Replacement Valves

[Andrew O Byrne White - Ireland AO]

Anyone know anywhere good to source these? The pistons and valves in my Lexus IS200 had an argument at the weekend. Pistons won. Lexus are quoting £55 + VAT per exhaust valve and £22 + VAT per inlet valve. I'm not sure how many of each I need yet but if it's all 24 at that price I'll have to try to get a new engine.

[TAFKARM]

Engine swap has to be the easier / cheaper option?

I had similar on a 318iS back in the day, all 16 valves and I don't thinks I got much change from £1700...

[cast iron]

have you tried a price from Toyota?

[Thrustyjust]

Not sure what engine it is, but you could buy this, get it skimmed and valves recut and plop it in

 

ebay item 

282226087846

[Andrew O Byrne White - Ireland AO]

have you tried a price from Toyota?

Hah, the two are the same dealership in Cov so don't think I'd even be speaking to different people!

Not sure what engine it is, but you could buy this, get it skimmed and valves recut and plop it in

ebay item

282226087846

That's a lot of money for a gamble but I'll keep it in mind!

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

Hah, the two are the same dealership in Cov so don't think I'd even be speaking to different people!

That's a lot of money for a gamble but I'll keep it in mind!

 

It might sound daft, but do try it!

 

For years it was a known money saving tip for owners of Jaguars etc, which shared many BL parts bins. Buy the same bit with an Austin, BL or whatever part number on it, and it was significantly cheaper than the identical item with a Jag part number.

[DamperMan]

Personally I'd change the engine or at least heads. You could buy the valves and find a whole host of other nasties which may not even be evident when you rebuild it only to cause more hassle a month down the line.   the guides are damaged, cams damaged, lifters damaged.     Was it a belt/ chain failure..

[Arm]

As above

 

Valve guides will need checking as will followers and cams.

 

Load from piston hitting and bending valve is massive and other things get damaged and later fail.

[Andrew O Byrne White - Ireland AO]

Thing is I'm on a very tight budget so can't afford a new engine. If I go with a second hand head, it's a big cost with a lot of unknown about it so could have all the same problems again.

Are the valve guides the kind of thing I can check myself or is that something I'd have to pay out for?

[TAFKARM]

Loads of engines on eBay for <£250....

[Arm]

If they are cracked its usually easy to spot. If they are distorted its not so easy.

 

Depends what material guide is made from - being brittle and cracking or softer and distorting.

 

I dont know the material in those heads.

[Andrew O Byrne White - Ireland AO]

Loads of engines on eBay for <£250....

Yes but completely unknown history. I could be paying £250 for the exact same thing. If I had enough time to pull the entire engine I'd look at that as a serious option but I'm limited to doing this outdoors after work at the moment and I need to get back on the road ASAP.

[Andrew O Byrne White - Ireland AO]

If they are cracked its usually easy to spot. If they are distorted its not so easy.

Depends what material guide is made from - being brittle and cracking or softer and distorting.

I dont know the material in those heads.

I'm pretty sure it's an aluminium head so I'm guessing that would put it in the softer bracket. I'll just have to inspect it as closely as I can. I know it's a risk but time and resources are limited at the moment!

[pistonbroke]

Out of interest , was this a cambelt failure ?

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

Ah, sorry, hadn't realised the engine hadn't actually been checked over at this point.

Unless it's a hideously expensive engine, I'd be tempted to just go down the replacement route, it's usually faster and less expensive in the long term.

Don't forget, if doing a valve swap, even if nothing else is immediately damaged, (unlikely, but possible), at the very least you've got the cost of gaskets, and if anything like most cars since the nineties or so, new head bolts. Plus cam belt kit, or whatever. Then there's the time needed to strip and inspect everything...

Also, depending how the valve gaps are set on that engine, if it's not got hydraulic tappers, or an adjustable setup, you may need to purchase fresh shims to set the new valves up

The valve guides are a sepperate component, typically pressed into the head, so the head material alone won't tell you if they're soft or hard types. If replacements are required, it's not really a diy job for the novice.