New heads...surface rust....
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From: 600 yds out
Car: Bee-Bowdy
Engine: blowd tree-fity
Transmission: sebin hunnerd
Axle/Gears: fo-tins
New heads...surface rust....
I bought a set of new-in-box Vortec heads from my nieghbor. They were in his garage for a while so a little surface rust formed.
I got the rust off with some steel wool and WD-40. Then I took the valves out because I have to put my valve spring on 'em anyway and I wanted to blow out all the steel wool dust from the ports.
Two of the valves had little spots of rust on the area where they seal to the head.
Is this something I should steel wool off...or what? I thought if the valve was seated against the head real tight it wouldn't be able to rust. Does this warrant new valves? Machine shop? I don't want to put this engine back in and find I have low compression on two cylinders...
TIA
I got the rust off with some steel wool and WD-40. Then I took the valves out because I have to put my valve spring on 'em anyway and I wanted to blow out all the steel wool dust from the ports.
Two of the valves had little spots of rust on the area where they seal to the head.
Is this something I should steel wool off...or what? I thought if the valve was seated against the head real tight it wouldn't be able to rust. Does this warrant new valves? Machine shop? I don't want to put this engine back in and find I have low compression on two cylinders...
TIA
Last edited by V8Astro Captain; Oct 2, 2002 at 10:02 PM.
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Get some valve lapping paste and lap them in lightly. If you don't see a continuous light grey band through the rusted areas then you should have the seats and/or valves touched up.
I use a very lightweight coil spring (cheap hardware store item) under the valve head (the valve stem goes down through the length of the spring and then into the valve guide --- so the spring is actually compressed inside of the port in the head). I grip the valve head and lightly push down and rotate it back and forth in large arcs on the valve seat. It is easiest if you set the head on its side and grasp the valve stem as it emerges from the guide with one hand and grip the valve head with the other. You can really control how much pressure is used that way as well as make large sweeping arcs. I have tried using the rubber suction-cup lapping tools and just don't like them.
Make sure that the lapping paste stays only on the seat and valve face (does not get on the valve stem or in the guide). Afterwards, wash the whole head with hot water and dishwashing detergent. Rinse it off thoroughly with water and ensure that no grit is left on or inside the head. You can then spray the heck out of the head with WD-40. WD-40 is (and was originally) designed to wet and protect the metal surface underneath any water, i.e. it 'disperses' the water.
I use a very lightweight coil spring (cheap hardware store item) under the valve head (the valve stem goes down through the length of the spring and then into the valve guide --- so the spring is actually compressed inside of the port in the head). I grip the valve head and lightly push down and rotate it back and forth in large arcs on the valve seat. It is easiest if you set the head on its side and grasp the valve stem as it emerges from the guide with one hand and grip the valve head with the other. You can really control how much pressure is used that way as well as make large sweeping arcs. I have tried using the rubber suction-cup lapping tools and just don't like them.
Make sure that the lapping paste stays only on the seat and valve face (does not get on the valve stem or in the guide). Afterwards, wash the whole head with hot water and dishwashing detergent. Rinse it off thoroughly with water and ensure that no grit is left on or inside the head. You can then spray the heck out of the head with WD-40. WD-40 is (and was originally) designed to wet and protect the metal surface underneath any water, i.e. it 'disperses' the water.
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