i have a 95 t/a with some coolant in the oil. ill be pulling the heads sometime this week, just a few quick questions.
---i am doing this on a limited budget, so while i realize now would be the perfect time to swap cam, timing chains, put on headers etc, now,,, is not the time, lol---

1. do i need to replace the head bolts?

2. do i need to replace the springs, shims rockers or anything else valve train related?

3. ill be using a top end kit, all gaskets and what not. plugs wires and distributor cap and rotor will be replaced. anything else?

 

New head bolts are a MUST..

I'd just have the heads cleaned up at your local machine shop with a vavle job.. Make sure they check to see if there warped and pressure checked, Since your gettting coolent in the oil..

I'd leave the cap and rotor alone. If you not having anyproblems with your opti now.. Just leave it.. Wait untill it craps out then buy a whole new one.. Alot of guys have missing issuse's after just replacing the cap and rotor..

 

How many miles on the car?

 

$50 for a set of ARP head bolts; cheap investment to clamp your heads down properly. Be sure to clean all the head bolt holes out with a thread chaser and lubricate the new bolts per ARP's specs. Be sure to torque the heads down per the ARP instructions, torquing them down in the proper sequence in 3 progressive stages.

 

motor has 150,000 miles. run synthetic since new, expertly serviced. i realize there will be reliabilty issues later, for now it runs great though. just need her drivable for the time being. ill be getting a block as soon as i sell the 3 gen 1 blocks i have and ill start building it. for now, i just need to get tires to pavement.

 

#1-YES with ARP's as ya can use them again several times.
#2- NO
#3-NO unless something else is broke.
Don't get a complete valve job as it will start changing it's own oil. Some don't but most do.
Just have the heads surfaced. Equal for both heads.
Check your valves for leakage by filling the ports with solvent and see how much,if any,they leak. If they are pouring fluid ya got no choice but to risk the oil thing.
If they just get wet after 20 minutes or so it should be fine for another 25/30 thousand miles.

 

i'd have the heads checked to see what shape the valves are in. If the valves and seats are in good shape then I wouldn't worry about it. I would, however put new valve seals on.
Anyone who "Expertly services" a vehicle gives me the shudders. Reminds me of that commercial where a guy leaves his car at a shop, drives by it every day looking out a bus window, calls and asks when it's going to be done, and the "expert" says he has 3 of his best guys on it and you see 3 very fat, greasy rednecks lounging on the hood.

 

Like the AAMCO comercial: "It's much,much better than new". After a rebuild at a non AAMCO transmission shop.