I've been busy tearing down my flathead. It's a 59 block '46- '48 with 59ab heads. No cracks that I can see and everything has come apart pretty easily 'cept for one connecting rod nut that rounded over. I had to split it with a chisel but was able to save the rod's threads. The valve ***emblies got a good soaking with PB Blaster and let them sit a few days, giving them a spray every now and then hoping I'd be able to pull them down enough to get the clips out. Being a cheap S.O.B. I didn't wan't to buy the lever tool to pry the springs down so I fabbed one up out of an old tire s****. I welded the cut off business end of an old valve spring compresser to it. Using this tool I was able to get the intake valves to come out as an ***embly but the exhaust valves didn't want to budge. So back to the computer to do more research. (Wife doesn't really buy the research claim she thinks it's just a reason to spend more time on the H.A.M.B) Found some info about a hook shaped tool used to basically hammer the clips out of the guides. Again thriftiness prevailed and so I fired up the torch and bent up another old tire iron that sort of resembled the picture I found of one and then ground a point on the end to hook into the guide clips hole. This is definitely a brutal way of getting stuck guide clips out of the guides but it does work. One s****e on my wrist and some spilled blood later I have them all out. I'll post some pics of the tools I made. Free and cheap Being this is my first experience with building a flathead I've been searching alot of past posts here and found a ton of good reading. Hopefully I can get the block to the machine shop this week to have a bake and blast and then I'll clean out the crank and start re***embling. Flatheads are fun.
Hey. Nice job. You forgot to mention if you had the original split type guides with the mushroom tip valves or the later straight type. I've pulled early engines apart to find the later straight valve stem valves in the block. If you have those types you can compress the springs and remove the two end "keepers" then remove the valve, and spring . Then you can drive the guide down. Just a thought.
Thanks, It has the mushroom tip valves with the split guides. I was contemplating cutting the tips off for awhile so I could pull the valves out and drive the guides down but they finally popped. Take off like a rocket when they let loose!! This thing has the hollow adjustable lifters too. Is that common? I need a distributor also if anyone has one they'd like to part with for a reasonable sum.
You did well! I used to try all sorts of "nice" ways to try to get old, stuck, guides and valves out of flathead core engines. After many engines and lots of work, I am now a LOT more brutal! If I have an ancient engine where the guides just won't pry down - but I can turn the engine or cam over, then I resort to knocking or cutting the heads off of the valves. Once the head is knocked off, then I just drive the guide out with a big drift. I've sawed the heads off (intakes) --- they are not as brittle as exhaust valves. In most cases, all it takes on an exhaust is one good sideways smack with a hammer --- pop goes the weasel. Obviously this is easier when you can rotate the cam until the valve is sticking up - but I've even used a die grinder on one to grind the top off. I know . . . ugly and brutal . . . but if I'm not planning on using the old valves, and they are rusted and really worn . . . who cares. Dale
LOL- Thanks for the advice. Are you saying you just smack the head of the valve sideways and break it? I'll keep that in mind for the next one.
Yes - it usually works on the exhaust valves ( as they are hardened and typically quite brittle ). It usually DOESN'T work on the intakes - they will just bend. I also made a special 3/8" hardened steel drift - with an "S" bend it it that I used to go around the valve (when the valve is open) - it reaches down to the guide and allows me to drive the guide down so that I can get the C-clip out. Back in the day, a few tool vendors actually made these - I never found one, so I made my own. There was also another tool that allowed you to grip the valve head and pull it up - so you could get a drift in to drive the guide down. The tool had an outer shell that rested against the block surface, had a retractable center with a C-Channel end in the middle that slipped under the open valve head - then you backed the center out (threaded), which lifted the valve up by the center piece that had the C-Channel on it. This is a very cool tool - wish I had one. With the valve as high as the spring will let it go - it is very easy to drive the guide down. Since I don't have one, I just use a pry bar and pull the valve up - put a big 1/2" nut underneath one side to hold it up, then use my "S" drift to drive the guide down. (Again, if I bend a valve - I don't care). I only use the "brute force" method on the exhaust valves when I'm too impatient . . . which tends to be some of the time! Best of luck! Dale
I keep tripping over the tools, look in antique stores they dont know what they have and usually can be picked up cheap i think i have 8 sets of the spring compressor pliers and 3 or 4 of those rods of compressing the springs i just need to find out which is best before i get rid of any
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