The 907 is a fairly complex engine and I'd be uncomfortable advising a novice to pull the head unless he/she's seen an engine disassembled in person or at least in a video. The shop manual is written for the professional mechanic and while reasonably accurate and complete, assumes considerable background knowledge that a novice isn't likely to have. There are a lot of things that have to be 'just so' if the engine is to run properly when it's put back together.
Finances are another thing to consider. Assuming the pistons were not damaged when the tensioner let go, even a street-grade valve job will set you back $800-$2000 in parts, labor, and machine time, depending on what needs replacing and who does the work. A running engine in decent shape can often be found for $200-$500, and can be installed in your car over a weekend, for maybe $100-$200 more in parts and tool rental fees. You could then decide what to do with the original engine at your leasure -- keep it for spares, tear it down yourself for educational purposes, or for evaluation and possible repair, ship it off for rebuild or modification, part it out on eBay, or whatever.
If you'll add your city and state to your user profile, perhaps there are other JH owners in your area who can suggest nearby competent and honest mechanics -- or at least tell you which ones to avoid.
Last edited on 09-01-2005 12:52 am by Mark Rosenbaum
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