Moparchat - Home of MOPAR enthusiasts worldwide!



Go Back   Moparchat - Home of MOPAR enthusiasts worldwide! > Technical Forums > Performance Talk

Click here to search for Mopar cars and parts for sale.


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 05-05-2003, 05:17 PM
Jim (70dart) Jim (70dart) is offline
Inactive User
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Harold, KY
Posts: 3
Help Need a GOOD valve job.

I had my "J" heads opened up for 2" valves and hardened inserts installed. I took the heads home after the inserts were installed before cutting the seats and did some work with the grinder, mostly arond the valve guides, plus cleaning everything up and matching to the gaskets. I found that the insert installation left a large ledge in the bowl. The inserts were about 1.65 inches in dia. outside and inside about 1.45. I opened up the bowls to remove the ledge, avoiding the actual insert.

When I went to pick up the heads with valves installed, the first thing I noticed was the valves were sunk in the head, about half the thickness. Also, the heads were milled after the valves were installed. Four of the valves had been milled as well creating thin edeges.

On two of the valves he had installed a larger insert and these looked better. He said he had to change them because I had nicked them with the grinder. I'm new at head work but am a fifty year old engineer who has tinkered with cars all my life. I don't feel as if I'm getting a fair shake here. In this bow-tie world most live in I suspect I got inserts that were never intended for my heads.

I would appreciate any comments, especially reccomendations for for a machine shop in the East Ky area.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 05-05-2003, 08:27 PM
JVMopar's Avatar
JVMopar JVMopar is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Mellen, WI
Age: 42
Posts: 2,524
Default

The valves that have the sharp edges will probably go bad. sharp edges in the combustion chamber usually create hot spots. It sounds like you got a bad deal.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 05-05-2003, 10:48 PM
6 packin's Avatar
6 packin 6 packin is offline
This account disabled due to bad email address!
 
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Under my car!
Age: 48
Posts: 1,551
Default

Hey man.
I also live in North Eastern Ky. Just a rock through from Wv, and the Buckeye. Were ya at? I know some good Mopar friendly shops. He must have cut the heck out of them to hit a valve. I would take them back and demand some resolution. Put a long straight edge across all the valve tips above the retainers to check the stem height. That will give you a idea about how the valve is seting comared to each other. If there off more than .015 you will have a bad lifter peck in your engine. This is not good. Also I know why he put the hard seats in for the unleaded fuel, but should have only done the exhaust side. Should have only charged you 8 seats and labor. Even if you went with 2.02 intakes they were no need for seats to be installed. just some things to check.....let me know.
__________________
68 Coronet
69 Super Bee......new 500 cid comin soon!
73 Duster witha missing 440/727
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 05-05-2003, 11:11 PM
Jim (70dart) Jim (70dart) is offline
Inactive User
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Harold, KY
Posts: 3
Smile

Thanks for the responses JV and 6 Packin. The inserts were my idea and are only on the exhaust, for the reason you said. The intakes look okay except for milling the valves. I plan to replace them to avoid detonation from hot spots. The exhausts that got sunk the most are shimmed, probably to get back the spring pressure. I definitely need to get the exhaust seats redone.

I'm in southern Floyd County. Sounds like you must be near Boyd County 6 Packin. That's not too far for me. Where do you suggest? I don't want to go back to the first shop.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 05-06-2003, 02:32 AM
biggerhammer's Avatar
biggerhammer biggerhammer is offline
performance engines
 
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: ft. worth, texas, usa
Age: 70
Posts: 1,148
Default seats

one thing I don't understand about the shop you used, you had the seats installed first, right? then did your own porting/polishing?, correct? then took it back for the valve job?
I,personally, would have installed the seats then rough cut them to be close to the correct installed height, then let you do your stuff, then fine ground the seats then surfaced prior to assembly. your shop didn't do it this way? hmmm, I wouldn't take anything back to them.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 05-06-2003, 06:00 AM
HankL HankL is offline
Inactive User
 
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Durham, NC, USA
Posts: 1,910
Default

That valve job most definitely does not sound right.

There is never a proper excuse for hitting valve heads during deck milling. It is likely the valve heads will fail prematurely due to differential expansion under cyclic thermal stress, and even before failure, the sharp edges on exhaust valves will make detonation more likely.

In addition to getting it redone and not using valves that have been mistakenly milled - you now need to have the deck of the cylinder head sonic checked for thickness, as the milling may be been excessive and you won't be able to hold head gaskets.

Hank
(also an engineer, born in Floyd County Ky at the very hour the record flood of January 1957 crested)
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 05-06-2003, 09:17 AM
cuda66273's Avatar
cuda66273 cuda66273 is offline
Banned
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Beaverton Oregon
Age: 71
Posts: 3,685
Default

Grab your shit and run away from that shop as far and as fast as you can.....do not ever take anything to them again, they have butchered your heads and valves.

Try Bill Richardson at RAM Racing Engines in W. Virginia, he will fix you up.

Don
503-627-0728
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 05-06-2003, 10:24 AM
92whitedak's Avatar
92whitedak 92whitedak is offline
Inactive User
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Monmouth, NJ
Posts: 627
Default

Looks like SOMEONE is back in the swing of things.

Welcome back don. Hope your feeling better. No smokes, RIGHT?!

-Fox
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 05-07-2003, 01:48 PM
Jim (70dart) Jim (70dart) is offline
Inactive User
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Harold, KY
Posts: 3
Thanks for all the input guys. Don, I'll try to locate Ram. Can you tell me what city they are in?

Hank, hello from Floyd County.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 05-07-2003, 04:30 PM
cuda66273's Avatar
cuda66273 cuda66273 is offline
Banned
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Beaverton Oregon
Age: 71
Posts: 3,685
Default

Hey there goes Don...he used to smoke...
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Good proportioning valve? Madman Stephan Restoring your MoPar (Tricks & techniques) 1 09-28-2003 09:47 PM
put in manual valve body a good thing? coolcarz Performance Talk 16 08-21-2002 11:42 PM
Valve float Valve spring valve crazy cageman Circle Track Chat 11 05-26-2002 02:31 PM
Good price on valve covers? SS/Teve Ram Truck Chat 2 04-27-2002 05:23 PM
Is this a good price for Valve covers? dubge Ram Truck Chat 25 09-05-2001 08:40 PM




All times are GMT -4. The time now is 09:34 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
. . . . .