Stuck valves

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Ironmike

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Decided today to strip this pair of Edelbrock heads that fell into my lap. They're going to Hughes for the full work up.
So I get all the springs off and can't get even 1 valve out of the head. Guides feel pretty tight and they just won't get past the top of the lock groove on the valve. Didn't want to destroy the valves, as someone else may be able to use them. Anyone have a good idea how in hell to get them out?

Guy who had them first bought them from Eddy ready to run. Told me he bolted em on and that was that. Guess this is a case of the notorious tight guides we've all heard about. Some are obviously way to tight.
 
You have to file the grooves. The locks have beat the groove up and now it won't go past the guide. Just run a fine file around the top of valve til they slide out.
 
GET A BIGGER HAMMER ! !!! :mob:

and remember to use a self-leveling reciprocating spreader....:thumbsup:

I want edelbrock heads to fall into (or next to) my lap!!!
 
Send 'em to me; I know what to do with them.

But yeah file them, just the area at the valve lock grooves, and only taking off the sharp edges. If the valve will not spin, this is very difficult, so perhaps a few applications of Deep-Creep penetrating oil.This will prevent the guides from being grooved. After that, a brass pin punch and a hammer. Don't forget to make room under the valve for it to drop out, onto the bench.
 
Guess I'll file em. Wanted to preserve them and give em to someone who might be on a budget. Maan those guides are really tight. Can't believe some people just "bolt em on".
 
Ironmike said:
Guess I'll file em. Wanted to preserve them and give em to someone who might be on a budget. Maan those guides are really tight. Can't believe some people just "bolt em on".
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Do they feel that tight before they get to the groove? May just be the stem it bitched up at the groove. Using a fine file won't make the unusable. Now if you get after them with a grinder.....
 
Ironmike said:
Guess I'll file em. Wanted to preserve them and give em to someone who might be on a budget. Maan those guides are really tight. Can't believe some people just "bolt em on".
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The valves are fine, file them and re use or sell or kick them to your friend.
Such basic tear down procedure...:welcome:
 
Some are absolutely too damn tight. Yeah, he ran it 800 miles or so, but you can feel some drag. I'm sure a head shop would have reamed them some, had they been checked. No matter now......

Well, hopefully I'll be able to save them for someone.
 
MOPAROFFICIAL said:
The valves are fine, file them and re use or sell or kick them to your friend.
Such basic tear down procedure...:welcome:
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I confess I haven't torn down many heads. My own have never needed tearing down. That's why these are going to Hughes. I don't have a CNC machine or a flow bench. Once they're back in my hands, won't ever need to tear them down.
 
Ironmike said:
I confess I haven't torn down many heads. My own have never needed tearing down. That's why these are going to Hughes. I don't have a CNC machine or a flow bench. Once they're back in my hands, won't ever need to tear them down.
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Ever is like never, you never say it.:steering:
 
Yeah, I know what ya mean. Shoulda said HOPEFULLY never. Really, other than changing seals or a known spring.....head work has always been a "dark science" to me. Installed height, coil bind, open pressure........all those new tools I'd have to buy.
 
Haven't done it on a valve, but I've used a sharpening stone on shafts with couplings to remove burrs from set screws. Works better than a file.
 
Ironmike said:
Some are absolutely too damn tight. Yeah, he ran it 800 miles or so, but you can feel some drag. I'm sure a head shop would have reamed them some, had they been checked. No matter now......

Well, hopefully I'll be able to save them for someone.
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I'm sure they are too tight. But the not coming out is from a burr. If they were stuck from being so tight you can't get them out, they'd be bent. And they might be.

And the guy who said use a stone is correct. The fine stone is better but I ASSumed everyone has a file of some kind. Not everyone has stones laying around.
 
I use a small, very fine file all the time on valves taht hang up from the grooves being beaten. No big deal.
 
used a real fine stone I use for filing sears on 1911 handguns. Worked perfect. Like you all said, I just stoned off the little burr.
 
Is any head really ready to run out of the box? Even if the box has been opened?

I have a pair of heads I bought from Hughes that they setup. They weren't been cleaned after the valves seats were cut by them, they had casting flash in two intake ports that easily snapped off with one finger and the bronze guide inserts they installed that felt like they had gravel in them. The exhaust valves all sit .020-.035" lower then the intake valves do too. Needless to say I was less then impressed and glad I didn't just run them.

The Eddy heads I returned had so much core shift that some exhaust ports that the gasket and header overhang the rear edge of the ports. I never bothered pulling those apart but I probably would have found sticky valves too. The valve height was within .010" though.

I probably would have had better luck with Speedmaster heads.... I'm still not sure which heads I'm going to run.
 
I didn't buy em. They were....given to me after a guy ran them 800 miles or so. right place, right time. My only expense will be Hughes full CNC, some springs that will handle a .680 or so roller and the standard items.
 
Ironmike said:
I didn't buy em. They were....given to me after a guy ran them 800 miles or so. right place, right time. My only expense will be Hughes full CNC, some springs that will handle a .680 or so roller and the standard items.
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Now that I could deal with. Definite right time and place. I think I would still pull them apart after they were done though. I'd probably have the pushrod tubes plugged and then CNC ported into bigmouths. Hughes Engines
 
Thought about the big mouth deal. I'm only planning for the 600 HP plateau. I think their full CNC program, if they do it like they say, will get me there.

Now if I had an R3, and was planning on a lot of track time........HELLO Big mouth!
 
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