[Vwdiesel] Valvetrain advice

Wed Oct 7 17:08:49 PDT 2015

Good luck on your adventure!
On Oct 7, 2015 6:39 PM, "Robert Downes" <bobdownes at gmail.com> wrote:

> right. i'm not going to be pounding on anything, but as far as i know the
> tool is still called a drift when it's used in a press, which is the method
> recommended by VW. i dont expect too much resistance once the head is
> properly heated.
>
> and i did slip and use the word grind, but yes, i have a proper neway
> carbide cutter for the seats. if i were to rework the valves, however, i'd
> do it on the lathe with a precision grinder. still hoping to learn whether
> this is an acceptable course to pursue...
>
> i have a source for the valves but i'm hoping to save that $150..
>
> Ralph: yeah! i appreciate the recommendation. i'm pretty confident that my
> head's cracks are not bad enough to be worrisome, and like i said i'm
> hoping to rework my seats and a new set would not be too expensive.. so,
> forging ahead...
>
> thanks for the replies!
>
> On Wed, Oct 7, 2015 at 4:30 PM, <pmdolan1 at sasktel.net> wrote:
>
>> The words used scare the living crap out of me.
>>
>>
>>
>> DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE pound the guides out with a drift.  You
>> will destroy the head.  CORE THEM properly so that your removal tool is
>> SHRINKING the thin remaining shell.   Pounding on the end of the guide will
>> make it expand and screw up the bore in the aluminum head.
>>
>>
>>
>> DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTNCES give your head to someone with a set of
>> grinding stones.  chances are 99% that they wil absolutely screw up the
>> valve seat depth.  Unless the shop is extremely familiar with VW heads,
>> just don't go there.   Find someone with the correct set of carbide cutters
>> and pilots, and they can put the right angles on the seat and the other two
>> cuts to set seat width while not removing too much material from the seat.
>>
>>
>>
>> You should be able to get a decent deal on new valves from just about
>> anyone except the dealer.  Just stay away from Chinese discount parts.   I
>> use WorldPac since I can get choice of several suppliers including OEM on
>> their site.
>>
>>
>> On Wed, 7 Oct 2015 16:10:26 -0700, Robert Downes <bobdownes at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>> well, it's going to cost a whole lot less than $900.
>> the head itself will run me $200-250 in parts(I'm sure VW's valves are
>> excellent quality but they are not the only high quality parts available)
>> and having the work done by a reputable machine shop in seattle would be
>> around 400 after shipping.
>>
>> I am lucky enough to have found myself in a lifestyle that allows me the
>> flexibility to use my own time for such projects. From one perspective,
>> this is inefficient--i do value my time and in a raw dollars equation, it
>> would pay to have a professional do the labor--But the time I invest in
>> the
>> project will not be in the form of labor. Instead i'll be doing work for
>> which my return is problem solving excercise, deeper knowledge of a
>> subject
>> which interests me, my increased value to my community as a result of that
>> knowledge, the community capital gained by seeking help (this type of
>> capital pays off to both individuals involved in the exchange!), etc.
>>
>> not to mention that as long as i get to do it on my own schedule, i find
>> turning a wrench fairly therapeutic.
>>
>> So, I feel like i'm getting a pretty good deal!
>> -Bob
>> On Wed, Oct 7, 2015 at 2:09 PM, Ralph Meyermann <ralphmeyermann at gmail.com
>> >
>> wrote:
>>
>> > About how much is this head job going to cost? I know VW is wanting
>> nearly
>> > $60.00 a valve. I purchased a new complete kolbenschmidt AAZ head from
>> > www.boraparts.com for $900.00.
>> > On Oct 7, 2015 3:39 PM, "Robert Downes" <bobdownes at gmail.com> wrote:
>> >
>> >> Hi Folks! though i rarely take part in these discussions, i've been a
>> >> subscriber to this list for a long time and have a great respect for
>> the
>> >> spirit of community brought by some of you here. i find this community
>> to
>> >> be one of the biggest perks of owning these cars and i'm keenly aware
>> of
>> >> how much i've learned reading this list in particular.
>> >>
>> >> Thanks A Lot!!
>> >>
>> >> And now, the point: I have a 1.9D (1y) engine in my '81 caddy. great
>> >> engine, i've never regretted putting it in. i got it for a good price
>> with
>> >> unknown miles and have gotten my money's worth out of it but the
>> >> noisy/smoky valvetrain finally got bad enough and the timing in my life
>> >> got
>> >> good enough that i recently converted my head into an organized pile of
>> >> bits. i have pretty good help here from a machinist with with space and
>> >> tools to loan but i'm having trouble finding complete information
>> online
>> >> to
>> >> help me evaluate my parts and determine exactly how far i need to go.
>> >>
>> >> i definitely need new guides, and those are readily available. this
>> head
>> >> has the older, 8mm valves and i also have a source for a set of those.
>> >>
>> >> the seats and valve surfaces are clean and shiny, but are visibly worn
>> out
>> >> of shape (from the worn guides?)
>> >>
>> >> my questions are,
>> >> --i have access to seat grinding tools and help from a machinist to
>> grind
>> >> the valves flat. how can i determine whether the wear is too much? that
>> >> is,
>> >> what is the range of self-adjustment of the hydraulic lifters and is
>> there
>> >> an established baseline to measure from?
>> >>
>> >> --i've seen some nonspecific recommendations against reworking these
>> >> valves. my valve stems are not worn measurably (the dia. is consistent
>> to
>> >> .0005" over their length) and i'd love to avoid buying a new set. how
>> >> foolish would it be to grind them? if the answer is not very, what
>> angle
>> >> differential with the seat is normal?
>> >>
>> >> --i have a proper drift for removal/installation of the guides, and an
>> >> idea
>> >> of how to go about that job, but I WELCOME any tips that any of you
>> might
>> >> have to ease this part of the work. also, the guide reamer i have is
>> the
>> >> adjustable variety. is there a target value to ream these to? i've
>> found
>> >> no
>> >> info except to use the vw reaming tool. my best guess is to go until
>> there
>> >> is a small amount of 'rock' via the guide wear test in the bentley
>> manual,
>> >> but much less than the 1.3mm max. ???
>> >>
>> >> I hope that's reasonably clear. Thank you in advance for the help, and
>> in
>> >> return i promise to get a little more active and help field some
>> questions
>> >> that are within my sphere!
>> >>
>> >> with Gratitude
>> >> -Bob
>> >> Port Townsend, Wa
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>> >>
>> >
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