I bought a set of BC 264s for my GTE and I have questions about replacing shims so it will be within specs.

First, let me walk you through what i have done to my GTE head. The head was decked, cleaned and had a 3 angle valve job. Installed USDM cams and shimmed within specs due to the head had 3 angle valve job( valve pushed up a bit because of the valve job and made the clearance tighter). When I bought new shims for the USDM cams, I bought the smallest/thinnest shims i could get from Toyota. After that, clearance turned out perfect according to specs by using feeler gauges.

Now, since I am on the thinnest spec of the shims and wanted to install BC 264s, i'm afraid the clearance will be tight again and i have no way to find more shims.

These are the solution i can think of:

1. Take the head apart, and shave the top/tip of each valves from a machine shop.
2. MR2 buckets?

What do you suggest?


Valve job



Cleaned/shaved valve ( the tip of the valve was shaved a bit [not pictured ])

 

Wing it. You may luck out and not need any smaller shims.

I was lucky enough that I only had to swap two exhaust side buckets with one another to be within spec. The rest were dead perfect on bc272 cams. They used to be notorious for coming degrees out or needing shims but they may have improved in quality more recently?

 

So what did you set the valves to last time (clearance)? The way you worded that it comes across that you took a guess on buying shims and lucked out. How are you checking cleRNce? Are you sure you're doing it right?

 

if the shims are tight grind the top of the valve with a dremel or die grinder.