Re: IML: Dick B's valves

["Pete Engel" <peter.engel@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dick,

I was able to sneak into your garage and snap a few pics of the Imperial
heads right after you pulled them.  In this shot you can clearly see the
"hot" valves at each end of the head.

http://bos-engel.com/66newyorker/headsoff/2hotvalves.jpg

On closer inspection it's obvious that one of the valves is pretty badly
burned.  

http://bos-engel.com/66newyorker/headsoff/burntvalve.jpg


;-)


Actually, I suspect that Dick's Imperial heads looked an awful lot like the
heads I recently pulled off my 66 New Yorker 440.  I bought the car this
past Spring and it took some head scratching to get it running.  It turned
out that it had 5 stuck intake valves and 5 bent pushrods.  Ouch.  Once I
remedied that little problem and got it running it sounded pretty darn good
but there was obviously still a problem.  A very impressive backfire caused
the muffler to instantly change shape:

http://bos-engel.com/66newyorker/p7090005.jpg

Hmmm, I wonder if there's a bad exhaust valve?  With 97k on the clock it
seemed prudent to just pull the heads and have them reworked.  The machine
shop did a hard sell on hardened exhaust seats so I decided to do it (for
the first time ever).  Installing the seats cost $200.  The whole cylinder
head rework cost just over a grand, pretty much insuring that I will never
break even on this car.  I got 8 new exhaust valves, 16 new guide inserts,
glass-beading, 3-angle valve job, and surface heads 0.010"  I have yet to
find the time to put the 440 back together :-(

Pete in PA
Busy with a 6 month old baby








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