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No pic but I pressure washered the bajesus out of the heads this afternoon. I lot of metal...powder almost in the driveway much to Lan's dismay. I'll scotchbrite the outside a little to pretty them up then I guess set the valve springs and shims....then bag everything until the final torqued in place cam journal lap.


this is the part of the job that is really REALLY boring. I like to saw and weld stuff, chips everywhere so you see progress. Here every job needs to be done 48 times....I tell myself its only 24 because the others are different but....yeah, its 48 times and visually you really can't tell done from not done.....and if 1 is wrong the engine explodes it turns out so its not only the most boring but also the most important work.

Another 4-6 weeks and hopefully its an engine again and I can return to thinking about sticky tires, ideal sway bars/spring rates and a general suspension refresh. I saw the "wear your helmet to work" stuff and realized mine is no doubt expired at this point. Thinking about these things helps make the whole doing everything 48 times more tolerable.....I'm so over this engine project at this point. god help me if anything goes wrong this time as I'm not sure I have another go at it in me.

Slowly but surely. Do only 2 per day if that's all that is tolerable. Do them right.

Funny enough its the not being done that's intolerable...once I start a project I HAVE to finish it...just can't focus on anything else until its done. That's how lana gets so much of my time...."I just need this 1 little thing...".....which is attached to something HUGE.

Tonight I checked 1 intake spring setup and found its needs shims so assuming the rest will also need attention I got a butt load of shims ready.  I don't love how the lower spring seat locates in the head....since it really doesn't.  It can't go anywhere really but can and likely does lay against the valve stem seal.....I need to make an insert or something just for a bit of peace of mind if nothing else....but that will be tomorrow.

i think tonight will be make the some of the shims I cut just a little smaller OD....everything's nice cuz I do it all twice. Best to do it now while its setup.

Then make some little buckets that locate to the valve guide and the lower spring seat drops into to locate is properly. The original plan was the spring seat located on the guide but the shim height means its sitting above the locating feature..DOH! The buckets should mostly eliminate the need for shims but once I make the shim sat OD .010" small they will drop into the bucket under the spring seat if needed.

McMaster doesn't have shims you can just buy?

I honestly never thought to look and ordered valve spring shims from summit I think. Looking now I done SEE anything with both a useful ID and OD but I do like the all the thickness options...the ones I have are 15, 30,60 thou but the springs want 1.400-1.410" installed height so steps of 15 are not ideal.

What ID & OD do you need?

Like 10mm (.394) ID, 24mm (.944)OD. The ones I have are .528ID then I turned the OD to .944....they will be fine in the buckets, last time I actually tack welded then to the spring seat.

1 spring seat properly located concentric to the valve and at the right height....47 to go

Be sure to post photos of each one