[Healeys] Valve guides

Bob Spidell bspidell at comcast.net
Wed Oct 19 06:32:01 MDT 2011


FWIW, I've got bronze guides in my (iron) BJ8 head.  No problems for 80K miles.

Bob



On 10/18/2011 11:17 PM, Oudesluys wrote:
> The best/safest material for valve guides in a cast iron head is cast iron. It has the same expansion coefficient as 
> the cast iron of the head so they can not detach themselves from the head. As the valves are iron too (steel) the 
> tolerance between valves and guides can be slightly tighter. Bronze guides are better suited to aluminium heads as the 
> difference in expansion is less.
> Bronze guides are used because of their better lubrication and thus presumably lesser wear between valves and guides.
> As the mileages we put up in these old cars are usually limited, wear is not an issue. It does not make much sense to 
> deviate from the original.
> Kees Oudesluijs
> NL
>
>
> Op 19-10-2011 1:12, john spaur schreef:
>> I checked the archives and there was a post saying not to use bronze valve guides in a cast iron head. My engine is 
>> basically stock.
>>
>> I noticed two there are two different valve guides; one is cast iron (stock I presume) and the other is 
>> manganese-bronze.
>>
>> What material should I use for the valve guides.
>>
>> What is a good source to purchase them from?
>>
>> Thank you,
>> John Spaur
>> '62 BT7
>


-- 
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Bob Spidell           San Jose, CA            bspidell at comcast.net

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