Engine Top End

[06T200]

Next step is up to you and ability. If it were mine, I would strip everything off (find space I'm sure the piles are growing!) the head, and pull the cams, bucket lifters, and mark each item before it is set aside. Then from there pull all the valves, springs, etc. and get it ready to be tanked. This is all labor I don't want to pay, even if I farm out the cleaning, or other work.

Then with the head bare, inspect each guide, these will likely be broken as well. Check for chunks in the piston tops.

for Decarboning the pistons you can brush some chem dip in the cyls, or a solvent of your liking. you will want to drain the oil anyway for this job. Or, read my thread for info on pulling the pan, rods, slugs, rings, etc.

Lookin good, I like how your cams have more machine work to them. different year?

[xintersecty]

I have a 2006 engine. Maybe they automated some of the processes after my model year.

So you saying I could recover those heads? I am thinking about buying an all up engine kit. You know, pistons, rods bearings ect ect ect. I need to find local resources and see how much is a rebuild.

[06T200]

Check out rockauto, they had the deals when I did mine, seemed to be good prices. I know my local machinist wanted in the range of $350-$500 to redo mine for me. Doing my own labor my machinist bill was only $80, for cleaning and a resurface. See what works best for you. Your pistons and everything look really clean, as in not much shrapnel chunked through, but hard to tell from pics. If there are no broken guides you should be able to just replace the valves, lap em in, and throw it all back together. If you have tons of miles like mine then might be a good time to freshen everything up.

[xintersecty]

So here is the latest update. I am running out of time. My truck is being a pain and I need to get my car going. Not going to do the lower half. I got the piston heads cleaned



Closeup


The valves are definitely bent. I checked those this morning while stripping off the rest of the stuff before taking the head for cleaning. Here is the closeup


The head ready for cleaning


Going to order all new valves and valve seals. I will lap them and put it back together and hope for the best.

[xintersecty]

OK, Here is the engine block from cleaning.



Ok I have questions about valves. On Rock Auto there are several kind of valves listed. Here is the econo valves, Engine Tech
More Information for ENGINETECH V4394

They about 5.70 each. There are more expensive valves that have less information Auto 7 at 10.40
More Information for AUTO 7 6120076

So the price difference will be 83.20 vs. 45.60 at 37 dollars. Is it worth it to go for the more expensive valves? As it stand in the head alone it will be about 200 dollars in parts not counting the valves.

Next question, I plan to reuse my springs, what about the valve keepers, do I need to replace those as well?




I will need 8 intake valves and 8 exhaust valves.

[WyrTwister]

The intake and exhaust look to be close to the same diameter ?

How much do the keepers cost ?

What are you going to do with the block ?

God bless
Wyr

[xintersecty]

Keepers cost like nothing. I bought new ones. I am not going to do anything with the block. I am going to do the top end and get that guy working. The bottom end should be good for a long time.

I bought parts!


Valves


Non-sequitur

[WyrTwister]

Best of luck ,

God bless
Wyr

[06T200]

Lookin good X. I think I went with the engine tech valves, no issues some 6K miles later. Keepers should be fine, you will want to check the lifter buckets and make sure they have some spring resistance, just to avoid clacking lifters on startup. Springs should be fine too. Once you get the head disassembled the real cleanup begins. How were your guides? Did you have to swap them out as well? I know I had to do all the exhaust guides on mine, added an extra hour to the job and $20 bucks or so for the guides.

[xintersecty]

you will want to check the lifter buckets and make sure they have some spring resistance, just to avoid clacking lifters on startup..

Thanks! I bought all new guides and seals. It made sense to me. How do you check for spring resistance I thought the lifter buckets were the hydraulic adjusters. I really don't understand that much about engines and have a lot to learn. So teach me my master and I too will join the dark side of mechanics.