HELP with reassembling my SR20DET head?! Can't figure out the problem.

[Jiveturkey]

So I took off my head to replace the head gasket among other things and now that I am going to put the cams/rockers/shims back the damn valves don't close all the way.

I made sure not to mix up the rockers or caps but alas the shims did get mixed up. However I measured them and they are all between 2.9 and 3.0 mm In other words the spread is only 3 thousandths of an inch not enough to make the problem I am seeing. I even took the two smallest shims and put them on one of the cylinders the valves we're staying open and it didn't make a substantial difference.

These valves are open more than a few thousandths. The cam it self is keeping the valves open. In other words when the cam is off all the valves are closed so it's not any sort of binding in the head. Any idea what the hell I screwed up or if I am missing something?

[turbociv910]

can you stick a feeler gauge in the valve seat? or are you just guessing?

[rcdad123]

make sure there is no debris in the lifter holes. if the lifters sit higher in the holes, it will make the rockers press on the valves. or the oil in the lifters are not bleeding due to cold weather. good luck

[Jiveturkey]

can you stick a feeler gauge in the valve seat? or are you just guessing?

I can actually look in the intake port and see that it's open. I've also blown compressed air down the intake port and can feel it coming out of the spark plug hole. They are for sure not seating.

[Jiveturkey]

make sure there is no debris in the lifter holes. if the lifters sit higher in the holes, it will make the rockers press on the valves. or the oil in the lifters are not bleeding due to cold weather. good luck

I didn't remove the lifters so there shouldn't be debris in them. However it has been cold and it is possible that the lifters are not bleeding. What should I do to remedy this?

[cotbu]

You can bleed the lifters, but after you put everything back on properly rotate the cams without the chain and see if all the valves close when they should. Or are you saying you did this and they are still open?

[rcdad123]

I didn't remove the lifters so there shouldn't be debris in them. However it has been cold and it is possible that the lifters are not bleeding. What should I do to remedy this?

you can warm them up with a blow dryer

[TheRealSy90]

How about some pictures. I'd like to see how you have your shims and guides installed also.

[mikerbike]

The cam it self is keeping the valves open.
That's what the cam does. At any crank position, at least one pair of intake and one pair of exhaust valves will be open. If your cams are bolted in the head, some intake valves WILL be open.