Get-the-supra-running-day

[.RJ]

It should be under $100 to hot-tank and deck the head.

[CaptainHenreh]

UUUPPDAAATEEUUUH!

Nothing interesting.

Dad, while I was at the meeting, took everything out of the garage, manhandled the car (by himself) over to our lift hook (which is not nearly as useful as the name would imply) and attatched a chain hoist to the hooks, which are bolted to the head.

Follow me on this one.

He then put one (1) head bolt in, finger tight. Finger tight for my father I pratically need a breaker bar to get loose. I can't decide if I'm a sissy, or if he's secretly Thor. But if he IS Thor, then even the Norse God of Thunder can't get this twice-damned head off.

I digress.

Anyway, so chain hoist attatched to head, which is attatched to car by one bolt. Dad jacks car up, pulls chain tight annnnddd....lets jack down!

Car stays up! Head doesn't move! So we left it there overnight. I had to go to school this morning, so we'll see what's up when I get back. I'm really hoping to avoid something coming home to something along these lines:

[ScottyB]

i know supra engines have a reputation for invincibility but that is ridiculous

[Ryan T]

it must have been super overheated. It's welded the head to the gasket.

Time for a wedge and hammer.

[CaptainHenreh]

it must have been super overheated. It's welded the head to the gasket.

No, I don't think so. That would take thousands of degrees of heat to weld the gasket not only to the aluminum head, but also the iron block.

More likely, I think, is that coolant (and some shit inside the coolant) built up around a dowel pin and locked/rusted into place, creating a kind of glue. I doubt it was "welded". I mean, in all of the history of forever, have you ever heard of a gasket being welded to a head?

I'm gonna call dad and see if it worked. It's definitely looser than it was, I think we might have something.

[Ryan T]

it must have been super overheated. It's welded the head to the gasket.

No, I don't think so. That would take thousands of degrees of heat to weld the gasket not only to the aluminum head, but also the iron block.

More likely, I think, is that coolant (and some shit inside the coolant) built up around a dowel pin and locked/rusted into place, creating a kind of glue. I doubt it was "welded". I mean, in all of the history of forever, have you ever heard of a gasket being welded to a head?

I'm gonna call dad and see if it worked. It's definitely looser than it was, I think we might have something.

I'm afraid you didn't catch my sarcasm.

[Jewels]

He's a little slow, Thayer. You have to spell it out for him sometimes...

[Maengelito]

I'm really hoping to avoid something coming home to something along these lines:

i'd hate to come home to dave too...

[ScottyB]

we need a caption for that picture of dave, ha

maybe, "look what that american iron car did to this poor legend...."

[G.Irish]

"DJ Dave says this is wAck y0!!!"

[Dragon]

i'd hate to come home to dave too...

LOL

[CaptainHenreh]

Here's some pictyaz. And can a mod move this to Technical please? Not really an Event anymore.

We start here:


Then we make the cams naked:


Then we make the TURBOS naked:


Then, remove belts, hoses, timing covers, etc:


Then Dad and Dave sodomize the 240's block, while I scratch my head about why the head didn't just lift off:



Sorry for the stretch, I'm lazy and we-todd doesn't have a thumbnail function. How about double-timing that gallery, jack?

[CaptainHenreh]

Head is off! Dad waved his magic wand while I was at work.

NO APPARENT DAMAGE TO THE HEAD GASKET, which is precicely what I had feared.

*sigh* Does anyone have any of that crack-revealer? If it's my block, that's not a super big deal, I'll use a 3.0L block. But if it's the head, well, I'm pretty much fucked.

I'll know more tomorrow.

[Feersty]

Looks like a fun projekt.

[CaptainHenreh]

Head is disassembled. If the block is cracked, that sucks, whatever I'll get another one. The head didn't appear to be cracked, which is good because 1J heads are both rare and much sought-after.

Question for someone who knows better than I: Wouldn't an aluminum head show damage clearly? Like, wouldn't it *crack*, like all the way through? I've never dealt with that sort of thing...but I really, really, really don't want my head to be cracked, anyone have any ideas for checking it?

[ViPER1313]

Updates???

[CaptainHenreh]

Updates???

Since you asked.

UpERDAT0RR!!!!

Rex has just enough money to feed himself and fuel the Brick. My First (of two) cam position sensors got annihilated by the camshaft. That's where the "copper wire" came from. The "copper wire" was actually the pickup sheild, which had come loose from the sensor and moved outward to make slight contact with the camshaft. But "slight contact" millions of times will destroy stuff. As it did. It looks to me that the CAS was over-tightened, and that the plastic housing cracked, causing the sensor to move too far forward into the cam area. Anyway, I need a new one. 77 bucks from Autozone, and Advance Auto Lady told me there wasn't any such thing as a "cam position sensor". I told her to go to hell.

I took the cam caps and lifters out of the head, so that all that remains is the valves and springs. I did this so that I can take my head to Carquest, per this pair of conversations:

Me:Hi, I need a quote for machining a head.
D.E.:Awraat. Whut kiyn?
Me: It's a 24 Valve inline 6 twin cam from a Toyota Supra. I need it pressure checked and decked.
D.E.:Wow. That thar's a big head.
Me:Yeah, well, I guess. Any idea how much it will cost?
D.E.:Well, assumin' I can do sumthin' that big, it'll be 45 dollars tuh clean it, and then another 45 to deck it, plus whatever labor to take out the lifters and such...
Me:Well, the head's disassembled save the valves and springs. I took out the lifters, sensors, and cam caps.
D.E.:Ah, so all that's left is the valves and springs?
Me:Yeah.
D.E.:Well then you're probably lookin at around a hunnert bucks for that, then.
Me:So 100 dollars for a cleaning, pressure test, and planing?
D.E.:Oh, that's right! You wanted it pressure tested too! Well, like ah said, I'm not sure I can pressure test a head that big, but it'll be another 45 dollars.
Me: So 150 for the whole deal. What's the turnaround time?
D.E.:Oh, I reckon if you can get it here t'day I can have it for ya by the end of the week.
Me:Ok, I'll let you know. <click>

CQCarquest Machine shop, this is Ron, how can I help you?
Me:Hi! I need some machine work done to a cylinder head.
CQ:Ok. What kind of head is it?
Me:It's from a Supra Turbo.
CQ: Is that a four cylinder or a 6?
Me: That's a 24V 6 cyl.
CQ: V-6 or inline?
Me: It's a inline, and aluminum.
CQ: What do you need done?
Me: I need it pressure tested and planed. How much are we talking?
CQ: 15 for cleaning, 35 for the Pressure Test, 35 for the planing.
Me: So 85 for the lot?
CQ: That's rig...wait, inline six, right?
Me: Yeah.
CQ: Sorry, it'll be 45 to deck it.
Me: So 95, then? And it'll have a metal head gasket, so it will need to be pretty even.
CQ: We'll prepare it for your gasket surface, don't worry about it.
Me: So I can just drop it off?
CQ: Whenever is convinient for you, yes sir.
Me: Excellent, I will see you soon.
CQ: Have a great day.

Now tell me. Which would you take your head to? So anyway, I get paid on friday, and then off to Carquest I go. That's about as far as I've gotten. I'm gonna take some pictures of my annihilated Cam sensor and my bare block here someday. Maybe tonight. Who knows.

[Mike]

advance is the worst! when i was at mine yesterday the clerk didn't know what a serpentine belt was :x

[JohnC]

The Advance here in C-ville isn't *horrible*, they've got more of a clue than the Auto Zone across the street. Took me about 30 seconds to buy wheel bearings for the truck (granted, it wasn't some crazy ass JDM engine swap beast that isn't in any computer). They even let me wander around their stock shelves in the back to find some fuel hose (didn't tell them it was for a Z32, lest they get confused)... Oh well, I still cringe whenever I go into ANY brick and mortar parts store - my latest experiences with some of the specialized Z mail-order shops have been awesome. Concept Z Performance in Arizona rocks my world.

But Rex, I didn't even know Carquest had a machine shop? Aren't they like a less successful NAPA?

[CaptainHenreh]

Took me about 30 seconds to buy wheel bearings for the truck (granted, it wasn't some crazy ass JDM engine swap beast that isn't in any computer).

That's true, your lightning isn't some crazy ass JDM engine swap beast. But all of the major parts are interchangeable with any JZ series engine, which is hardly "crazy ass JDM" as it came in no less than 4 ToyLexA models. As a matter of fact, everything but the rods, crank, timing belt, injectors, MAP sensor and intake/exhaust manifold gaskets are interchangeable.

But Rex, I didn't even know Carquest had a machine shop? Aren't they like a less successful NAPA?

Yeah, they have a machine shop. Julie's dad had his Ford F-150's block and head done by CarQuest in Winchester, and a guy who owns no less than 3 Packards and races Antique cars said that unless I "wanted to do something crazy" that CarQuest would do as good a job as any.

On another note, the Volvo broke down today. My initial prognosis is that I've busted a coolant hose, but only further research will tell and I'm freaking tired.

Would someone like to help me overload my C++ input operators for a user-defined data type? If I finish that, I can rest. And I need it.