Crazy Valve Seat Grinding Idea

B

Binx

Well-known member
I recently acquired an old Hall-Toledo EJ seat grinder which was pretty much complete EXCEPT :mad: for the Ford V8 pilot. Most of the pilots in the set are locking type except for larger than about 1/2" I figure I won't find a locking pilot for a flathead for under three digits so here's my idea -- The flathead valve guide kind of floats around maybe hour-glassing the bore a little and is definitely prone to corrosion since it isn't an interference fit -- so no matter what pilot I use, I could be wobbling in a sloppy hole.;) So what if I set the pilot in place, melted a hard wax between the guide bore and pilot then set the seat grinder in place (vertically) until the wax cooled, then proceed? Any ideas on a suitable wax? I remember way back when I worked for the Forest Service they used a hard plastic-like wax to preserve the sharpened edges of axes.

Lonnie
 
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I used a new solid valve guide and an expanding pilot. The pilot expanded the guide enough to grip the lifter bore.
 
Over here we use a Kwik-Way 7/16" (tops) pilot setup for all seat grinding/cutting. We have the original (1.000") Flathead pilots that fit most guide holes in the blocks with the 7/16" tops (see the photos below) and never use them in the course of building these units. We don't need them!

All that's required is an original Flathead guide, we use a new one during building, and the conventional pilots used for any 11/32" (or larger) stem diameter! This setup works really well.

I would add we do most "valve jobs" on a head machine that accomodates the Flathead's. You CAN "grind" them by hand with the above pilot setup however.

If the guides fit loosely in the block holes, a slight knurl on the guide O.D. corrects this issue.

Thanks, Gary in N.Y.

P.S. Here's a couple shots of the pilot deals. One shows the original "dedicated" Flathead pilots, the other shows the guide/pilot setup.
 

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You are splitting hairs.You "may" get a "close" to centric seat grind if you chase the rabbit long enough. Remove your guide. Now you put a guide and valve assembly down the hole that you are going to use and your run out changes.Kind of a catch 22.I glue the guide in with loctite and leave it there for the build and install valve and spring later when the guide is still in the block and hasn't been removed thus the run out doesn't change.More tedious but results are there.Many were done your way and they survived.

That's my 2¢

R
 
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First one that I did at home, I used a brand new split guide and 5/16" pilot... The split guide gets pushed to the outside by the expanding pilot... Fitting the hole tightly...

Not as good as the flathead-special pilot I have now, but I took the care- I think it was an accurate set up.
Karl
 
I did mine on a rottler 3 axis machine...flathead didn't fit in regular head machine. I made a guide tool to go down valve guide hole so it would go straight in.
 
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