ok, these are really dumb questions, just want to ask though,

little background first,the 22re is in an 86 runner 230k, looks like the head has been redone recently, runs really well, holds compression of 160 +- across the board, but want to do a few things to it,

1. Can I swap cams without changing the headgasket, and having the head redone?

2 what are my options for more power without spending huge bucks, I dont need 200 horsepower, but it would be nice to see 100 out of it, Im thinking cam, header possibly milling the head down, and doing a valve job of sometype, but how much power did you see when adding a cam and a header to your vehicle?

thanks

wade

 

To do any headwork you abviously have to remove the head.

I would do...

Mild port and polish (its ugly in there)
3 angle valve job
only resurface the head if you need to.
match the intake manifold all the way down to the head they dont match.
header is always a way to top it off.

 

well i realize that i would have to remove head to do that, i guess i should have put, without headwork can i get away without swapping headgaskets and whatnot, say if i were to just put in a cam?

it would make things a whole lot easier.

wade

 

well im almost 100% positve you have to loosen all the head bolts to remove the rocker arm assembly to gain access to the 6 bolts holding the can down. correct me if im wrong

I would just go that much further and pull the head and get some work done if you want to be up in the 100hp range. Its really not that much harder...Then you can make sure the head bolts arent corroded and need replaced, see how the valves look, get the vavle job etc etc...

 

Yeah to put a cam in you have to remove the head bolts. Its a pretty big risk to take, but ive seen it done. The main things you can do are: Intake, header, catback, cam. For the intake, i swapped the battery and airbox and cut some holes in the airbox.

You can also to the coolant temp sensor mod, check out gagets site for that.

 

and how much do you think it would set me back to have the heads cleaned up and whatnot?

I wouldnt mind having a tri angle valve job, port and polish (do it myself with a family friend) and get a new cam, i just need a little more grunt if ya know what i mean!
wade

 

I think Engnbldr charged me $75 for a basic 'freshening' of the head. ...Surface, valve grind, etc.

 

you need to remove the rocker arm assembly to change the cam and the head bolts are what holds that.... if you remove it and dotn touch the head, thats a major risk of the head gasket not sealing properly... best to jsut yank it off and replace the head gasket.....

 

Valve job should be $110 max for a good job...

Also if you replace the cam you may need to replace the followers (rockers) as the pads on the followers tend to wear to the old cam and can ruin the new cam if there bad. Cheapest aftermarket followers I could find where $17 ea x 8 = total $136 plus you may need the set screws if they are worn which are about $2 a piece.

Replace any head bolts that have pitting or corrosion it is very common for them to need replacing.

If your doing the port and polish...I would just polish any rough areas so you don't mess up the head and airflow, unless you know what you are doing. You should definetly match the ports on the 2 piece intake manifold and where the intake mainfold bolts to the head. They DO NOT line up very good.

You should check if the head is flat and see if it needs machining. Also check the distance between the water jacket holes in the head and the piston...if the edges on the head are corroded bad it wouldnt be a bad idea to machine the head. Sometimes you may encounter water getting into the cylinder if the gaps to small.

To do it right this is what really needs to be done especially if you plan on keeping the vehicle for a while. The intake and header on top of this will definetly help get some hp for you.

 

if going t opull the head, and you can afford it, get the arp head stud kit... i have heard from several sources it is awesome in comparison to the stock setup, even with brand new stock head bolts

 

I think that i may go ahead and do what i want to the engine and wait on the suspension lift, that way it is running better for when i do lift it, ill make final plans after the 4th when i get the cash for my firework stands,

thanks guys
wade

 

I like fireworks!

 

When I did the TRD cam in my old 22RE Celica, I just drained all the coolant from radiator and block. I also left the rad cap off. That relieves most of the pressure that tends to move the head when the bolts are out. I did it twice, never replacing the OE(18 year old!) head gasket. Car ran fine and still is running fine(now over 250K miles).