Removing valves from a 59A

[30Murray]

I just spent the better part of 2 days trying to remove the valves from an old frozen and gummed up 59A that I'm hoping to rebuild. What a messy and horrible job! I read a number of guides on how to do this, but they didn't help much. No amount of forcing, prying with a pickle bar or swearing would get those #&$@ing little valve keepers out. Removing the guide keepers was also impossible.

I don't have a cutting torch so got out my die grinder with a 3in. cutting disc which just fit inside the valve cavity. I was able to make a verticle cut thru the spring coils. Once they collapsed, the keepers were fairly easy to remove, along with the broken springs. I could pry the valves up, cut the heads off, then pound the guides down with a deep socket. I got it down to about 10 minutes a valve. I just hope after all this work the block turns out to be good enough for rebuilding.

I'm sure many others have gone through this frustrating exercise, so hope this tip helps.

 

[Tinker]

Not my first solution, but you might not be reusing the valves anyway. There is tools to punch guides down on valves. really no big deal on a block build.



Some use chevy valves on a full rebuild. keep posting, valve guides can be a bear to get out, almost welded in.

 

[RalphM]

The right tools can make this job a pleasure!

 

[Tinker]

unless you remove the valve guides on 59ab mushroom valves, they wont slip past the valve guides like 8ba valves. Less you cut the valve

 

[RKS.PA]

My experience was like yours and possibly many others.....original valves and guides in there for 70 years!!! The tools I rented from Mac VP, however, got me to the finish line....most of them pictured above....along with the "pickle fork" I bought.



Have you tackled the head studs yet??

 

[rotorwrench]

Several companies made tools for this back in the day. The KD valve assembly puller is a good one. Both of the all power tools are good. One is for pulling the horse shoe clips and the other is a valve knocker to push the valve assemblies out. The old KR Wilson pickle fork is a good one but they are getting harder to find in good condition.

 

[JSeery]

I just cut them out like you posted, I'm not going to reuse any of the parts anyway.

 

[Tim Ayers]

The right tools can make this job a pleasure!

This. I also have a All Power keeper removal that takes no mercy.

 

[Flathead Fever]

That All Power Keeper remover will rip those valve guide keepers right out with out needing to pry down on the guide with a valve bar. They don't come up for sale very often.

I fought with the mother of all stuck valve guides awhile back. I'm not big on beating on stuff so I tried something new that worked pretty slick. I just happened to walk by a bearing press plate I had hanging on the wall. That bearing press plate opened up far enough to fit over the valve's head. As I tightened the puller together it started lifting the valve up until the spring bottom out. I tightened it some more and the pressure popped the guide right out. The problem is bearing press plates can be a little expensive. This is my new go-to tool for stuck guides. It put a lot of pressure on the valve head so its possible it bent the valve.

 

[48fordnut]

Die grinder and couple of hours later you are cleaning up the mess.

 

[Bored&Stroked]

Or - a big *** pair of bolt-cutters and some strong arms!

Just be careful about pieces flying all over the place . . . like valve heads that miss your face and shoot up towards the ceiling.

As they fly past your head, they know how to home right in on exposed fluorescent light bulbs.

Upon striking the light bulbs, the now broken pieces of glass come crashing down on your head, pieces of glass fall down into your shirt and also into the engine. The dog who was sleeping and keeping you company will run like the devil is on his heels - and he may or may not have glass in his coat. You will then clean glass up for hours . . . probably longer than the rest of the project.

I personally do NOT know of such things - but I have heard from reputable sources the above is certainly possible!