3VZ Heads - Replace or Rebuild?

[dafried]

Hi All,

After evaluation by a Toyota Master Mechanic who I trust (he's a friend in CA), it appears that I need new heads for my 1991 with 187k miles on it. I live in Glendale, AZ, so I will do the job myself. My block was replaced by Toyota at 100k under recall.

Any recommendations regarding rebuilding my heads vs. buying new or swapping? Do I replace the bolts as well? I'll replace the knock sensor, since it was suggested by my friend. He also suggested that I replace the exhaust valves. They are probably not ALL bad, but why mess with them later - seems logical.

What about timing belt components? Should I change anything there? Any gasket brand recommendations? Anything else I may be missing?

Thanks in advance,

David

 

[aj884runner]

head replacement

If your mechanic says the heads need replacing and you trust him I would go with that. I would ask him why they need replacing eg. cracked, camshaft journals badly worn. I would use Toyota gaskets. They will probaly last the longest. As far as timing components...I would replace just about every thing like the waterpump, idler pulleys and tensioner as well as seals. The New, or rebuilt heads may come with valves in place, if not I would do all the valves.
Hope I helped out a bit.

 

[dafried]

Thanks for your reply.

I received similar advice from some other boards and friends.

I haven't begun re-assemble yet, but I did a swap on the heads. Yes, they replaced valves etc.

Thanks for the advice on timing components. I have all the parts, but I'm waiting for the gasket set to come. I'll sit on this until next week (it's not my daily driver, so no rush).

Thanks again for the reply.

David