1fz-fe head questions

[jeserx]

I just received a used head with 170,000 miles on it yesterday. I started going through it and cleaning it up and I noticed a small little chipped out area right next to the second intake valve in cylinder 1. The little pit travels to where the valve seats and stops there. I’m assuming it is fine to run however I thought I’d see if anyone else had any input as far as if it fine to run and also if it could act as a weak point and crack in the future.
Thanks.

 

[robnicko]

Id take it to a Cyl head specialist and have them assess it. Also whilst they have it they can check for warpage and all the other tests they do which will be money well spent

 

[Malleus]

Get some valve lapping compound and Prussian blue. Paint the valve and mark the seat. If it paints all the way around:

Put the valve in it and fill the combustion chamber with water while it's upside down. That'll tell you if it leaks. If it doesn't, lap the valve and see if it still holds water. If it does, you're good; if it doesn't it'll need to be ground and checked.

You can't tell anything by looking at it.

If you have a precision straightedge, you can check the bottom face for flatness; if you don't, you'll need someone who does to check that too, as @robnicko said.

FWIW, a while back, there was another head post and someone commented that the head should be ported and polished. While that may look good, I doubt you'll get much value out of the exercise, other than the warm feeling you get looking at the photo album...this isn't a racing engine.