MTFCA Forum

Sometime ago a valve failed in the engine of our '21 Touring. I am replacing all 8 original valves that were reused when the engine was rebuilt. I am now able to work on it again and have all the valves adjusted except for #8. I have not installed the springs,washers, and pins yet and will have to double check the adjustments as I do. #8 is giving me grief. The guide was replaced when the engine was rebuilt. All the other valves seem to fit the guides but this last one is too tight in the guide. I hate to buy a reamer for one guide, but I don't know what else to do. Put lapping compound on an old valve stem and work on the guide, being careful not to get any compound into the engine/oil? Any other suggestions? Thanks.

i would polish the valve stem im afraid you may not get all the compound out and get wear. if its standard that reamer should
be easy to borrow. philip

A valve guide reamer is $61
A valve is $8
Measure the hole and buy a valve that matches that size
Done

Try one of the other valve in No8 and see if it fits. While you are doing that check to see if both the one that does not fit and the one you pulled to try, are the same size stem.

I went back to the garage and worked on it some more before I waited on a response. I had let some water spill down into the valve openings when removing the head and failed to blow it all out I suppose. The guide in #4 cylinder must have had a little rust formed in the weeks since tear-down. I wrapped sandpaper around a wooden dowel and cleaned the guide. All seems well now. I was careful to catch all the loose abrasive from the cleaning and blow out the area around the lifters. I will change the oil before I start the engine.

My manifold gaskets came from Lang's so I had planned to start Monday morning and finish putting the T back together. While cleaning the intake and exhaust ports with a wire brush on my grinder I also went across the core/expansion plugs. I'm glad I did because the center one showed to have a hole in it. I guess I'll invest another .15 in the T and go by Steve Jelf's how-to. I'll have to go dig out my stash of old coins and pick out three buffalo nickels.

I would lock the stem into the chuck of a drill press (you have at least an inch to grip in the chuck) and, using 600 grit wet dry sandpaper, with the drill press on high, polish the stem up and down until it is like a mirror, taking it out every now and then and applying a little oil to the stem, seeing if it will fit freely in the hole. When it fits, you’re done. Jim Patrick

Ideas on how to concave Buffalo nickel freezer plugs: www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/118802/146043.html.

Guess I'll be ok 'cause I never took none of them wooden nickels Papa always told me not to.