Shims???

[jgcable]

Can somebody explain what and where these are. I dissasembled my entire 7M-GE head so that the machine shop could plain it and I didn't notice any shims when I took it apart. Its a bone stock motor. What I have is..starting from the bottom of each valve...

Valve
Valve Stem Seal
bottom spring retainer
spring
upper spring retainer
2 keepers
bucket
Cam retainer

 

[IJ.]

In the top of the bucket.

 

[jgcable]

I didn't notice anything on the top of the buckets when I removed them. I instantly put the buckets in individual marked bags so I will take a look tonight. What do they look like? I am surprised that most.. if not all.... of the tutorials I read online about reassembling the head mention nothing about shims. The guy at the machine shop mentioned it though. He told me that the factory put these heads together with the exhaust side being too tight and that I should shim them. Is this something that is done with the head on the car or on the bench?? My plan was to put the entire head together and then install it on the motor.

 

[IJ.]

Nope reading is important "In the top of the bucket"

They're recessed.

 

[suprarx7nut]

They look kinda like little metal hockey pucks.

 

[jgcable]

Thanks for all the replies. Is there a tutorial or specs on how to adjust clearance using shims. The motor ran beautiful before the BHG. Do I just put the buckets back in the holes that they came from with the same shims that they had from the factory or should I do something else. If so.. what??

 

[AJ'S 88NA]

Thanks for all the replies. Is there a tutorial or specs on how to adjust clearance using shims. The motor ran beautiful before the BHG. Do I just put the buckets back in the holes that they came from with the same shims that they had from the factory or should I do something else. If so.. what??

No. I assume you are going to get a valve job done? They would have to be clearanced again, should be done every xx miles anyhow. I would have and most here would have let the machine shop disassemble the head, clean it, surface it, valve job and inspect everything, valves, springs, etc. Then reassemble it.

 

[jgcable]

No. I assume you are going to get a valve job done? They would have to be clearanced again, should be done every xx miles anyhow. I would have and most here would have let the machine shop disassemble the head, clean it, surface it, valve job and inspect everything, valves, springs, etc. Then reassemble it.

The motor only has 100K on it.
I am not doing a valve job. The car ran perfectly before the head gasket began to leak. Actually.. it ran perfect after the head gasket started to leak. The only way we knew it was leaking was the the coolant light would go on and he would have to add a pint in the overflow every week. We decided to do it when the temp spiked a few times. It wasn't enough to overheat though the motor though. We did a leak down test to confirm this.

I called a few local shops and they wanted from $1000.00 to $1250.00 to do that job. I already have $750.00 in materials invested and considering its just a daily driver and far from a show car.. (I only paid $1500.00 for it almost 2 years ago) I can't spend thousands on it. Its my sons car and he just goes back and forth to school in it. Except for a nice radio, a JDM wing, some nice wheels and a K&N cold air system.. its a bone stock N/A Supra automatic.
Basically I just want to get it safe and dependable like it has been for the past 2 years.

Here is what I am replacing...

I had a spot on the head repaired and the head resurfaced. The machine shop said its in great shape.
I am replacing:
Valve Stem seals (Felpro)
Head bolts
Head gasket (Felpro rubber gasket)
All the other gaskets and hoses and belts
Water pump
Fuel injector O-Rings
Timing Belt
Cam front seals
New bolts and washers for the valve covers
O-rings for the large 14mm bolts for the middle tray (which I am not putting back on)
Plugs, rotor, and all fluids