head reassembly- what assy lube do you use on valve stems/guides?

Well, I am asking for your opinion.

My head came back from the machine shop with a whiteish/yellow grease already on the valves.

My clymer manual calls for "molybdenum disulfide grease"

A guy at work said "no, just use 90 weight gear oil. What lubes it when it's running, ya know?" Which makes sense.. but then I started to think "well, if the valve guide seals actaully DO seal.. what gets down there!" Of course maybe they just keep too much oil from getting there, but a little gets by. I'm not sure.

Also, the guy from work said "Do NOT use white lithium grease. As soon as it gets hot, it gets hard as a rock" and that "alot of machine shops do that, and alot have stuff come back"

My neighbor actaully works at the machine shop where AI had my head work done. He didn't do it, but maybe he knows what grease they might have put on.

Used externally where the volatiles can bake out, the Li grease will get hard over time. It's quite a long time too. As an assembly lube, IMO and experince, the oil washes it off and it's gone after an oil change.

IMO, grease is good if you don't know how long it's gonna be before you get around to the assembly. If you're gonna put it together right away, oil is fine.

-Duck

Well my concern is that I put the head together, and I would have to take the valve springs all back out to remove the grease. However, sitting there with or without springs, it won't get put back on the bike until I get my block back from APE. That probably won't be until next week (HOPEFULLY NO LATER!)

The springs get a lot of oil. It will rinse the grease off in no time. As long as the head is clean, there's no reason to remove the grease.

i would jsut use normal engine oil.....its seems to work:P

I use STP oil treatment as an assembly lube. Nice and thick with similiar properties to engine oil, totally compatible.

same here.. STP or motor honey ..

I'd use what the factory manual calls for: a thin coat of molybdenum disulfide grease on the valve stems. My reasoning is that they wrote the book on their own bike, so they'll know what's best. For instance: when installing the valve guides, they prescribe clean engine oil. It reads like they thought about it.

the white 105 assembly lube is good stuff, it will last for a while and when it gets warm it will melt and lube all the parts. it does last for a while also, just need to make sure and keep it coverd as it will attract dust and dirt also.
I would also use a cam assembly lube on the cam lobes and lifters, this is a high pressure lube that will stay on the cams until the oil sets in, and this will also dissipate with heat