Gerald Morris
Senior Member
Respectful greetings to ye Seasoned Moparian Gearheads! The more I research the matter of refurbishing cast iron heads, the greater my self confidence grows toward making the effort at home, except for a sonograph, magnaflux hot bath and if necessary minimal planing the mating surface with the cylinder block. Getting my two Little Darwinian Imps into some educational institutions should free me to do MUCH of the more menial, time consuming tasks in my Shade-cactus barrio hovel workshop. With shop time now exceeding $100/hr, I'm willing to devote myself to plenty time carefully rehabilitating some of my cast iron cylinder heads. I now possess plenty specialty tools for such work, and am willing to invest in the last few needed.
So, my question for this morning is the thread title. I see iron, stainless steel, and bronze + (modern metal) alloy for valve guides. I admit ASSUMING I will NEED to replace or insert anew some sort of valve guides i these heads, though I plan to rigorously examine the guides as they are before committing resources to obtaining insertable guides or a knurling tool if that particular course of action commends itself over inserting ANY separate guide. ONLY if the cast iron body of the head has never previously been knurled and/or valve action hasn't inordinately worn out the cast iron portion of the head will I commit to knurling valve guides. I suspect inserting more specialized metal guides, especially made for that sole purpose would be the Prudent Course, but I hope to be wrong about this suspicion.
So, what is the Best Valve Guide for a resourceful but impoverished old junky looking to optimally rehabilitate some closed-quench cylinder heads meant for a 383? Should I use bronze alloy, iron alloy or the native cast iron suitably machined?
I eagerly await your enlightening responses
So, my question for this morning is the thread title. I see iron, stainless steel, and bronze + (modern metal) alloy for valve guides. I admit ASSUMING I will NEED to replace or insert anew some sort of valve guides i these heads, though I plan to rigorously examine the guides as they are before committing resources to obtaining insertable guides or a knurling tool if that particular course of action commends itself over inserting ANY separate guide. ONLY if the cast iron body of the head has never previously been knurled and/or valve action hasn't inordinately worn out the cast iron portion of the head will I commit to knurling valve guides. I suspect inserting more specialized metal guides, especially made for that sole purpose would be the Prudent Course, but I hope to be wrong about this suspicion.
So, what is the Best Valve Guide for a resourceful but impoverished old junky looking to optimally rehabilitate some closed-quench cylinder heads meant for a 383? Should I use bronze alloy, iron alloy or the native cast iron suitably machined?
I eagerly await your enlightening responses