Valve Seals

I got one side completed today (Right).

After soaking the ends with PB Buster last night, a tap with the hammer loosened the retainers from the springs and that made things go a lot smoother today. I also managed to get the spring tool one twist lower on the spring and that allowed me to work with the retainers a lot better.

First here are the pictures I promised to clear up what I was trying to say in yesterdays post.

The one on the right is bottom up, note it is thinner on the bottom.

The grooves mate up to groves on the top of the valve.

Top of valve ... see groves for retainer.

The valve above would not slide out of the sleeve. It appears that it was hitting too hard on the top of the piston or someone hit it with a hammer! I had to grind down the side a bit to get it to slide out. this one definately should be replaced, we will see how it does.

Overlap preventing it from slidding out.

Another shot of the damaged valve

Ground down

After the grind

And her are some pics showing how the clip should be once it is installed. The first few pictures are showing one side too high, this is the issue I was having yesterday. Its hard to see in these pictures but one side of the retainer is right and the other is one groove off.

Wrong

Wrong

Wrong

The right way, about 1/8 inch of valve showing

Each valve I removed I cleaned up the tops and backsides and I lapped them with the lapping tool and compound. I also cleaned up the two flat washers under the springs and ran a wire brush through the ports.

Put the spring tool on ....

Remove the 2 retainer halves

When your ready to remove the retainer halves be sure and support the valve from underneath so that the stem is up as far as it will go so that the halves are exposed as much as possible and the stem doesn't move up and down while your trying to remove the retainer halves.

Remove the valve from the head

Once removed I cleaned the valve up with a fine wire wheel on my drill then I applied the grinding compound to the lip of the valve (see next picture)

 Once the compound is applied, put it back in the head and take the appropriate size lapping tool, which is basically a stick with suction cups of different sizes on each end, and stick it to the valve and roll it between your hands, like a boyscout would use a stick to start a fire.

Lapping tool

Finished valve

 After lapping the valves, clean off all of the compound from the valve and the seat on the head and install the valve back in the head.

Then I put the new seal on and installed the spring and retainers back on the valve ..... on to the next one ...............

New seal installed

Installed the spring

Looking good

 After replacing all of the seals in this head I removed the exhaust manifold and repainted it.
NOTE: I also removed all of the exhaust valves even though they do not have seals ...cleaned them up and lapped them as well.

Repainted the exhaust manifold.

I also sprayed the old head gaskets with copper spray and made a new water pump gasket and installed the head back on the block. After that I put the push rods back in and installed the rocker assembly.

This left me enough time to remove the other head. I see a problem but I will ignore it until I get to it! ........ Ok I got all but one head bolt out and the last one is behind the steering column and I can't get a socket on it ...... Off with the steering wheel so I can slide the shft cover out of the way!

Deja vu ... been here done that .... LOL

Made things easy though :O) Man I need to do some work on that cover ...UGLY!!

Bolts out and head off!!! WOOO

Ready for tomorrow!!