VALVE KEEPERS CAN GO FLYING I use my magnetic screwdriver with a small diameter Phillips bit to collect the valve keepers as I compress the springs on overhead cam cylinder heads. The small Phillips bit becomes magnetized when it is inserted into the magnetic...

DAMPER/VALVE GUIDE INSTALL TOOL We are a two-man shop, so sometimes wrestling a head this size in the shop press is a bit sketchy. To reduce risk of injury or damage, we installed the guides using our harmonic damper installation tool. It may not be the quickest...

REPURPOSED STUD PULLER Back in the day, we did camel hump SBC heads by the dozens, and we really used our hydraulic stud puller. We recently did a 1944 flathead Jeep engine. There is no clearance to drive the guide out easily. So, we took a short length of grade 8...

JUST IN CASE YOU MISS Everyone misses occasionally, and this helps avoid dents and damage. When I need to adjust the guides to the correct depth after getting close with the air hammer it's good to protect the head. Everyone misses sooner or later, and this simple...

DRAG MARKS When resurfacing aluminum heads where the seat insert is contacted, sometimes the tool bit can leave tracking or drag marks across the deck surface in that area. To avoid this, you may be able to simply chamfer the seat slightly before the finish cut, so...

CHAMFER FILE After surfacing heads, I like to chamfer the bolt holes and chambers. For the bolt holes, the common chamfering tool in a hand drill is great. For chambers, I’ve found that while a razor blade works excellent for aluminum, a file works best for iron. I...