Rebuilding heads

[wigginke]

So following on from my inaugural post which gives a bit of back ground

http://www.stag.org.uk/forum/showthread.php?18872-New-to-Stag-ownership

I will be picking up my heads at the weekend
Acid cleaned, faces machined, but in pieces, packed away away some 22 years ago and un touched until last month
Will peform inventory and decide what to buy and what to replace.
Will check for corrosion on all ferrous parts

I will check exhaust valve to see if they are the hardened type for unleaded fuel, by then I will also have the engine and comission details
If I need to change exhaust valves, is is imperitive to change the valve guides?

If so, does anyone know where I could hire, borrow and valve guide puller and insertion tool
Or even a simple sketch to make one
I have not been able to find a post specifically on valve guide

I have a good set of buckets, is it imperitive to change the valve springs and plates?

Thanks in advance

[elvimto]

I found the best way to remvove the guides is to use a chipping gun I had one of the bits machined to fit into the bore of the guide then I had the head warmed up,oven would work, i have a hot water wash at work. Then its just a case of knocking them out with the chipping gun. I respect to the guides they may be just fine take a valve lightly oil insert into guide pull it out it should make a popping noise or find a very small bore mic. When i did my heads I replaced the guides and had a machine shop cut the seats and then I set up the valves etc all I had left to do was lap them in.
Good Luck

cheers Stuart

[flying farmer]

Springs are a difficult one, I was always told to change them if a engine had been stood for years with the same springs compressed, which will not be the case with yours. On the other hand springs very occaisionaly break and destroy the engine, but it often happens on relatively low mileage engines as well as high mileage ones, sometimes I think it is just luck.
I would line them all up on a flat surface and check they are all the same length, if they are I would probably re use them provided there is not even a hint of rust on them from the time in storage as this would give stress raisers in the rust pits guaranteeing future failure.
The condition of the original valve stems should give a clue as to the condition of the guides
Neil

[martin]

Hiya, replacing the guides or not, simply depends on wear, there's no need to change them in principal for the later exhaust valves. Replacing the springs is a matter of good practice, if you care to measure their lengths, you'll almost certainly find differences. Martin.