When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I'm looking for recommendations for someone to repair the damaged combustion chamber from a dropped intake valve . Both seats and guides will need to be replaced and some welding needed to repair the broken "wing" on the intake valve guide in the port . These heads were angle milled and ported by Greg Good so I can't just replace the head . Greg is way out on turnaround . I can't post a pic because the format is not supported and the heads are at the machine shop .
It is just my opinion, but I don't think I'd ever trust it again if your welding inside the intake port. YMMV, and perhaps a certified welder could make a permanent repair. I may be wrong, but no matter how careful the welder is, this could warp the head very slightly. You would probably need to resurface it, but how about the valveguides slightly shifting also. LS7 heads aren't known for being all that stout when undamaged. I wish you luck.....
Welding a combustion chamber isn't a big deal. I'd be more concerned with who was doing the work in general. Im no machinist but I've welded a few aluminum combustion chambers up after damage.
Welding a combustion chamber isn't a big deal. I'd be more concerned with who was doing the work in general. Im no machinist but I've welded a few aluminum combustion chambers up after damage.
Did you check to see if the valves still sealed correctly afterwards, or did you just automatically do a valve job?
Did you check to see if the valves still sealed correctly afterwards, or did you just automatically do a valve job?
Depends on the repair. I've welded some that the seats were OK after checking and touch up of course. I've done some where the old seats were removed and said area was welded up to be recut for new seats.
Welding a combustion chamber isn't a big deal. I'd be more concerned with who was doing the work in general. Im no machinist but I've welded a few aluminum combustion chambers up after damage.
I hear you on the "no machinist." I'm a retired machinist, but I'm no welder!!
Here is a pic of the damage ... both seats would need to be replaced but the chamber wasn't dinged up as much as some that I've seen. The tricky part is repairing the "wing" off the guide in the intake port. I approached Greg Good and he wasn't interested ... he's got enough to do as is. Pretty CHE guides!
Honestly you might be better off looking for a replacement head. By the time you invest into repair it will more than likely be the same if not more in cost. I'd contact Bryan over at LME and see what he says.
Honestly you might be better off looking for a replacement head. By the time you invest into repair it will more than likely be the same if not more in cost. I'd contact Bryan over at LME and see what he says.
I thought of that except that the heads were ported by Greg and that might be difficult to duplicate. A replacement head would need to have the CHE guides installed and the angle milling done then have the porting redone. Obviously, doing one head would be cheaper than starting over, but I'd be in machine shop jail for quite a while either way. This head needs some welding, a couple of guides and valve seats replaced ... automatic reduced sentence ... maybe.
May just be time to step up to a nice pair of aftermarket castings. If even the guy that did the work originally doesn't want to touch them that seems like a clear sign.
Ive dealt with enough machine shops in the past to know theres a limit somewhere. Theres always extra work, more steps, more parts that need to be replaced. Plus the week or two that turns into a couple months. By the time your done, and you have the completed heads sitting in front of you. You start to think, after all that, I could of just spent a bit extra and had a nice pair of aftermarket castings ready to bolt on. More so with OE LS7 stuff, theres always that doubt in the back of your mind about the valve issues
Might try contacting Gerald Brand at Brand Racing Engines in Oklahoma. He is a 1 man shop but is very detail oriented.
He has few videos on his You tube channel of repairs he has done.
That guide where the wing needs to be repaired is going to have to be replaced any way so it should be a non issue to weld it up and shape it back before a new guide goes in.
That’s honestly not too bad, I’m surprised Greg won’t help you. Maybe tell him you’re in no hurry? Heck, I’d fix it but it would be winter before it’s ready.
If I was Greg I'd want to do my own repairs so no one else would get the straight scoop on my porting technique, lol. One could model the runners and see what he does.
Gas Monkey Built a 6-Wheel Ferrari Testarossa With a Corvette LT4 Engine
Slideshow: The controversial Ferrari F6 swaps its original flat-12 for a Corvette Z06-derived LT4 V8 and sends power to four rear wheels through a custom-built drivetrain.
7 Most Reliable High-Performance Engines GM Has Ever Built
Slideshow:These GM engines didn't just make huge power, they survived abuse, boost, track days, and six-digit mileage with a reputation for refusing to quit.
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Slideshow: From wobbling harmonic balancers to failed EBCMs, these are the issues that define long-term C5 ownership and what repairs typically involve.
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Slideshow: A modern Camaro transformed into a retro icon, this limited-run "Bandit" build blends nostalgia with brute force in a way few revivals manage.
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Slideshow: Cadillac didn't just crash the high-performance luxury vehicle party, it showed up loud, supercharged, and occasionally a little unhinged...
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Slideshow: A one-off sports car that looks like a vintage Italian exotic-but hides a C6 Corvette underneath-just sold for the price of a new mid-engine Corvette.
LS7 Dropped Valve head Repair 
