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Technical So the Machine Shop Messed up my Cylinder Head....

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by rustyironman, Apr 21, 2018.

  1. JOECOOL
    Joined: Jan 13, 2004
    Posts: 2,771

    JOECOOL
    Member

    I hope they didn't cut it far enough to hit water.
     
  2. About a quarter of an inch. If one tried grinding the stem down, material left would get marginal.
     
    Boneyard51 likes this.
  3. Boneyard51
    Joined: Dec 10, 2017
    Posts: 6,442

    Boneyard51
    Member

    Your ahead of me, you knew where I was going. Bones
     
  4. Other then Gimpy's guy in CA, any suggestions as to a reliable shop to re-work this? All the old-school guys I knew here in rural Central Michigan have gone to the great machine shop in the sky. Due to distance, I realize I'll have to ship it, but would like to keep it in the Midwest.

    Thanks
     
  5. gimpyshotrods
    Joined: May 20, 2009
    Posts: 23,264

    gimpyshotrods
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Oh, I am working on it.

    I need to be able to demonstrate the capabilities of my R&D department. What better way but to show a wide variety of scenarios that we can accommodate?
     
  6. Bearcat_V8
    Joined: Sep 21, 2011
    Posts: 386

    Bearcat_V8
    Member
    from Dexter, MI

    Ken, I use Adams Engine in Howell. I know that is a bit of a haul from "Up North", but at least it's still in the same state. He has been doing this for over thirty years, first as the machinist for Carquest. He went independent when Advanced bought them out and closed all the machine shops. 517 220 6123
     
  7. Its not necessary to grind out valve seats. You run a bead of weld around the face of it. The weld will not attach to the cast iron head. That weld shrinks it enough that you can knock it out with a hammer and punch. then you freeze the new seat and warm the head. And drive the new seat in place. We lost a tractor head because a machine shop ground out the seat and oversized the hole. I once asked a machinest at Napa if he had ever installed valve seats in a H Farmall head. He said yes. Then a few minutes later I overheard him he asked another machinist Do H farmalls have valve seats? There is a guy on U tube. Kenny Kizzle. He had a problem with a machine shop valve seat that came loose. The repair was to peen the head around the seat. and it came apart again. I repete don't use a machine shop that grinds out the old seat. Its not necessary. My 71 402 engine was ruined when a valve seat came loose. It was converted to hard seats by a former owner before I bought it.
     
    Bearcat_V8 likes this.
  8. Hnstray
    Joined: Aug 23, 2009
    Posts: 12,355

    Hnstray
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Quincy, IL

    Look up www.midwestcylinderhead.com in Iowa. Should be able to handle this for you.

    Ray
     
    6inarow, Joel W and gimpyshotrods like this.
  9. Jmountainjr
    Joined: Dec 29, 2006
    Posts: 1,672

    Jmountainjr
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Its not necessary to grind out valve seats. You run a bead of weld around the face of it.
    Only if the head originally had hardened seats separate from the head.
     
    Old wolf likes this.
  10. paul55
    Joined: Dec 1, 2010
    Posts: 3,490

    paul55
    Member
    from michigan

    I'm in Warren and know someone who can do this repair. He has a machine shop and used to work for an Indy car team. He and his father are super people and very reasonable. PM me if ya need more info.
     
    rustyironman likes this.
  11. Of course . If you are removing a hardened seat you don't need to grind. If there was never a seat you must machine a place to install it.
     
  12. Stueeee
    Joined: Oct 21, 2015
    Posts: 305

    Stueeee
    Member
    from Kent, UK

    If it were my head I would certainly want to pressure test it before spending a lot more money to get that rubbish piece of work fixed. Wishing the best of luck for the OP to get it repaired OK.
     
  13. Thanks for the lead, Bill. Kinda strange working on something other then a Stude.



    The seat was installed, as the head never had them, and the seat on the one valve hole had major rust damage from a mouse.

    PM sent. Thanks.
     
    Old wolf likes this.
  14. buffaloracer
    Joined: Aug 22, 2004
    Posts: 816

    buffaloracer
    Member
    from kansas

    I think as close as they are if you call Goodson tech they will give you a reference for a machine shop if those mentioned above don't work out. They have been very helpful when I have called.
    Pete
     
  15. Steve77T
    Joined: Jul 9, 2015
    Posts: 16

    Steve77T

    Try Thirlbys Machine in Traverse City. Ask for Mike. He does a lot of stuff for Hagertys and others. good work and honest folks
     
  16. 302GMC
    Joined: Dec 15, 2005
    Posts: 7,856

    302GMC
    Member
    from Idaho

    No one has suggested replacing all 4 exhaust seats ... that would be good insurance against future trouble.
     
    Atwater Mike likes this.
  17. If they aint broke why fix it? He is having enough troubles just attempting to get the one bad seat fixed. Why court more troubles?
     
  18. 302GMC
    Joined: Dec 15, 2005
    Posts: 7,856

    302GMC
    Member
    from Idaho

    It's preventing trouble - making every cylinder as equal as possible in all respects is a good practice.
     
    Atwater Mike likes this.
  19. Vimtage Iron
    Joined: Feb 28, 2010
    Posts: 561

    Vimtage Iron
    Member

    Thats odd that Northwestern won't stand behind their work,I know Sam the owner as I've bought quite a bit from him and the counter guys and had a set of pistons ground to fit from there with no problem.
     
  20. Chiss
    Joined: May 12, 2017
    Posts: 236

    Chiss
    Member
    from S.C.

    You have a picture comparing another Intake seat instead of the Exhaust next to it ?
     
  21. doyoulikesleds
    Joined: Jul 12, 2014
    Posts: 306

    doyoulikesleds

    There are two sides to every story we are only getting one. Everyone blames the shop for every thing then complains when there are no more shops. When I was at a shop we would not have put a head that looked like that in our machine
     
    craig b blue likes this.
  22. topher5150
    Joined: Feb 10, 2017
    Posts: 3,338

    topher5150
    Member

    Check out C-Tech in Grandville it's probably a 15-20 min drive south west of where Northwest is located
     
  23. I appreciate your playing devil's advocate. Just because the head wasn't stuck in a oven then shot blasted, and made pretty does not mean the head is a piece of shit.

    The head was thoroughly steam cleaned, and I personally ground all the other seats and refaced the valves. It went to the shop for the one seat as it had too much corrosion damage to be ground. Yeah, I know you'll say I should of had the whole job done by the machine shop, but the fact is, installing the valve seat should of been a straight-forward job. Installing a seat like that with it visibly recessed is just bad work, period.

    I'm not a rookie to doing mechanical work, and have my own Sioux valve refacing/grinding tools, and know how to use them (I've done heads for BearcatV8 here on the HAMB). I just couldn't install a seat, that is why it went to the shop.
     
    gimpyshotrods, XXL__ and Hnstray like this.
  24. flatheadpete
    Joined: Oct 29, 2003
    Posts: 10,479

    flatheadpete
    Member
    from Burton, MI

    There's a guy named Terry at ET Automotive in Bridgeport, MI (just north of Frankenmuth). He is PHENOMENAL! PM me if you want his contact info.
     
  25. Hnstray
    Joined: Aug 23, 2009
    Posts: 12,355

    Hnstray
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Quincy, IL

    The old axiom about "two sides......" has been long surpassed by the more accurate "there are usually three sides to every story.......yours, mine and the Truth"

    Sometimes, given a very simple set of circumstances and an objective, factual complainant, there really is only one side.....again, the Truth. Commonly though, the opposing sides each embellish, and diminish, the facts to bolster their claim/defense.

    Given the seemingly simplistic nature of the repair in question, and the equally simple fault being found with it, what would you speculate could possibly be 'the other side of the story"?

    Ray
     
    gimpyshotrods likes this.

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