516 head rebuild

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1973_440_DUSTER

1973_440_DUSTER

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Working on rebuilding the 516 heads on my 400. I'm wanting to replace the valve guides and would like some advice on the process and where to buy new one. Is there a special type I should get or special material. I'm also thinking of adding bigger valves I've kinda read up on it but just want some advice. Also my grandpa has a valve machine so I can do my own seats and such.
 
Last time I did a set of iron heads over and added oversized valves I had something like 1200$ into them. Then they needed epoxy work, add more money......and that was 20 years ago.

So my advice to you is don't bother. Unless you have to run iron heads to stay in a class or to have a resto numbers matching deal it simply isn't practical or economical.
 
I'm been doing some reading and I think I want to just ad some guides clean em up and dont do much more to em till i change the heads later. right now I'm just wanting to get the big block running in my duster and do some burnouts and drive it. Not looking for anything extravagant but good sounds and burnouts
 
1973_440_DUSTER said:
I'm been doing some reading and I think I want to just ad some guides clean em up and dont do much more to em till i change the heads later. right now I'm just wanting to get the big block running in my duster and do some burnouts and drive it. Not looking for anything extravagant but good sounds and burnouts
Click to expand...

If you just want a cleanup and guides that may be worth it.
 
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1973_440_DUSTER said:
Working on rebuilding the 516 heads on my 400. I'm wanting to replace the valve guides and would like some advice on the process and where to buy new one. Is there a special type I should get or special material. I'm also thinking of adding bigger valves I've kinda read up on it but just want some advice. Also my grandpa has a valve machine so I can do my own seats and such.
Click to expand...
I had my 516 heads rebuilt. I purchased the valve springs and retainers from summit racing. You really wanna build your heads to the cams specs.
 
1973_440_DUSTER said:
I have ordered a cam kit so I have all the matching hardware for it. I want to throw some valve guides. Where could I get those and what material should I look for?
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Call summit racing or the cams manufacturer and tell them what your wanting to do.. That’s what I did and they talked to the machine shop and gave them everything he needed to know. I can’t remember what we did with the valve guides. When I get home this weekend I’ll look at my build sheet and will be able to tell you more.
 
1973_440_DUSTER said:
I'm been doing some reading and I think I want to just ad some guides clean em up and dont do much more to em till i change the heads later. right now I'm just wanting to get the big block running in my duster and do some burnouts and drive it. Not looking for anything extravagant but good sounds and burnouts
Click to expand...
Why not just knurl the guides. That's what I would do. lap the valves , add umbrella seals and run it.
until I saved for a good set of aluminum heads.
dumping money into a set of 516 heads is counter productive.
 
Well things have changed today ha I just scored a set of 452 heads. I guess I'll go with these haha.

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1973_440_DUSTER said:
Evantually I'm gonna bore and stroke this 400 when I can afford the 513 crankshaft. But for now just want it to run good
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Save for a GOOD set of heads before you go this route. Trickflow preferably
 
fishmens67 said:
Save for a GOOD set of heads before you go this route. Trickflow preferably
Click to expand...
That's the plan. Eventually I will take it all apart and really go crazy on a build for now I just want to freshen the entire thing up and have a reliable and fun running big block duster. Right now I have everything to put it back together no funds to build a stroker
 
It looks like these are the press in guides am I correct? Can you just press the old ones out and press new ones in and ream them to length. Or what is the process to do it.

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See if you can get someone at a shop to mentor you. If you're buying tools, you're going to spend a mint. Valve guides, you're probably best off installing K-liners or similar, not going through the entire process of installing bronze step guides.


Goodson Tools & Supplies for Engine Builders

S/F....Ken M
 
PRH said:
Your going to be way ahead money wise to just pay a shop to put the guides in.
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This would be the right path to follow. But why listen to him? After all, he only has the most experience with cylinder heads on the forum.
 
The 452 heads in the pic have already had the guides replaced.

Do they need replacing again?

Since the real machine work has already been done on those heads........If you already had a decent mic and some split ball gauges, you could probably do a half assed guide replacement and sizing for a couple hundred bucks.

Of course, if you really wanted them straight and round, you’d need a guide hone($600+) to get them correctly sized for the valves, and a guide bore gauge($1200) to accurately measure them...... so you know they are actually straight, round, and to size.

Plus you still need the guide driver to remove/install them, and some sort of spot facing tool to trim the length after they’re installed.

Edit: just looked up the current pricing on the guide hone and bore gauge.......
$803 for hone, $2027 for the bore gauge.
 
PRH said:
The 452 heads in the pic have already had the guides replaced.

Do they need replacing again?

Since the real machine work has already been done on those heads........If you already had a decent mic and some split ball gauges, you could probably do a half assed guide replacement and sizing for a couple hundred bucks.

Of course, if you really wanted them straight and round, you’d need a guide hone($600+) to get them correctly sized for the valves, and a guide bore gauge($1200) to accurately measure them...... so you know they are actually straight, round, and to size.

Plus you still need the guide driver to remove/install them, and some sort of spot facing tool to trim the length after they’re installed.
Click to expand...
Exactly what I wanted to know. I will check them probally gonna be okay enough for my build
 
Judge'n from your guide picture those guides look almost new. I would guess your grandfathers seat grinder is a Sioux? If it
is it will have guide pilots for the stone holder, sized .000 +.001 +.002 +.003. They can be used as a go-no go gauge for guide
size, no need for a $2000 dedicated guide mike. If desired a standard machinist pin gauge set will do also. Under $100 from
a machine shop supply. If a machine shop tells you it is extra $ for a 3-angle valve job go somewhere else, that is a CORRECT-
STOCK valve seat regrind. Look in any factory, motor, Chilton .ect manual that covers it. You need the 30deg and 60deg cut
to set seat with and locate it correctly on the valve. No matter what your combination is, the quality of your valve seal is THE
most important factor in power potential or just plain run. Take a Formula 1 head and screw up the valve job with the best of
all parts and the worst flowing brand X head with a "correct high quality" valve job, brand X will out run it. Let alone run.

What these great guy,s-gal's are telling you is if your valve/seat grind is junk, you won't get out of the driveway let alone run.
What head, does not dictate how it will run, the quality of the valve job does period. From formula-1 to a Chinese go-cart
engine, if your valves don't seal, what do you have.

edit: your seat grind/runout is all based off the guides.
Rick
 
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