Valve Guides: How to remove?

[nightracer91]

Alright guys, I am now completely ripping apart my new (used) cylinder head to hot tank. I am wanting to remove the old valve guides (replacing with new bronze ones). They are really tight and I am needing to know how to knock them out. Top or Bottom? Please Help!

 

[92awddsm]

Alright guys, I am now completely ripping apart my new (used) cylinder head to hot tank. I am wanting to remove the old valve guides (replacing with new bronze ones). They are really tight and I am needing to know how to knock them out. Top or Bottom? Please Help!

Drive them out from the valve side. A guide driver(purchased or made) and a 32oz ball peen hammer are needed. It helps if you preheat the head in an oven.

 

[nightracer91]

O.K. so go from the valve side and drive toward the cam side. I don't have an oven in my shop , I could probably just give a little torch, ya think?

 

[GVR4592]

Don't use a torch, you could warp the head. If you can't use an oven to heat the entire head evenly then you'll have to do it cold. It can be a bi*** to get them out when the head is cold though, just be careful.

 

[nightracer91]

So should I just carefully try to tap them out?

 

[osirisk8er10]

doing it cold is going to suck man but if i were doing it like that i would just make sure your on the guide even and give it a good smack then check and make sure everything is cool and keep doing it that way good luck

 

[Defiant]

Pay a shop to do it. Insert pressure is 4 tons.

 

[nightracer91]

Alright, my head parts just got delivered today. I am still wanting to do the guides myself. Does anyone know how to make a guide driver?

Defiant - I see where you are coming from, and you have helped me out before, but I would like to save the $7 per guide and do them in my shop.

 

[92awddsm]

Alright, my head parts just got delivered today. I am still wanting to do the guides myself. Does anyone know how to make a guide driver?

Defiant - I see where you are coming from, and you have helped me out before, but I would like to save the $7 per guide and do them in my shop.

Im not going to get into making a driver but you might still have to pay even if you install them yourself. Sometimes, the guides need to be honed or reamed after install to get proper valve to guide clearence. I doubt you have a valve guide hone so you would still have the machine shop do some of the work for you. Chances are, they will still get their $7/guide to hone them. Why pay them that for just a hone when you could have them do it all for the same price? You will also need to have a valve job after the guide install so keep that part in mind also. Unless you have a guide driver, hone or reamer set, and a seat stone set or serdi, you will have to pay regardless. Might as well pay for it to be done right istead of doing it your self and taking the chance of breaking guides, damaging the head, or just having problems in general afterwards. This isnt something for people with general mechanical ability to try and do themselves, it should be left up to a professional.

 

[nightracer91]

Im not going to get into making a driver but you might still have to pay even if you install them yourself. Sometimes, the guides need to be honed or reamed after install to get proper valve to guide clearence. I doubt you have a valve guide hone so you would still have the machine shop do some of the work for you. Chances are, they will still get their $7/guide to hone them. Why pay them that for just a hone when you could have them do it all for the same price? You will also need to have a valve job after the guide install so keep that part in mind also. Unless you have a guide driver, hone or reamer set, and a seat stone set or serdi, you will have to pay regardless. Might as well pay for it to be done right istead of doing it your self and taking the chance of breaking guides, damaging the head, or just having problems in general afterwards. This isnt something for people with general mechanical ability to try and do themselves, it should be left up to a professional.

Okay. I have made my decision, but first. I was going to have a machine shop do a valve job anyway. I just figured I could save myself some money by lessening the workload on them and instal the guides myself. But from what I have gathered, I am going to let the best repped local machine shop (C & P Machining) do it all. I really do not want to risk damaging the head. Now I just need to dig up $320.

 

[92awddsm]

Okay. I have made my decision, but first. I was going to have a machine shop do a valve job anyway. I just figured I could save myself some money by lessening the workload on them and instal the guides myself. But from what I have gathered, I am going to let the best repped local machine shop (C & P Machining) do it all. I really do not want to risk damaging the head. Now I just need to dig up $320.

Another thing to consider is if you break a guide while installing them, you have to pay to replace. If they break it, its their problem and responsibility to replace it.

 

[tondar]

www.goodson.com sells valve guide drivers. They sell a version that is meant for an air chisel and a version for hitting with a hammer. I bought the air chisel version. A couple seconds with this and an air chisel and they come right out.... FYI

 

[nightracer91]

I'll keep that in mind TONDAR.

92awddsm - that right there is basically the reason I decided to let the machine shop do it. They have to "insure" everything. I'm just trying to cover my own @$$.

 

[silvawolfe]

O.K. so go from the valve side and drive toward the cam side. I don't have an oven in my shop , I could probably just give a little torch, ya think?

Put the torch down and step away!
A machine shop will charge under $100 to do them(around here anyways). It's well worth the hassle and potential engine damage if not done right.

 

[Boosted4]

agreed. if you dont have the tools or the "know-how" don't even attempt it. just pay the machine shop, you'll be happy you did

 

[Rex2342]

Is there a method for removing these things? I just picked up my head from the shop (getting it cleaned and checked) and now I need to get the seals and guides out. The exhaust guides are all cracked from it jumping time and bending the valves. I'm going to be putting in Ferrea guides but need to remove the old ones first. The guy at my shop said they pull out but are a PITA and he doesn't want to do it. He's hooking me up so I'm not gonna push the issue.

 

[SlowSpyder]

What i like to do is drill 3/4 into the guide and then drive them out. By drilling the guide with a drill bit bigger then the bore but still smaller then the o.d, the guide wall will collapse when you drive out the guide. Another way is to use an air hammer with an approprite valve guide driver.

 

[Rex2342]

Whick direction do they drive out? I'm assuming they pull out from the top but I want to be sure. If I drill them out like you said do I just use a mallet to drive them out or do I still use the air hammer?

 

[SlowSpyder]

when im driving them out the deck is facing up when drilling and driving the guides.. When drilling them out you should be able to use a driver and a hammer. Just remember the head has to be leveled according to the valve guide to ensure straightness while drilling.

 

[BISHILVR]

Dont try it. I at one time started to attempt it, I even heated the head in an oven some. When I drove a couple out, it ended up still sticking enough to tear up the aluminum valve guide bore and at that point I made JUNK. I ended up buying another head after paying to have that one hot tanked and shaved! Trying to evenly heat the head at home will not work, machine shops have industrial heaters to do this job with, you dont. And YES, anytime new guides are installed they have to be reamed and honed to the right size again because they shrink and the valve will not even begin to fit, plus you will HAVE to have the seats recut period after the install. I have done plenty of valve work on bike heads in the shop WITH the right tools, and I can tell you that the tools and know how make the entire difference here.