Head work

[turbotalon1g]

I have a Honda B16A head, that i need work done too. Most likely just a stock rebuild or something. Where can i go? What is the turn around time?

Thanks
Aaron

[Halon]

My head is getting redone at Red Rooster in Crystal. I've always been happy with anything I've gotten done by them before.

[turbotalon1g]

whats the down/return time that you have usually experienced?

[Halon]

This recent work took about a week and a half. But that was due to them having to replace 10 bent valves, and apparently a lot of my valve guides weren't straight from the last place that did it so they're redoing that, and the bottom of the head wasn't resurfaced as smooth as it should have been by that place either so they're doing that.

But if you're just looking to get the thing tested, I can usually bring it in around lunch, and have it back by dinner. And I am the king of bent valves, so I bring them stuff a lot, and I'm always happy with their service.

[Jakey]

....from the last place that did it.......by that place either....

FFWD?

[Thor06]

Brandon, how many valves have you bent? So far, I smoked a full set plus two and probably 2-4 more today. I can take off, take out the valves, put them (or new ones) back in, and get the head back on the car in like 12-14 hours.

[Halon]

I should really learn how to put valves in and out myself. I just pay out my ass all the time and get it done at a shop. So far on this car, I think I have bent somewhere in the range of 20 valves, and on my old GST I flat out busted 3 off, and never even bothered with figuring out how many just got bent. I sold the car as is to someone after I seen the damage.

Jakey, yes FFWD. I don't want to knock them too much because I thought the head looked gorgeous. But I don't know how to tell if guides are straight and all that other technical stuff, I'm just going by what Red Rooster tells me. I will be picking the head up from them tomorrow!

[Thor06]

You can buy a valve spring compressor for like $70 or you can be a cheap bastard like me. I use a C clamp and a combination wrench, usually a 15mm. Put the closed side of the wrench over the retainer with the handle sorta resting on the part of the casting where the lifter goes, the fixed part of the C clamp on the bottom of the vavle and the adjusting part of the C clamp on the handle of the wrench as close to the head of the wrench as you can without obstructing the way out for the keepers. Then just tighten the clamp until the keepers are free and get them out with a needle nose or a magnetic screwdriver. Unscrew the C clamp, take out the spings/retainers, and just pop the valve through the seal and out the bottom of the head. It will take some practice and its not as fast, but to me it beats spending $70 for a valve spring compressor.

[Halon]

How do you check if your valve guides are straight? I am not too sure on everything, but if I bend some valves, isn't it a good idea to check if anything else was damaged? Also when you put in new valves, do you need to do any sort of machining or anything to make sure they seal up well?

[tpunx99GSX]

i know this is kinda noobish so im gonna keep this short and sweet.
How do you know if you have bent or broken valves?