SPARKPLUG BOOT MELTDOWN When working with extreme cylinder head overheating issues, the spark plug boots can melt onto the spark plug, thus making it impossible to remove the plug. The best solution we have found is to remove the electrode at the combustion chamber...

LS SPRING HEIGHT Measuring installed height on LS or any other engine with beehive or small OD retainers can be tricky without a special height mic. But if you take your standard height mic and flip it upside down it will work. You will likely have to take a...

SEAT REPAIRS THAT DON’T LEAK When installing valve seats, you sometimes run across porosity that leads into water at the base of the counterbore. I like to pressure test after the counterbores are If you have a seat that you’re trying to seal up, you can make a...

VW VALVE BREAKAGE It is not uncommon for the Volkswagen 1.8L, 20-valve cylinder head to require several if not all new intake and exhaust valves once it reaches your shop door. A failed belt, water pump and tensioners can provide quick and devastating havoc inside the...

CARTRIDGE ROLL LIFE When doing port work, one way to get much more life out of your cartridge rolls is to cut the glue at the end and unroll and cut the sandpaper back to a fresh surface. This will also reduce the diameter for hard to reach places. I found that the...

MAGNETIC SEAL When installing valve stem seals on OHC cylinder heads, I use a small pencil magnet on the top side of many valve seals to locate them over the valve stem. There is enough magnetic material on the seal from the tension band that the magnet holds the seal...