Packard Forum Index » Post-War (1946-54)

I'm hoping that H-B has the hand valve grinder

The simplist version is just a suction cup on the end of a stick and works as well as more elaborate types. But this "hand-lapping" of the valve and seat surfaces will obviously only do a good job if the surfaces are free of pits, ridges, or damage, and the seats are not too wide. Beyond that you'll want to have the valves faces done by a machine shop (or replace the valves if they've been refaced excessively in the past) and use a power grinder (pix below) for the seat. So just how to proceed depends entirely on what you find when you disassemble and examine. Also, with the valves out, check the stem clearances, especially so on the exhaust guides.

Attach file:

---

  (104.70 KB)

I just lapped mine to make sure I got a good seal, using a hand tool like the one pictured below, and you should see the valve look like the other picture down below, the seat should look the same. If not the valve could be bent. But like Owen said if any pitting or any other damage then get it corrected

Attach file:

---

  (8.21 KB)


  (26.89 KB)

Thank you O_D for the help and description of the "hand Lapping" tools and procedure. I would have never come up with the "suction cup on a stick" idea yet it makes perfect sense.

I think that biggest challenge will be not so much in finding the power grinder as finding the stones or I should say the correct stone to do the seats. When I first got my '51 200 Deluxe I had it gone over by my mechanic and though he has an extremely well stocked shop, he had to track down the power grinder for the valve seats. He wound up borrowing one from one of his older neighbors.

However before I get too far ahead of myself, I will need to remove the valves, springs and lifters from the engine. I plan on getting to that during the coming week. When I do, I'll take pictures of the valves and post them for comments and suggestions from all you with more experience with this process than I - which is a lot of people!

Again, my thanks to you, O_D, as well as Avanti64 and Wes for the guidance over and around the many pitfalls.

Many thanks, Wes for posting the pictures of the lapping tools and the example what to look for and where to find it on the valves.

As I mentioned before, when I got the '51 200 Deluxe in my haste to have an actual Packard to drive, I had my mechanic do the needed valve job. This time around, I'm going to do as much of the work as I can or am able to do.

This is going to fun!

You probably have it running by now but hydraulic valves also need a one-time adjustment that requires a special tool, especially if the seats and valves are reground, although few people ever do it. I've also had good results without doing it but better when I did and the valves were quieter.

This may be documented in one of the shop manuals or Service Counselors but the gauge is double-ended and sits down into the hole where the hydraulic lifter insert usually installs. I don't recall the details but from memory, basically you measure the gap first using one end of the gauge, then again using the other and the proper gap should be somewhere in between. Adjusting is another matter as it requires either grinding the valve stem (if too long) or the seat (if too short). I have one of the gauges at my Oregon shop and will take a photo the next time I'm there but I doubt I still have the specifications for making one.

Don, both hydraulic lifter gauge blocks (356 and 327/359 are different) are commercially available for just a few $ and have been for many years; their use has been widely discussed on here as folks prepare for a valve grind.

I don't think there's a forum here for owners who are not firing on all cylinders or otherwise I would have posted there. Sorry to repeat what everyone already knows but I didn't see it mentioned in several posts about valve work and I've been away from my cars for almost three decades until recently when I finally built a shop that accommodates them with room to actually work! I'm just trying to catch up so my apologies.

As a journeyman prototype machinist, I made my own gauge but I don't recall if it was for my 1954 Patrician or the 327s in my '51 and '52 Henney-Packards or 1953 Patrician, but I think the latter. I never owned a 356. At the time, if these were available, I couldn't find one and making it to very close tolerance was quite easy in the shop where I worked.