cylinder heads - Have I screwed up?

[brumbach]

A few months ago, I purchased a set of correct& matching no.s heads. Before paying for them, I removed the valves, springs, rockers, etc. Cleaned them and used spot check jr to determine if they were cracked. They checked out okay. I'm getting ready to turn them over to a machine shop to restore them to spec.

My problem, I bagged and labeled every thing I removed. Problem is, I can't decipher my notes. How critical is the correct "match-up" for the machine shop to do their work? Sure hope it doesn't make any difference....

Thanks,

Bill

 

[bossvette]

heres my $.02 I never reuse rocker arms and springs, the valves and seats should be recut so it shouldn't make any difference. depending on your budjet and what you want out of the job you may be wise to replace the guides and valves also.
Craig sr.

 

[gmjunkie]

heres my $.02 I never reuse rocker arms and springs, the valves and seats should be recut so it shouldn't make any difference. depending on your budjet and what you want out of the job you may be wise to replace the guides and valves also.
Craig sr.

Let me add my $.02,Have All the seats replaced!! If they are Matching Heads they Will have Softer seats for Leaded Fuel!!! If left in there and not replaced,there will not be any Exhaust seats there in 1500-5000 miles!! The Unleaded Fuel now day's will BEAT THEM OUT!!!! Unless you use some sort of Lead or Synthetic Lead Substitute!!!!! Been there Seen That!! My BB LS6 seats lasted 1800 miles after my Engine was sent to a Reputable Engine Re-builder at the Tune of $2800.!!!!!! P.S. In the end, it cost them several Thousand $$$$ and my Business, over mine and 4 of my customers engines!!!

 

[bossvette]

I have heard that, but have not had any experiance with that. My 68 will have the engine put in a corner and a new 383 put in it with aftermarket Brodix heads in due time.

 

[allcoupedup]

take a poll and you'll find many people running around without hardened seats on unleaded gas. The heads I bought had them on the exhaust but none on the intake. I spin the engine to 6500 all the time and have not had a problem. The are only two situations where you need hardened seats:

1) recessed seats due to too many valve jobs or heavy use
2) Heavy use - towing, hot lapping, racing

Seats are expensive - spend your money somewhere else.
Brian

 

[wallyknoch]

Your OK

Dont worry about the heads. All the pieces are taken apart and cleaned in bulk and individually with out any reference to a particular position. The shop doing the job will notify you if there are any problens with the guides and seats. You will never wear out the seats in this lifetime with the limited usage it will probably recieve. It would take many thousands of miles to affect the seats. Be more concerned with the valve springs.

 

[JohnZ]

I agree with Brian and Wally - I've never had any issues at all without exhaust valve seats, but then again I don't run radical cam grinds with Godzilla springs that slam the valves down on their seats. Also be aware that a fine set of heads can become scrap in an instant if the shop isn't intimately familiar with those castings, especially if they're already 2.02/1.60 heads - it's very easy to cut through into the water jackets when cutting the recess for an exhaust valve seat, and there isn't any metal left anyway between the valves on 2.02 heads. :eyerole

 

[brumbach]

I agree with Brian and Wally - I've never had any issues at all without exhaust valve seats, but then again I don't run radical cam grinds with Godzilla springs that slam the valves down on their seats. Also be aware that a fine set of heads can become scrap in an instant if the shop isn't intimately familiar with those castings, especially if they're already 2.02/1.60 heads - it's very easy to cut through into the water jackets when cutting the recess for an exhaust valve seat, and there isn't any metal left anyway between the valves on 2.02 heads. :eyerole

John,

My 461 heads have not been modified to 2.02/1.60. They're stock. Someone on the formum recommended I not modify and leave them as is. I surmised from the comment that the enhanced performance as compared to the risk of destoring the heads just wasn't worth it. Do you agree? I love performance but will it really make that much of a difference?

 

[brumbach]

Dont worry about the heads. All the pieces are taken apart and cleaned in bulk and individually with out any reference to a particular position. The shop doing the job will notify you if there are any problens with the guides and seats. You will never wear out the seats in this lifetime with the limited usage it will probably recieve. It would take many thousands of miles to affect the seats. Be more concerned with the valve springs.

Should the springs be totally replaced to be safe (or smart)?

 

[JohnZ]

John,

My 461 heads have not been modified to 2.02/1.60. They're stock. Someone on the formum recommended I not modify and leave them as is. I surmised from the comment that the enhanced performance as compared to the risk of destoring the heads just wasn't worth it. Do you agree? I love performance but will it really make that much of a difference?

I'd leave them as is unless you're looking to squeeze the last bit of power out of it.

 

[JohnZ]

Should the springs be totally replaced to be safe (or smart)?

Yes - unless you know exactly what the springs are and how old they are, it isn't worth the risk - new springs are cheap insurance. Match them to the cam - what cam are you using?