having some 'head' worries

[sjbsuperman1425]

back in October, i took my head to a machine shop and had them resurface the head for a new head gasket and clean the intake and exhaust runners. They said they put it in a solvent tank (or hot tank, can't remember which) and then used a wire brush to clean up the rest. the head was NOT disassembled..

Rico05 advised me that the solvent could have ate away at the camshaft seal, which when i pulled my cam today, the seal looked to be very good still. I also was worrying about the valve stem seals as i was also told the solvent would eat these away too.

Does anybody agree with all this? It sounds like reasonable logic to me, but just would like more opinions i guess.

[Danski]

Do you think the machine shop would do something like that if it would eat all the seals?

Also you could always ask them.

[boost_boy]

Is it smoking? Is it leaking oil int the cylinders? What makes you worry so? A competent machine would've taken them out before they dipped it and added new seals afterwards.

Dee

[sjbsuperman1425]

head is stilll of the car, so i have no way of checking if its leaking oil and such. I'd just hate to get it back together then have to tear it all apart again because of the seals.

I guess Danski has a good point though, but they told me it'd be more cost efficient to leave everything together and do it that way.

[boost_boy]

head is stilll of the car, so i have no way of checking if its leaking oil and such. I'd just hate to get it back together then have to tear it all apart again because of the seals.

I guess Danski has a good point though, but they told me it'd be more cost efficient to leave everything together and do it that way.

I would take it back and ask them to be staright-up with you. If the seals are damaged, you'll know about it soon enugh.

Dee

[sjbsuperman1425]

im gonna hit them up tomorrow morning. I order the seals yesterday, and they will be in today just in case. I'm sure they'll tell me I'm ok but who knows.

[sjbsuperman1425]

two things:

how do i get the lifters out? I can pull some out with a pocket magnet, but others will not come out with that technique..

Also, if one were to hot tank a head with everything together, what are the chances of oil still being present on the lifters and in the head itself?

[float_6969]

You need a really strong magnet to get the lifters out. Sometimes if you spin them while you pull it helps.

I really can't imagine a machine shop leaving a head totally assembled when they hot tank it.

[sjbsuperman1425]

yea i figured the lifters would be a pain too get out.

maybe they didn't hot tank it. the first time i took it there the outside was cleaned and so was the cams and stuff, but the runners were still dirty, so i took it back and had them clean it. I'm not sure exactly what they did, but im going to find out tomorrow. hopefully they can clear this up

sidenote: are the intake and exhaust valve seals the same?

[boost_boy]

sidenote: are the intake and exhaust valve seals the same?

Yes!

Dee

[sjbsuperman1425]

just got back from the machine shop and this is what they told me..

he said the valve seals should be ok because the solution they use in their hot tank (which they did use) is very "cut up" (diluted) and that they do it to heads when people want them cleaned up. He also said that if i were to go to a place like carquest, their hot tanks would have a harsher detergent then what they use at their shop.

Thoughts? I'm starting to lean towards the idea that the valve seals are ok based part on his testimony and the fact that the camshaft seals were basically brand new still and were infact very difficult to remove.

[float_6969]

If the head is on the motor, I would just let it go. If not, I'd replace them.

[sjbsuperman1425]

let me know if this makes sense to you guys, because I think I was staring my answer in the face the whole time.

When i took the head back the second time, he told me to leave my number on the head, which i did and I wrote it on with a permanent marker. Now wouldn't permanent marker come off before any seals were damaged, because my number is still on the head