Good Machine Shop For Head Work? Smoking Problem...

[84Toyota4x4]

I rebuilt my engine not too long ago, however I had some sketchy experiences with the shop that did the work (wrong oil clearances, needed new crank to fix it, etc), and they also went through the head supposedly installing new parts.

Since Ive had it running, I get small puffs of blue smoke after decelerating in gear with the clutch out (mild compression braking). The smoke puffs out after I give it a little more gas again, or if Im "compression braking" long enough, it will kinda puff out slowly as well. Also, you can only really notice it in certain weather conditions. You don't really see it at all (if ever) in the warmer weather. Its mostly this colder weather we have, fall/winter time frame that its mostly noticeable, and its definitely blueish in color. Its really strange.

I'm fairly certain that its not the rings (which are chromo, so maybe). Or should I say Im hoping its not a cylinder wall/ring problem. So, this leads me to valve stem seals. When I had the engine built, I didn't really have the shop do anything to the head other than two new valves, and new seals. I inspected the rocker assembly and installed new adjuster screws before it went back together back at the shop.

Anyway, Id like to have some larger valves installed, along with new (again) seals, etc. I'm hoping this might give me a little more power, and potentially solve my smoke problem as well. The truck runs great other than that.

So, long story short, who would you send a head to for new valve grind/valves/seals/etc? And, does anyone have any thoughts on the smoke problem? Could it be the chromo rings just never seated right? Its got about 10,000 miles on it by now. Maybe the PCV system isnt quite right? I dunno...

~T.J.

 

[TB-F]

I know a very good machinist. He built my custom 22re for me. Very nice work, the guy is meticulus. A little slow, but very resoably priced. Did I mention killer work? PM me if you want his number, he's between Monroe and Sultan.

edit-Mine does the same thing if I'm going down a very long and steep "realy steep" downhill, only time it does it and I have total seal rings and LCE's "vivitron" or whatever the hell there called high-falutin' valve seals.

edit 2- He put 1 mm larger valves in mine, also from LCE. largest you can go and still use the stock valve seats.

 

[84Toyota4x4]

Supposedly mine are the Viton seals as well, but like I said, with that shop, I dunno if they did it, and if they did, if it was right

You can PM me his number if you want, Im not quite ready to do this anytime really soon. I was more or less bored, not sleeping, thinking about it, and figured Id ask before it slipped my mind. I figure I can search my name later to reference replies if I have to when Im ready.

~T.J.

 

[TB-F]

Years of trial and error have led me to these 22re power conclusions.


There isnt any.

I dumped a ton of money in to my engine this spring in a vain attempt to gain power, and I did. Just not as much as I wanted. My engine is a 87 block bored .080 over with forged 10:1 comp pistons. 1mm larger stainless fancy-dancy swirly valves. Stiffer valve springs. A LCE EFI pro cam. Full balcing of the entire rotating asembly and probly some other doo-jobies that I am forgeting. It definatley makes way more power than the stock 91 engine and injection I was running. But it's just not enuf. Absolutley screams in the top end and revs to 8500 rpm smooth as butter but there's just no tourque.

Anyway. That's my .02 about 22r's

 

[stealthrunner1]

action machine!!!!!

 

[Toyotanut]

use the guy ethan's talkin about

 

[Roccrawler]

there is no substituion for cubic inches..

Turd polishing ......

 

[War-Jeeper]

action machine!!!!!

Thats what i am also using for my chev 350 they are pretty good guys there and run a real clean shop, right there on highway 99

 

[84Toyota4x4]

Yeah, thats who I went to for all my work on my other cars engine I did, but this time I went to Everett Auto Truck or whatever, and they effed it up pretty bad, and also my uncles V6 motor, AND a guy I worked with had his motor messed up too. So I would stay away from those clowns as much as possible.

When I checked my bearing clearances the first time, it didnt even squish the plastigauge AT ALL. WAY WAY WAY too big of clearances for the crank. I would move the crank up and down like there were no bearings in it at all. Rods were good though. Unfortunately, they turned the crank so damn far I had to find another one, and it happened to be a matched set for another block I had, so I decided to use that one instead. I made them re-do the cylinders again and the clearances for the rods and mains. They got it close to right this time (little bigger than I wanted), but I needed the engine back.

Same thing happened when they were doing my uncles 3.0 V6. Main clearances were WAY too small, he couldnt even rotate the crank with no pistons or rods attached, just the crank with the mains tightened. Obviously the clearances were WAY wrong.

The guy I worked with had them check his heads for a 350 he was building, they said they were fine, and they also said the rods were good, meanwhile they did some other work to the engine. The guy took them to another shop after I told him the problems I had with the place, and the other shop said the rod ends were out of round and needed work, and the heads werent even flat and needed to be machined. He also found something else wrong with the seals or something for the valves, but the exact problem escapes my memory.

Scott (the guy I work with) told me that the only reason he didnt take the parts to the 2nd shop he ended up going to in the first place was cost. Auto Truck said they could do it cheaper. He ended up paying Auto Truck AND the other shop for the work, and it ended up costing more in the long run.

I kick myself in the ass every day when I start thinking about it that I didnt just go to Action Machine. Going to Auto Truck cost me over a week longer (waiting for the second block), and although it "saved me money" at the time, I still think they messed up when they "checked" the head for me and replaced those valves. So now, I have to take the head off again and send it out again, just because of low quality work - at least thats my opinion.

Oh well, I guess its one of those things that you learn in time, go to a shop with a good reputation that does quality work, and dont let cost steer you away.

~T.J.