bronze guides

[Don Dulmage <big-d@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I use cast iron SBI guides for exhaust at least. Bronze guides can bite you especially in a race car. usually third run on a hot day back to back. Most dont realize it is a guide problem, bent pushrods. bent valve etc always an exhaust. . I see often guys with a new engine and strange problems. I know bronze was used but it is almost pointlee to go there. I took these on my MAX WEDGE and gave them what I thought would be enogh clearance to avoid trouble. One still snaged and stuck to the stem  riding up and down in the head. I hade to make a custom iron one and bore the guide hole oversize. 
One  shop nearby told me they have no trouble 9they also have a strick no warranty policy on Hi perf work) with them if they give lots of clearance (.003")  .003 is a worn out guide to any other material so what is the point? I have cried in the soup with serveral who didnt believe me. The shop they went to had a thousand reasons why it wasnt their fault even though in two cases the customer told them after talking to me dont use bronze guides in my iron heads.  You will find a thousand guys who will argure but that doesnt fix a needlessly broken engine. I dont use them because the possiblilty exists and does not exist with cast iron. 
BTW Smokey Yunichs take on it? he said and i quote" You can take your fancy exotic valve guide materials and stick them where the sun doesnt shine. Cast iron works fine. "
Aluminum heads are different . It can transfer eat better so it isnt a problem there. 
 Just watch you friends and fellow mopar guys tell their tales of woe. (just had the heads done , bent some pushords etc etc. Shop says it was valve float or woga booga pheonomeon or whatever. Then just quietly ask, "Bronze Exhaust guides? and the answer will always be YES. 
i dont use them period and should have beanged all these out to , instead i made sure they had at least sufficient clearance and then some. Stil got bit but lcily i hurt nothing , just darn inconvieneint.
Dont expect a huge agreement on this. Most guys are so blind to shiny exotic is faster better  hi tech etc even when the busted engine is staring ng them in the face they can convince themselves it wasnt that. I have even helped a local shop out of a reoccurring problem with a BB FORD Mud truck. Took him two experieces to get it. That was several years ago and I believe i am correct in saying since removing the bronze exhaust  guides and installing SBI irons it has stayed running and racing ever since. 
Long story how i got there. Started when I worked in head deptartment repairing VW bug busted heads. All heads with busteed valves had bronze guides. never once had one in for repair with the iron guides except for wear, Never for disater repair. I never forgot that and it got me thinkingas I watched the problems aroundme exspecially in race cars with the larger .375 valve guide sizes. Treidit myself justto make sure i wasnt being prejudice as someone suggested. it cost me a head and a block . Will tell you over a burger sometime at carlisle if you like. 
Too long to write . 
Bottom line is this plain. You will never have a problem with a Cast iron guide, you may have a problem with a bronze guide . For what possible reason would you want to take the chance?
Don.  

Author of
Return to Deutschland (True Adventure)
Old Reliable (Mopar)
http://altonapublicschool.faithweb.com/

http://seniordragster.bravehost.com/index.html
Author of
Return to Deutschland (True Adventure)
Old Reliable (Mopar)
http://altonapublicschool.faithweb.com/

http://seniordragster.bravehost.com/index.html
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]


----
Please address private mail -- mail of interest to only one person -- directly to that person.  I.e., send parts/car transactions and negotiations as well as other personal messages only to the intended recipient, not to the Clubhouse public address. This practice will protect your privacy, reduce the total volume of mail and fine tune the content signal to Mopar topic.  Thanks!

'62 to '65 Mopar Clubhouse Discussion Guidelines:
http://www.1962to1965mopar.ornocar.org/mletiq.html.