engine rebuild

[killermrob83]

Japanese made '90 Corolla LE 4A-FE/5 spd with 205k miles. Have pulled the engine out of my rust eaten Michigan Corolla. My plan is to go through it and make it bullet proof so that I can install it into a southern/western rust free body and get another 300-400k miles out of it with none other than routine maintenance. What are the problem areas, if any, with these engines? I was experiencing a slight amount of blue (oil) smoke upon cold start up that would last about 30 seconds which leads me to believe that the valve stem seals are leaking by. Other than that, the car gets over 40 mpg on every tank. I have the head removed and will probably have it surfaced just to ensure that it is flat. The cylinders only have a very slight ridge at the top of the piston stroke and you can still see the cross hatch marks from the factory honing. Any/all advice will be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time and consideration. Rob