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From: Neil Vedder
Email: esierraadj@webtv.net
Remote Name: 209.240.198.61
Date: July 29, 2003
Just to 'reinforce' (as if he needs it!) Larry H's comment, I've driven my 57 D500 Hemi since 1981, not-so-gently, @ times, & have had the engine O/h'ed, what? 12 years ago, when I had it bored 40-over [due in part to cylinder-corrosion incurred during that oh-so-dry 15-year dead storage, in Indiana]. At that time, I "considered" the installation of Hardened valve seats, but was informed by the engine 'builder', that there was no compelling reason to spend the money, on installing those 'seats, unless I contemplated either racing the car, or pulling a large trailer,etc. The Dodge Hemis never 'came' with hardened valve seats, unlike Chryslers. Due to inherent lead-impregnation into the cast iron heads (I understand), the heads 'already' have sufficient "lubrication" around the valves. Subsequently to the rebuild , AISA, I've had NO problems with my engine's performance, AND, I'm certain, I've heard/read nothing about any 'sudden/recent' occurence/development which would require the retrofitting of hardened valve seats--there WAS a lot of talk about installing them, when unleaded gas came into universal-usage (I'm that old), but, again, I know of no instance where a valve receded into the head "because" of the lack of a hardened 'seat'--Oh, yeah, our cars are 'designed' to run (satisfactorily) on the "rich" side, which is cooler, and easier, on the valves. Buy some Sanderson "Block Hugger" exhaust manifolds, instead of the 'seats' IMHO. Neil Vedder
