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I pulled all the springs off the heavily ported, polished, etc., etc. J heads I bought and found that the original valve bosses, or what was left of them after drilled for inserts, are partly or fully missing. I've been probing with a steel pick but can't find anything loose. Do these need to go back to a machine shop? Can they be saved? Would only a fool run them as-is?
It looks like you ALREADY have bronze valve guides installed. Those teflon valve seals are pressed onto SOMETHING. The original iron guides just got broken off when they were machined out for the bronze guides. There wasn't enough metal left to hold them together. Just be sure all loose metal is removed.
It looks like you ALREADY have bronze valve guides installed. Those teflon valve seals are pressed onto SOMETHING. The original iron guides just got broken off when they were machined out for the bronze guides. There wasn't enough metal left to hold them together. Just be sure all loose metal is removed.
Howdy Joe, thanks for chiming in.
They definitely installed new guides. And I was told those were viton seals. I don't think the old-timer machinist that sold me the heads was intentionally taking me for a ride. He may not have known the old guides were chipped if it was an employee that did the work.
I've been going over them with a pick, looking for loose material but can't find any. Will heat/cooling cycles cause them to become worse?
@shiftbyear; thanks for the input. I'm still split on this decision.
The seals look like the better teflon seals. If there is no loose metal, don't worry about it.
Teflon is better than viton. Noted. That's what was confusing about the chipped guides; he certainly didn't skimp on quality parts.
I'll be very thorough when checking for any loose bits.
Have a good holiday.........and remember, you can always loosen your belt after dinner
It looks like there is a liner inside a liner???
I could be wrong but it looks like a bronze guide with a steel sleeve.
I could be way off base but I would be concerned if they were my heads that after heat cycling and loading that the sleeve might fracture and chips of steel might go through the engine.
Another thought again I could be off base is that the head is cast iron with a bronze guide
with a steel sleeve, my concern is that is a lot dissimilar metal interacting.
Again I could be completely wrong!!
thats just whats left of the old guide before they drove the new guide in, when they drill them from the seat side they break away at the top like that sometimes, the new guide is holding the seal, some guys will get rid of the excess like what your second picture shows, some guys don't, like Joe says, clean up any loose pieces and it will be fine.
thats just whats left of the old guide before they drove the new guide in, when they drill them from the seat side they break away at the top like that sometimes, the new guide is holding the seal, some guys will get rid of the excess like what your second picture shows, some guys don't, like Joe says, clean up any loose pieces and it will be fine.
Thanks rad, I appreciate the input. I've gone over all of them several times, with a pick, and the structures seem sound.
Does anyone ever use rare-earth magnets placed next to the oil drain holes? Seems legit to just pop off the valve cover and check for debris, IF they would stay in place. There wouldn't be any strong currents of oil right there.
thats just whats left of the old guide before they drove the new guide in, when they drill them from the seat side they break away at the top like that sometimes, the new guide is holding the seal, some guys will get rid of the excess like what your second picture shows, some guys don't, like Joe says, clean up any loose pieces and it will be fine.
Thats what it looks like to me.
Just buzz off the old guide remnants. Looks like the seals are fitted to the new guides and not the old guides that are cracking which is good
Last edited by VinMichael; November 26th, 2017 at 07:04 PM.
Oh, the new seals are definitely fitted to the new guides. And I thought about taking a dremel with a small. fine bit and grinding down the remnants but was afraid to mar the new guides or cause other problems.
November 22nd, 2017, 07:13 PM
My heads weren't such a deal afterall
