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 would like to start doing my own valve jobs. I have found some hand tools online, but I'm not sure which ones are reliable. I don't want to ruin the valve seats trying to do it myself, but I'm trying to cut machine shop costs. I'm doing ok on my porting, but I need to work on the valve seats more. Does anyone do their own valve jobs? What tools are best for the DIY'er?
ive used neway by hand quite a bit and they seem to work fine. if you want to work on the 'art' of valve jobs by hand you could find an old school stone setup. i had one pop up on craigslist a few years back for like $50 so i nabbed it. you can still get stones for it and everything. i havent used it yet since i have neway stuff but i plan to use it on my upcoming ecotec project.
Yeah, I saw the Neway kit for SBC, BBC, and LS. That one is almost $1200. I’m not sure it’s worth that much if I don’t use it very often. I haven’t asked for a valve job quote from any machine shop yet, but I doubt it’s anywhere near $1k.
i pieced mine together from used ones on ebay. none of this stuff is cheap. if you are wanting to do 1 or 2 sets of heads just to save money then dont bother. if you want to learn a new skill and be more 'one with your car' then its a good route and more accessible to the garage guy than most anything else a machine shop typically does like boring, decking, balancing.
I'll probably do more than a few heads. I just don't want to spend that much. I could handle a couple hundred, but I wasn't thinking it would cost over a grand. I really only need the LS parts of the kit. I might try to piece something together like you did. I'm not sure what size the valve guides are. I might have to measure one of the spare valves I have laying around.
I can't find any cutters bigger than 1-7/8". I will be working on heads with 2" and bigger intake valves. I guess these smaller cutters will work on the exhaust, but that's only half the job.
I can't find any cutters bigger than 1-7/8". I will be working on heads with 2" and bigger intake valves. I guess these smaller cutters will work on the exhaust, but that's only half the job.
Goodson makes quite a few cutters and the Mondello profiles would be a good place to start. Mondello was a pioneer in porting years ago before anyone else was doing it. I have a 1930s Sioux 650 valve grinder that my father restored in the 90s and still works great however I haven’t used it in quite a few years. With the advances in new grinders it’s not even worth the time anymore.
I also have a black and decker valve centric seat grinder from the 70s or so as part of the set up but again they are just boat anchors that have taken up space and been lugged around over the years.
If you really want to get into this you’d want to start looking for the same kind of old equipment. It still works just fine but takes time and skill to make things right. I’ll probably never get rid of what I have for sentimental reasons.
I've never seen anything like that. The ones I found were like big lathes.
We had an old Black & Decker set-up in the shop in the 1970-80”s. It also came with the angle drill shown above, that we used for grinding valve seats. The machine (refacer) that ground the valves is what takes up the space. IIRC, it had a footprint approx the size of a brake lathe. We bought it used. I remember tearing it apart to replace some motor mount bushings, electrical cord, belts, paint, lube, etc. While I don’t remember all of the details, I do recall that it was HEAVY. I see them for sale on eBay often. If you do opt for one of these relics, you’d be doing yourself a favor by finding a location where it can live without having to be moved. This isn’t mine, just a picture I found on the net that resembles the machine that we had.
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.
Valve job tool question 
