DISASTER Strikes….

We all know how anxious we get waiting on parts that we desperately need, so when the day comes when they finally show up, you install them almost immediately. This is where my problem began… I am using the later style valve covers versus the clam shell. (I don’t want to deal with the oily mess) So, I installed the later style valve guides. After adjusting the valves, I went to close the valve covers and found that they were to short. Damn!!! The ridged style valve guide is 3/4″ longer due to the lack of fins as compared to the later cylinders. So cylinders came back off.. I ordered a new set of valve guides from Rocky and they showed up the next day. Out with the new and in with the newer??

Then it was back to putting it all back together. With help from Dad on a Sunday we got the motor done, heads on and torqued, carb on, and distributor on and wired up the plugs.. Looked great.

Then Dennis (Beam Equipment) shows up with some honing oil I ordered from his shop and is asking about the progress. Now earlier in the year, I had bought a Sunnen hone and a Valve guide and seat machine from him. He was kind enough to come over and even show me how to use the seat machine as pictured earlier in this blog. As I was telling him all about the valve guides, he had a strange look on his face. His comment was “Tell me that you reground the valve seats!!!” With that comment I sadly said “no”. Hell, if you used new ones to install the seats and replace them with new ones what’s the big deal….. Okay it is a really big deal!!!! Dennis calls his wife and tells her that he will be late coming home and starts out with my tools taking parts off my motor… “I am not going to let you run this motor like this”

Well here’s the problem. All new valve guides are not concentric!! Period. So, with the cylinders back off, and on the bench, we reground the valve seats. And sure enough, they were not seating.. Then that’s fixed and the reassembly starts.

Major new problem! Valve spring pressure. “What the F#@K!!” It was so bad that at the top of the cam lift we were almost at coil bind. So started going through boxes of NOS springs that I have and luckily found four shorter ones that worked great! So, a world of thanks to Dennis for showing up and giving me more education on engine building…..