the same day....now I'm considering doing this but I don't know how hard it will be. I have access to a big c-clamp for removing the valve springs and a shit ton of spare time (head coming off saturday, going to the machine shop on monday), but how hard are the cam oil seals to install correctly? anything else I should know about taking it apart and reassembling it myself that isn't in the TSRM?

Oh, and for a stocker torqued to 75ft/lbs, the head just needs to be milled, right?

 

[Stretch]

Best site I ever saw regarding head and engine rebuild. Go to maintenance, and then go to head rebuild. It walks you through it. Have fun!
eric
-----------------------http://www.supras.nl/---------------------

p.s. Arnout is good at documentary stuff

 

[stonedworm]

It is VERY easy to change the stem seals and cam seals... Basically all you do is compress the spring, pull out the keepers, remove the old valve stem seal, put the new one on and make sure it goes on with 2 clicks(you will feel it click into place). Then put the spring back in, compress it, and put the keepers in again. For the cam seals u just put them on and put the cam back in the head.. its dead simple and impossible to screw up(unless you put them in backwards).

 

[stonedworm]

I'm a strong believer in milling both the head and the block... or neither. Chances are that if the head is warped, the block is too and if you only mill the head you are trying to mate a flat surface up to a warped one. So if you do only mill the head, be sure the block is PERFECTELY FLAT.

 

[Twigger]

Been running 12 psi for 2000 miles with oem hg and arps, neither surface was warped but I just got the head resurfaced and so far so good.

 

[Afunk]

You don't even need to take the cams out to put the cam seals in...and if it's even possible to screw up which way the seal goes, you should be shot for doing it...just make sure you don't scratch the seal holder place or anything else that is metal because the seals are hard to get out and one might get frusterated and stab it out with a screwdriver...to get to the seals, pull off the timing belt covers

yes you're welcome

Alex

 

[stonedworm]

You don't even need to take the cams out to put the cam seals in...and if it's even possible to screw up which way the seal goes, you should be shot for doing it...just make sure you don't scratch the seal holder place or anything else that is metal because the seals are hard to get out and one might get frusterated and stab it out with a screwdriver...to get to the seals, pull off the timing belt covers

yes you're welcome

Alex

He said he wanted to change the valve stem seals.. so removing the cams is required. Its even easier to change the cam seals with them out of the car :bigthumb: And I agree with you.. if you can screw up the cam seals you do need to be shot.

 

[hamzam]

How the hell do you guys get the valve stem seals out! I tried prying on them with needle nose pliers, but I only got to rip the spring off of them, and pieces of rubber.

Now would be a good time to buy a grinder also :bigthumb:

 

[cwapface]

thanks for the help and the tips everyone, I didn't know the seals would be that easy any job that ends up with me having more extra tools than extra nuts and bolts is always a success