Funny you should mention this today.

I'm still struggling with my head situation, nearly eight weeks after removing it.

The head was cracked and, thanks to Jim, I have a replacement.

But, the local shop has proven that they simply are not up to the task. Just insufficient knowledge of what to do, and a refusal to start on the head and work it until it is finished.

So, I'm pulling the plug.

The cost to have Metric motors do the complete job is $380.00. This includes valve guides and valve seals. Since I already bought these from the dealer, the price will be less (I'm thinking about $300). This is $150. less than the local yokel.

The cost to ship the head and a heavy wooden crate out to CA is about $60. each way.

I'm going to do it. Enough of keeping my fingers crossed and hoping that this imbecile doesn't cause more damage. If Metric does it, it's cheap insurance, IMHO.

It's somewhat surprising, however, that your oil consumption issue can be caused by valve guides, especially since they were replaced. Were the valve guides OE? Some are cautious of aftermarket guides due to random quality. There is not much tolerance between the valve and the guide. What about the valve seals? Were they OE parts? If not, that could be the issue.