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...

OHC LIFTER PULLER When I disassemble an Ecotec head I always have trouble getting the lifters out. There is not enough room for my small fingers to grab on and sometimes they are stuck with varnish. I use ¼” fuel hose, about a 6” length, to slip over the tip of the...

LOCATOR AND CUP HOLDER We see many different cylinder head combinations and sometimes it is necessary to cut down the valve spring locators to get a socket on the cylinder head bolt or nut. We use an old valve guide and a pair of vice grips to hold the locator so they...