So my radiator blew and I ended up running a bit hot and the head gasket started leaking coolant into the combustion chamber when hot( (warped head-just ever so slighty).

So I lift the head, I got it down to two hours-man that's telling, and take it to my machine/speed shop for resurfacing. The engine builder there says to me he likes to use new valve seals when resurfacing a head. He tells me when he pulls the valves out, the groove around the keeper sometimes cuts the seal. I can understand this especially if the seal is old and the rubber a bit stiff. However those seals have less than 20k miles on them.

Do I really need to replace them. I'll do it myself if I have to. That shop charges an arm and a leg for labor. They charge 50 dollars to calculate combustion chamber volume. Shoot, just give me a bulb, pipette, piece of plexiglass w/grease, and 5 minutes.

thanks,
Jeff

 

im confused why they would do the extra work when resurfacing the head. They just mill it down. If you were doing springs or valves or retaines or keepers etc... then yea replace them while your there. I dunno, I just never had a shop ask me if i wanted my seals replaced when they cut the head.

 

If the head saw enough heat to warp it then I would change the seals.Do your self a favor and put the cams in the head , and torque the caps on with out the rockers.Make sure the cams spin freely with just your fingers.If the head was warped and you cut it flat the cam bores are no longer in alignment.If the cams don't spin freely have the cam bores align honed,otherwise they will sieze in the caps.This is a bad thing....
Glenn

 

Thanks for the advice. I've already checked the cam rotation and everything was cool.