I was pleased to see the oil staining was actually not that bad, indicating the previous owner likely kept up with oil changes. No significant scoring on the bores and journals either.


This is what the short block looked like before any cleaning was done.


I cleaned it up using lots of brake clean. I tried to remove as much of the corrosion and oxidation as I could using a wire wheel.





To keep the buckets in order I like to use little organizer boxes. They are like 4 bucks from Harbor Freight. I have the cams, caps, and buckets neatly set aside. I also have all the bolts soaking in white vinegar. I guess it helps remove rust and oxidation. We will see how well that turns out.


The heads were sent to the machine shop and returned pretty quick. I had them pressure tested, vacuum tested, cleaned, and surface decked. The guides and valves look healthy so I will not be messing with them.




So far It is going pretty smooth. I pretty much have 2 of everything so I can choose the healthier of the 2 options. I will be taking smaller items to work and use the parts washer to cook and clean some of the smaller parts. For the machine work I used Dons Machine Shop in Kenosha Wisconsin. I have used them plenty times in the past when I worked for Kenosha Subaru. I would imagine there are better shops around but I got a decent price and very fast service. Vacuum test shows 100% seal and no cracks on pressure test. .004" on the deck surface. Also they were able to remove the one exhaust stud that was seized. The surface of the head at the exhaust manifold side is very pitted but I will try and deal with that when the time comes. Maybe some exhaust gasket goop or something idk. Slowly but surely she is coming along. I have OEM head gaskets on order.


-RONI-