Projects Mild custom '51 Pontiac Chieftain

Them valves are spendy,
https://egge.com/kit/po248m41-49/

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California Pontiac Restoration have aftermarket stainless ones for $15.25 a pop- that's the best price I've found so far. Research continues!

Phil

 

https://m.autozone.com/internal-eng...ing-exhaust-valve-engine-v2010/11802_579431_0

Auto Zone have them for $8.99 a piece.

That's more the price I was thinking of!

Phil

 

Get in the zone Doc!

 

Oh, may have spoken too soon, that appears to be a cross reference snafu.

VE938 H0415 is what this has stamped on it.

Phil

Edit: Seems like the price is $15-18 on average

 

Phil, perhaps a post over on the AACA forum in the Pontiac section would find a source for those valves that could help with the pricing and availability.

 

Yeah, it was they who put me in the direction of CPR.

Phil

 

Started pulling valves out today. That's no. 6 exhaust valve, exactly as it was removed. Basically just grimy.


Continued pulling the exhaust valves out.


One of the adjusters has been overtightened and the threads are bad. I may try to get a replacement.


The followers are good though. They just need a clean.


Finished up pulling out and cleaning up all the valves I could without rotating the crank.


All of them are straight and clean apart from no. 7 exhaust so that one will be replaced, the rest ground back in and replaced. That should hopefully see an improvement.

--Phil

 

Awesome doc! I await the post of your celebration dance

 

love reading this thread. Such detail is impressive and very helpful. Thanks for sharing.

 

Not too much though. 3 hours in the cold spinning dirty valves in a twist drill is hardly entertainment!

 

But i bet you was the only man in Louisiana doing the valves on a 51 Pontiac today! Who else can say they did that?

 

That there is quite likely!

 

In this case it's the destination brother.

 

That there is the aim.

It'll be done when it's done- hopefully well enough that I can enjoy it. I'm so used to having cars that fight every step of the way...

 

Kinda like wrestling a greasy pig ain't it? Just hang in there, you're about to whip that pigs hind end

 

On a note of levity Phil perhaps you can define "in the cold" to this Old Vermonter

 

47 with rain.

Cold enough. Consider that on Monday it was 79, Tuesday 36 and it warmed up a little then got windy and rained so the wind has that Chicago feel that goes right through you.

It's not about the numbers, is about the difference in such a short time.

Phil

 

I can agree for sure. Been installing two garage doors on the new garage this week -8 then 0 followed by 20 and now that I have them installed it is 32, tomorrow to be 48. I would have waited but seems the two resident neighborhood cats like to do their business inside the new garage for some reason not to mention walking all over the wifes new OT car.

 

Ha, ha, that’s why I always work with the doors shut, the neighbors cat gets in and hides. Damned things.
You know Phil it’s a good feeling when you are out driving your Pontiac, knowing you’ve had your own meticulous hands on a lot of it. Good old piece of mind. I’m glad you didn’t need a full set of valves but if it makes you feel any better, a friend of mine just spent $700+ on a set of valve springs for his oddball project. These things can get expensive!


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All the valves out and cleaned. Made a start on cleaning the collets, spring housings and the top and base plates. Got fed up of having my hands in gasoline after 2 valves worth.



Enough for today. Thinking very hard about getting an ultrasonic bath.

Phil

 

In a sudden bout of creativity, I assembled a piece of fairly worn 220 grit abrasive paper into a piece of poplar dowel.


Fits nicely into the guide; spun round a little like a hone it appears to have cleared any rust or debris.

I need a small bottle brush and a can of carburetor cleaner to finish up, I think.

Phil

 

Hot water and Pine-Sol.


I guess we'll see what has happened to that in a little while.

Phil

 

Lol does she know you took her pyrex baking dish

 

I haven't started using the dishwasher to clean engine parts yet so we're still good


Phil

 

But it's a great idea lol. Did you get your new valve ordered?

 

No, not yet.

I had wanted to pull all the valves first and check I didn't need more than one before ordering anything. I didn't finish that until today so it'll be whenever everywhere is open again.

Phil

 

Phil, from experience I have noticed that the Cascade dish washer soap has the tendency to remove almost everything to a fault. It etched our copper based sauce pans so badly that Cascade bought us new ones! Might give that a test just to see the results

 

Or a rifle bore cleaner brush and patches. Got any neighbors that hunt?

 

Ooh, good point. Hadn't thought of barrel cleaning tools.

Phil