Valve Seats?

[Ronnieroadster]

Old thread but the info doesn't change.
As always, the laws of physics limit some things from happening.

1 - Seat repair rings can only be used with stock or very
slightly oversize valves in a flathead Ford V8 engine.
2 - Seat repair rings are not needed in any flathead Ford V8
engine except for damage repair. Overlapping rings on
adjacent ports should NOT be done.
3 - Supercharged flathead Ford racing engines running 30 lb.
of boost, 100 nitro and making over 800 hp do NOT run
hard seats. (seat rings)

Ill second that no hard seats needed and even better no valve seat rings at all just the block iron.
Ronnieroadster

 

[vilanar]

Thanks Pete and Ronnie to give solid opinion about this thing.Those should clear the myth.
From two gentlemen who know thing or two about these things .....

 

[Admiral]

Great knowledge in this thread! Just curious, why are hardened valve seats not recommended? Isn't there a risk of prematurely pounding away the cast iron, especially if you're running an aftermarket cam and springs? Also, I would think Ford gradually removed the seats to save money, not build a better product. I ask because I'm getting very close to dropping a late 8BA block off for machining, and hardened seats were on my wish list.

 

[Pete]

Great knowledge in this thread! Just curious, why are hardened valve seats not recommended? Isn't there a risk of prematurely pounding away the cast iron, especially if you're running an aftermarket cam and springs? Also, I would think Ford gradually removed the seats to save money, not build a better product. I ask because I'm getting very close to dropping a late 8BA block off for machining, and hardened seats were on my wish list.

For a street engine, if the block has them, go ahead and use them. If the block does NOT have them, they are not needed.

 

[Ol' Ron]

"Street engine" This is the Key word. In an effort to make these last alittle longer I use stock valve springs with a .060" shim an most cams, including the L-100. I also use rotators on cams with 350" Lift or less and last but not least 1.6 valves to fix bad seats. The cost of building these engines at a time when the SBC was king and could be had for much less than a Sears rebuild flathead. spending 3K$ on a flathead was not cost effective. But they were pretty and sounded nice.
Gramps