installed valve stem height?

[kb9pru]

I'm new to the DSM world, but learning quickly. I not long ago aquired a 92 talon with the 2.0 4g63. It had a new timing belt, and no compression. I had already done some reading about the 4g63, and of course the bent valves I now had to deal with. I found what I thought was a good deal on ebay. Used 1g head, 3,000 miles since rebuild, sounded good. What I got was a clean looking 2g. So I took the (long) time to cut the ports near to a 1g, and put it on the car. After Ten min. run time, the head gasket let go. Off to the local machine shop it went. Besides the large warp, he tells me it needs the valves done. Got that done, put it back on the car, only to find the valves don't close properly. He didn't check the stem height after the grind, and tells me he never heard of this problem before. To cut to the chase, if I can get the installed height (he says he has no idea) He will correct it. Any other tips or advice about these heads would be great! It would really love to get more than ten min. out of the next high dollar set of gaskets!

 

[Locke]

Exactly what kind of valve work did he do? What shop did you take it to?

Describe how the valves are not closing properly, please.

 

[GVR4592]

I don't know what the installed height is supposed to be off the top of my head, and I don't know exactly where my spec sheet is. I'll see if I can dig them up. But the most important thing you can do in this situation is to never return to that machine shop again. If the machinist didn't set the installed height after he did valve work, he has no place working on any cylinder head. Find a reputable shop that doesn't have to rely on the customer for the proper specs.

 

[kb9pru]

I took it to a local shop called "pro motor". They sell speed parts, nos, and do regular service work, as well as the machine shop. They look good from the outside. I used to know the best places around, but that was long ago. The two places I used to go to are no longer around. My problem is the valves don't close all the way. If I loosen the cams, (not a good thing to do) the engine perks up, and smooths out, but as soon as it tighten them back down, it barely runs. It does not get any better after it warms up, it just stays the same. I tried two different sets of lifters, with the same result. I read somewhere on this site that the 4g63"s have little tolorance on the valve height, and need to be checked. They did a standard 3 angle job, and resurfaced it. The guy said he did these all the time, but it doesen't look that way. If he did, he got lucky alot. He did want to know the problem if I found out, and recomended a web search for a place such as this for info. He says he will fix it if I get the specs, but you would think he should already have them. The cost was cheap at $185 for the machine work, but some times you get what you pay for. What I saved on machine cost, I'm spending on gaskets.....

 

[Locke]

Pro Motor is a good shop, IMO, but form your own opinion.

The installed height is not listed in the FSM.

Do the valves close properly sans camshafts? If so, check that the lash adjusters are fully seating into their pockets, and that they fully compress.

 

[kb9pru]

The people at Pro Motor have been very nice, and Todd recomended a DSM club search, and is willing to fix me up, so I can't complain too much. I have the original head and a set of valves for it now, so once we get one to work, I'll have him do the other. (my son is planning to drive it too, so I may need it) The valves close fine without the cams. Lots of compression when turned over by hand. The head was never what the seller claimed, other than very clean. It looked great, so I bolted it on without checking it out first. The car started with just a bump of the key, even after the head gasket went, if it ever sealed at all. Looking back at the ebay pictures, you can see that #2 and #3 cyl. are lighter in color. I thought it was from those two cyl. running leaner than #1 and #4, but learned the hard way it was from water in the cyl. On the plus side, I can now change the head in the dark........