My Valves and Pistons - Feedback Please

HerrDeacon wrote:

...think I should replace the seals at this point if it doesn't appear that oil has been leaking down?

Now would be a good time to go ahead and replace the seals, regardless of appearances. If the old seals aren't leaking now, they likely will be soon.

Good Luck!

Makes sense, will do. Thanks.

It is a perfect time to inspect the head, and dont forget new guide seals.
if u need guides u will need a valves job.When the guides are replaced the valves will no longer seat properly.

What do you guys use to clean the valves? I soaked them in Seafoam last night and used a wire wheel on my Dremel tonight. The intakes are not too bad and I should be able to clean them up, but the exhaust ones are really baked on good. Any tips?

wire brush on the bench grinder?

HerrDeacon wrote:

What do you guys use to clean the valves? I soaked them in Seafoam last night and used a wire wheel on my Dremel tonight. The intakes are not too bad and I should be able to clean them up, but the exhaust ones are really baked on good. Any tips?

I found new valves for mine on ebay for about $12 each. At that price, I didn't screw around with cleaning the old ones.

If you use a wire brush, be careful not to score the valve face.

The coloring on the light colored valves is normal. Wire wheel on a drill works very well for cleaning and it wont hurt the valve faces. If the 45deg. angles look good and do not have pits, the valves are fine. Might want to mik the stems at top and bottom for any severely worn ones, but uts not likely you'll have any that bad. If you're putting new guides in have a machinist LIGHTLY touch-up the seats after the guides are in. The valves will lap in easily. keep a close eye on the margin that will form on every valve while you lap. Use meduim to coarse grinding compound. It's all you need besides a suction cup. When your ready to test a valve, clean the seat and valve face with a rag, insert the valve, turn it a quarter turn while pressing down on it, let it go and fill the chamber with water. Wrap a rag around an air nozzle and insert it into the port, push down on the valve with your thumb and shoot air (30-120psi) into the port and look for bubbles. Don't bother using solvent and waiting overnight for the tooth fairly. Fairely sealed valves are not what you want here. This is the real deal. If you buy guides from ape they come undersized inner diameter so if u think the valves will fit even before u intall the guides you'll be wrong. They say their small so racers can adjust. I think it's to require the 7mm reamer that is used after install, if you put them in without reaming first, youll never get the reamer into the guides after. Just watching out and trying to help you out. And if you end up doing this be very careful not to get the reamer stuck into a guide. Once they get stuck they dont want to come out. Its going to happen many times but if you dont stick it real good u can reverse the drill or press and get it out and moving again. NO shirt no shoes, no problem.

Thanks guys.

Great tips on the valves nads, thanks. Sounds like a good test for sealing (quicker than waiting overnight too!).

Deac...

For a little extra $$$, why not just get a valve job done... All new parts, springs, guides, seals... plus new gaskets of course.

You can probably get this all accomplished for $500 or under pending the valve job, basic or port & polish as well...

Of course if you already have the spring compression tool, reamer and honing tool, guide driver and lapping tools just do it yourself... Parts only for ~ $100 (guides and seals).

Please provide images & text updates as you go... Never have done this myself (valve job), be interesting to see the work in progress...

I don't have all the proper tools or knowledge for that matter, so off to Cavanaughs... Glad I did!

OMR

OMR, I'd love to be able to do that but I don't have any cash for that. Actually, I'm considering deferring the Dyna ignition and coils until later due to lack of money. I have to try and do this on the cheap, so I'm just going to clean everything up and put new seals in. Hate to have everything opened up and not to do a complete job, but that is all I can do at this time.

One good thing is that I'm learning loads (thanks to you guys) and having fun. So as long as I can get it cleaner than before I'll be happy

Great pics OMR, that work looks great, super clean. I doubt mine will look like that. I'll be sure to update as I go.

I understand the low fund deal,,, at a min, replace the valve seals and lap the valves back in, you can buy the compound and hand lapping "suction cup" tool at juat about any parts store, make sure you put the valves back in the same place they came from and lap them in, checking to see if you have a clean lapped line on both the valve and the seat.
at this time you can bench adj the valves, this will save you time on the reassembly.

also make sure to lubricate the valves going back in the guides, this is prob the last place that gets oil from the engine on a start up

Definitely will be doing the seals and lapping at a minimum. Good tip on the bench adjust, save my back a bit anyway leaning over the engine.

Thanks