HarleyTechTalk

Technical Forums => Shovel Head => Topic started by: Excalibur on October 30, 2021, 04:42:25 PM

Title: Valve guide
Post by: Excalibur on October 30, 2021, 04:42:25 PM
Anyone seen this sort of break? I'd noticed the guide looked loose from above and after prodding and wiggling, it snapped right off. Witness marks show it was only just hanging on.
[attach=0]
Is it common? Perhaps from fitting guides with a drift and hammer? It does have an O-ring which means the diameter is wasted by about .080".

Other head exhaust guide is already removed but I've turned my attention to both intakes. They both look good and have satisfactory fit to valve. Am I being over cautious?

Thanks for any thoughts, tips, experience etc.
Title: Re: Valve guide
Post by: capn on October 30, 2021, 04:59:19 PM
Had one snap off exactly like that.Happened when I tried to get the seal off.It looked cracked already also.Time for a valve job.I ended up buying new Ultima heads.
Title: Re: Valve guide
Post by: Hillside Motorcycle on October 31, 2021, 02:46:05 AM
Probably fractured at the point of installation, and finally failed.
Easily repaired.
Title: Re: Valve guide
Post by: capn on October 31, 2021, 05:49:55 AM
Valves and guides are cheap.While its all apart might as well get it right.
Title: Re: Valve guide
Post by: Excalibur on October 31, 2021, 10:33:42 PM
Yeah, you're right. Pulled all guides. Bit of a can of worms. Rear exhaust had +.008" and guide hole in head is awful. Other holes are up to .0015 out-of-round, though guides were standard.
I can't remember cleaning up guide holes before but I have done numerous guide installs over the years. What's the way to get it sorted? Is it to be line reamed with a pilot true to seat?

Is fit .0015 - .0025" according to Kibblewhite the go?

Thanks for any help, tips, pointers etc.
Title: Re: Valve guide
Post by: Don D on November 01, 2021, 07:51:35 AM
I hone the holes with a Sunnen P190.
Title: Re: Valve guide
Post by: Excalibur on November 03, 2021, 01:59:36 PM
Studying the P-190, it looks like that's for doing the guides fit-to-valve clearance.? Not for sizing the hole in the head itself.??
Guide bore in head is .625" (standard) minus the interference. Old school must have a nice way of tickling a thou or two out of these holes?
Title: Re: Valve guide
Post by: Hillside Motorcycle on November 04, 2021, 03:02:56 AM
We fixture the head and then precision bore to establish a straight, round, true guide bore, and if a custom guide needs to be manufactured, that is then done as well, from guide blanks, or raw bar stock.
JUST finished that scenario for a Shovel client, from PA, including the manufacture of a valve seat for him.
Easy, peasy.
Title: Re: Valve guide
Post by: crock on November 04, 2021, 04:57:39 AM
Quote from: Hillside Motorcycle on November 04, 2021, 03:02:56 AM
We fixture the head and then precision bore to establish a straight, round, true guide bore, and if a custom guide needs to be manufactured, that is then done as well, from guide blanks, or raw bar stock.
JUST finished that scenario for a Shovel client, from PA, including the manufacture of a valve seat for him.
Easy, peasy.

Old school/New school. Gotta love how much easier it is to keep old iron running compared to 20 years ago
Title: Re: Valve guide
Post by: capn on November 05, 2021, 04:17:57 AM
Instead of all that machining you can buy bare heads with guides and seats from ultima.Or complete if you want.They will install a .600 lift set up for $100 extra.
Title: Re: Valve guide
Post by: crock on November 05, 2021, 04:45:37 AM
Quote from: capn on November 05, 2021, 04:17:57 AM
Instead of all that machining you can buy bare heads with guides and seats from ultima.Or complete if you want.They will install a .600 lift set up for $100 extra.


AWWWW Where's the fun in that