rebuilt heads with RUST!
3rd Gear Member
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 886
From: North East Texas on the Red River
If you want to spend the time, there's no reason at all to send them to the machine shop. Clean them externally the best you can with whatever. Use a sanding block and some 180 to carefully clean the head surface. It does NOT have to be milled to be flat assuming that it was flat when stored.
Since these heads have already had a valve job, it is quite safe to assume that they have already been checked for cracks and checked for straightness. They will not crack or get unstraight while they are setting around gathering rust.
After that step, mark the valves and chambers with a Marks A Lot so the valves go back in the same hole. Once broken down then clean the rockers, springs and such in solvent or better yet glass bead them. If you have the facility, glass bead the heads as well. Since you probably don't, then just clean everything the best you can.
After all this is done, get some valve grinding compound and a suction cup stick and hand seat the valves back into the seats. If you've never done this before, google up some instructions so that you know how to do it and more importantly how important it is to thoroughly remove the grinding compound.
Since there still will be rust involved with the heads and assumedly with the short block from what you said, have an oil and filter change ready and immediately drain the oil and break in lube as soon as your 20 minute cam break in is finished. The oil will be warm and have the vast majority of the rust churned up in the oil. So draining it right then, will get the vast majority of the rust and contaminants out. You will be good to go at that point.
It is a natural reaction for many people to think that if a part doesn't look pretty that it shouldn't be used until it does. As long as the head surface is clean it will seal. As long as the valves and seats have been ground, even ages ago, they will seal. After the valves have pounded on the seats for a few seconds, the rust will not be a sealing issue.
The fact is, you could use a sanding block to clean the head surface, oil everything up and bolt them on and they would be fine as long as you do that after cam break in oil change I described. Modern motor oil does wonders with cleaning and contaminant suspension which allows the nasty stuff to come out with an oil drain. That's the number one job of the additive package in todays motor oils and ANY brand premium motor oil does this task well.
If it were mine I would clean them well, most especially the head sealing surface, use an oil like Delo, Rotella T or Delvac with cam break in lube, pouring plenty of it over the rockers and valves before putting the valve covers on, run the cam break in and do the oil and filter change with another change of Delo and consider it good for the road. These types of oil have much more detergent additive than regular oils.
I've seen some engines with pieces that had sat around gathering rust like you can't imagine. I've seen several engines with really rusty bores even, that are put together and run a gazillion miles with no issues. I give credit to modern oils being changed regularly for making this possible.
Since these heads have already had a valve job, it is quite safe to assume that they have already been checked for cracks and checked for straightness. They will not crack or get unstraight while they are setting around gathering rust.
After that step, mark the valves and chambers with a Marks A Lot so the valves go back in the same hole. Once broken down then clean the rockers, springs and such in solvent or better yet glass bead them. If you have the facility, glass bead the heads as well. Since you probably don't, then just clean everything the best you can.
After all this is done, get some valve grinding compound and a suction cup stick and hand seat the valves back into the seats. If you've never done this before, google up some instructions so that you know how to do it and more importantly how important it is to thoroughly remove the grinding compound.
Since there still will be rust involved with the heads and assumedly with the short block from what you said, have an oil and filter change ready and immediately drain the oil and break in lube as soon as your 20 minute cam break in is finished. The oil will be warm and have the vast majority of the rust churned up in the oil. So draining it right then, will get the vast majority of the rust and contaminants out. You will be good to go at that point.
It is a natural reaction for many people to think that if a part doesn't look pretty that it shouldn't be used until it does. As long as the head surface is clean it will seal. As long as the valves and seats have been ground, even ages ago, they will seal. After the valves have pounded on the seats for a few seconds, the rust will not be a sealing issue.
The fact is, you could use a sanding block to clean the head surface, oil everything up and bolt them on and they would be fine as long as you do that after cam break in oil change I described. Modern motor oil does wonders with cleaning and contaminant suspension which allows the nasty stuff to come out with an oil drain. That's the number one job of the additive package in todays motor oils and ANY brand premium motor oil does this task well.
If it were mine I would clean them well, most especially the head sealing surface, use an oil like Delo, Rotella T or Delvac with cam break in lube, pouring plenty of it over the rockers and valves before putting the valve covers on, run the cam break in and do the oil and filter change with another change of Delo and consider it good for the road. These types of oil have much more detergent additive than regular oils.
I've seen some engines with pieces that had sat around gathering rust like you can't imagine. I've seen several engines with really rusty bores even, that are put together and run a gazillion miles with no issues. I give credit to modern oils being changed regularly for making this possible.
Thread Starter
1st Gear Member
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 53
From: california
If you want to spend the time, there's no reason at all to send them to the machine shop. Clean them externally the best you can with whatever. Use a sanding block and some 180 to carefully clean the head surface. It does NOT have to be milled to be flat assuming that it was flat when stored.
Since these heads have already had a valve job, it is quite safe to assume that they have already been checked for cracks and checked for straightness. They will not crack or get unstraight while they are setting around gathering rust.
After that step, mark the valves and chambers with a Marks A Lot so the valves go back in the same hole. Once broken down then clean the rockers, springs and such in solvent or better yet glass bead them. If you have the facility, glass bead the heads as well. Since you probably don't, then just clean everything the best you can.
After all this is done, get some valve grinding compound and a suction cup stick and hand seat the valves back into the seats. If you've never done this before, google up some instructions so that you know how to do it and more importantly how important it is to thoroughly remove the grinding compound.
Since there still will be rust involved with the heads and assumedly with the short block from what you said, have an oil and filter change ready and immediately drain the oil and break in lube as soon as your 20 minute cam break in is finished. The oil will be warm and have the vast majority of the rust churned up in the oil. So draining it right then, will get the vast majority of the rust and contaminants out. You will be good to go at that point.
It is a natural reaction for many people to think that if a part doesn't look pretty that it shouldn't be used until it does. As long as the head surface is clean it will seal. As long as the valves and seats have been ground, even ages ago, they will seal. After the valves have pounded on the seats for a few seconds, the rust will not be a sealing issue.
The fact is, you could use a sanding block to clean the head surface, oil everything up and bolt them on and they would be fine as long as you do that after cam break in oil change I described. Modern motor oil does wonders with cleaning and contaminant suspension which allows the nasty stuff to come out with an oil drain. That's the number one job of the additive package in todays motor oils and ANY brand premium motor oil does this task well.
If it were mine I would clean them well, most especially the head sealing surface, use an oil like Delo, Rotella T or Delvac with cam break in lube, pouring plenty of it over the rockers and valves before putting the valve covers on, run the cam break in and do the oil and filter change with another change of Delo and consider it good for the road. These types of oil have much more detergent additive than regular oils.
I've seen some engines with pieces that had sat around gathering rust like you can't imagine. I've seen several engines with really rusty bores even, that are put together and run a gazillion miles with no issues. I give credit to modern oils being changed regularly for making this possible.
Since these heads have already had a valve job, it is quite safe to assume that they have already been checked for cracks and checked for straightness. They will not crack or get unstraight while they are setting around gathering rust.
After that step, mark the valves and chambers with a Marks A Lot so the valves go back in the same hole. Once broken down then clean the rockers, springs and such in solvent or better yet glass bead them. If you have the facility, glass bead the heads as well. Since you probably don't, then just clean everything the best you can.
After all this is done, get some valve grinding compound and a suction cup stick and hand seat the valves back into the seats. If you've never done this before, google up some instructions so that you know how to do it and more importantly how important it is to thoroughly remove the grinding compound.
Since there still will be rust involved with the heads and assumedly with the short block from what you said, have an oil and filter change ready and immediately drain the oil and break in lube as soon as your 20 minute cam break in is finished. The oil will be warm and have the vast majority of the rust churned up in the oil. So draining it right then, will get the vast majority of the rust and contaminants out. You will be good to go at that point.
It is a natural reaction for many people to think that if a part doesn't look pretty that it shouldn't be used until it does. As long as the head surface is clean it will seal. As long as the valves and seats have been ground, even ages ago, they will seal. After the valves have pounded on the seats for a few seconds, the rust will not be a sealing issue.
The fact is, you could use a sanding block to clean the head surface, oil everything up and bolt them on and they would be fine as long as you do that after cam break in oil change I described. Modern motor oil does wonders with cleaning and contaminant suspension which allows the nasty stuff to come out with an oil drain. That's the number one job of the additive package in todays motor oils and ANY brand premium motor oil does this task well.
If it were mine I would clean them well, most especially the head sealing surface, use an oil like Delo, Rotella T or Delvac with cam break in lube, pouring plenty of it over the rockers and valves before putting the valve covers on, run the cam break in and do the oil and filter change with another change of Delo and consider it good for the road. These types of oil have much more detergent additive than regular oils.
I've seen some engines with pieces that had sat around gathering rust like you can't imagine. I've seen several engines with really rusty bores even, that are put together and run a gazillion miles with no issues. I give credit to modern oils being changed regularly for making this possible.
3rd Gear Member
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 886
From: North East Texas on the Red River
The KD New Style looks good from the ones on the page you showed. Performance Products makes one that sells for a lot less and is available at most auto supply stores.
Light hand lapping with a suction cup stick will work fine since all your doing is touching them up. They have already been precision ground.
Light hand lapping with a suction cup stick will work fine since all your doing is touching them up. They have already been precision ground.
can you show me a picture of one or a link to were i can get one?
3rd Gear Member
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 886
From: North East Texas on the Red River
Back in the old days (yes, I've been around plenty long enough to be familiar with the old days) they were extremely common. I expect that there is one hanging on the wall at your local parts store.
It is basically a round wooden rod with a suction cup on the end of it. To use it, simply put a light amount of valve grinding compound on the seating portion of the valve, being careful not to get it near the valve stem, and drop it into place. Then put the suction cup on the head of the valve and spin the wooden rod back and forth using the palms of both hands like the old movies of the Indian starting a fire by twirling a stick.
When you buy valve grinding compound, it will be a little tin with a lid on both sides. One side contains coarse and the other fine. Do some experimenting, but since the seats and valve have already been cut and you are merely dressing the rust off, you probably won't have to use the coarse compound. That is what is used when you are rough cutting the valve and seat. Go straight to the fine and see how the seal comes out. Once you have hand seated a valve, use a clean cloth to get ALL of the compound from the valve and the seat and valve pocket. If this stuff is left in place it could wreck an engine, or more accurately, wear it out long before it's time.
Hope this helps,
It is basically a round wooden rod with a suction cup on the end of it. To use it, simply put a light amount of valve grinding compound on the seating portion of the valve, being careful not to get it near the valve stem, and drop it into place. Then put the suction cup on the head of the valve and spin the wooden rod back and forth using the palms of both hands like the old movies of the Indian starting a fire by twirling a stick.
When you buy valve grinding compound, it will be a little tin with a lid on both sides. One side contains coarse and the other fine. Do some experimenting, but since the seats and valve have already been cut and you are merely dressing the rust off, you probably won't have to use the coarse compound. That is what is used when you are rough cutting the valve and seat. Go straight to the fine and see how the seal comes out. Once you have hand seated a valve, use a clean cloth to get ALL of the compound from the valve and the seat and valve pocket. If this stuff is left in place it could wreck an engine, or more accurately, wear it out long before it's time.
Hope this helps,
6th Gear Member
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 5,469
From: AR
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhXsH12Rg6s
Here is a valve lapping video of some 289 heads....
Sorry, the embed just won't work for me.....
Here is a valve lapping video of some 289 heads....
Sorry, the embed just won't work for me.....
Last edited by JMD; Apr 9, 2010 at 10:32 PM.
