What Projects Are You Considering This Winter?

Chicken lights

Forum Pony Express Driver
@Susquatch - that is the debate right now - can machine out for new seats - they are sitting at home. Or see what the original seats need cutting to. The original head is a Chromium grey cast iron and the exhaust seat area was hardened by the factory. The head is also alumetized.

I don't know if the seats are satellite - that would mean they are already cut to the proper angle. These are basic rings of hardened steel and need finishing. I am in the process to find out the materials. May need to see @Chicken lights to gett'er done

@Gearhead88 : that was an alternative plan for the springs. I may build one. I am also in the middle of building a bead roller and some other things. Just completed my cam bearing remover....so many neato projects :)
You’re more than welcome to use it, I should be able to have someone meet you to let you in the shop. If I can’t be there
 

Brent H

Ultra Member
@kevin.decelles : I looked at those - the individual cutters are a decent price - CU128 - 30/45 Degree = $125.25 USD then I would need the guide etc. They actually look like a reasonable build project. Just have to get my arse in gear with the Cincinnati tool sharpener/cutter/grinder.

Right now I think I will be getting the bead roller together - I will post about that as I need to make more gears, some dies, bearing fitment etc etc and I have a gear motor so it may get some power - have to see what Hp is required to drive it.
 

Gearhead88

Super User
I purchased a Neway valve seat cutter for the Ford NAA tractor rebuild. Very well made, great people to deal with (dealt directly through Neway, no ebay/knockoffs etc.).
I've used those at a couple of the places I worked , best used with the spring loaded handle that cranks , leaves a far nicer finish that way. The "T" handle to drive the cutters , I'm not a fan of that one , they have a tendancy to chatter a bit and it's difficult to get a good finish like the finish that is easily achieved with the crank style driver.

I used to not like the Neway stuff much until I used the crank handle driver (ebay) . There are knock offs now on ebay , some from Australia and some from India , the latest up n' coming industrialized nation that doesn't care about patents , copyrights or reverse engineering then building their version of anything they think they can make money on .
 
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Gearhead88

Super User
@Susquatch - that is the debate right now - can machine out for new seats - they are sitting at home. Or see what the original seats need cutting to. The original head is a Chromium grey cast iron and the exhaust seat area was hardened by the factory. The head is also alumetized.

I don't know if the seats are satellite - that would mean they are already cut to the proper angle. These are basic rings of hardened steel and need finishing. I am in the process to find out the materials. May need to see @Chicken lights to gett'er done

@Gearhead88 : that was an alternative plan for the springs. I may build one. I am also in the middle of building a bead roller and some other things. Just completed my cam bearing remover....so many neato projects :)
If it comes to installing hard valve seats , it could be a delicate operation , it's kind of intrusive , meaning , if the machinist that is making the cuts for the counterbore breaks through into a water jacket the head is potentially junk. Do some research to see if you can find a shop with a seat & guide machine that has done this before on that brand of cylinder head , you have to trust the guy who is doing the work , especially if the casting is some rare piece that is super tough to find.

I use Sioux equipment at home to grind valves and seats , I was lucky , years ago , to find the equipment i have , unmolested by meatheads. I've added a bunch of tooling as required to outfit my shop as needed .

I wish I could find an affordable seat & guide machine , it would be a miracle to stumble into a deal , normally they are very expensive and waaaay out of my limited budget.
 

Brent H

Ultra Member
Well, @Gearhead88 : that machine shop will be me if I am going to cut the seats. I will make a custom guided cutter as required. Depth of cut is 7/32" ( 0.21875" ) max to avoid issues with the water passages. The Opel is not something too common a local shop would have seen many, if any of where I am. @JohnW has one in Calgary and he is doing some wicked cool stuff to his - fuel injection, larger bore etc etc I brough my project back from Calgary in November :)

I "theoretically" have 2 heads to fart around with and the plan is to clean up the current valve seats and get back to OEM recommendations. As the original seats were a hardened part of the head it will be a check to see how much material comes off to clean up the seat. Just a couple thou and we are golden. That head would be put back into service to get the car operational and fun.

After that - plan 2. The 1.9 litre engine is able to get pumped up a bit to a 2.0 or 2.2 + with some modifications. Those would include bigger valves and larger bore pistons etc etc. The wallet would need some cash for that. I am y also be on the hunt for Opel #2 :)
 

Chip Maker

Super User
Well, @Gearhead88 : that machine shop will be me if I am going to cut the seats. I will make a custom guided cutter as required. Depth of cut is 7/32" ( 0.21875" ) max to avoid issues with the water passages. The Opel is not something too common a local shop would have seen many, if any of where I am. @JohnW has one in Calgary and he is doing some wicked cool stuff to his - fuel injection, larger bore etc etc I brough my project back from Calgary in November :)

I "theoretically" have 2 heads to fart around with and the plan is to clean up the current valve seats and get back to OEM recommendations. As the original seats were a hardened part of the head it will be a check to see how much material comes off to clean up the seat. Just a couple thou and we are golden. That head would be put back into service to get the car operational and fun.

After that - plan 2. The 1.9 litre engine is able to get pumped up a bit to a 2.0 or 2.2 + with some modifications. Those would include bigger valves and larger bore pistons etc etc. The wallet would need some cash for that. I am y also be on the hunt for Opel #2 :)
I have a valve seat cutting machine. I don't know much about it as it came with a bunch of stuff. I'll do some research and post some pics, if you or anyone else is interested I can let it go cheap.
 

6.5 Fan

Ultra Member
Premium Member
Definitely not a machining project, just hauled home 305 sq ft of vinyl plank flooring. My knees hurt already and i won't start laying it for a couple o f days. :( I hate renovations but have no choice, old flooring is coming apart.
 

YYCHM

(Craig)
Premium Member
@Chicken lights - that is a cool link! did not know about it - sadly my searches came up with nothing though ...alas...I did just search Canada

I am heading to Brantford on Sunday to pull a beat up one apart - if we can find it under the snow :)

How did the Opel mining expedition go? Score any good parts?
 
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