Hello and welcome to Packard Motor Car Information! If you're new here, please register for a free account.  
Login
Username:

Password:

Remember me



Lost Password?

Register now!
FAQ's
Main Menu
Recent Forum Topics
Who is Online
758 user(s) are online (478 user(s) are browsing Forums)

Members: 1
Guests: 757

acolds, more...
Helping out...
PackardInfo is a free resource for Packard Owners that is completely supported by user donations. If you can help out, that would be great!

Donate via PayPal
Video Content
Visit PackardInfo.com YouTube Playlist

Donate via PayPal




Valves & seats
#1
Home away from home
Home away from home

53 Cavalier
See User information
I think I'm heading towards a valve job on the Cavalier, going to go visit my mechanic/engine builder this morning.

Question: Can hardened seats be installed with the engine in the car? It's best for my bank account if the engine stays in the car. If the engine comes out, I'm afraid a valve job will turn into a full rebuild.

Leak down test and spark plugs would indicate rings are okay. Also the car is not puffing any blue smoke at all.
Click to see original Image in a new window


Click to see original Image in a new window

Posted on: Today 10:34
 Top  Print   
 


Re: Valves & seats
#2
Home away from home
Home away from home

Jack Vines
See User information
Quote:

53 Cavalier wrote:
I think I'm heading towards a valve job on the Cavalier, going to go visit my mechanic/engine builder this morning.

Question: Can hardened seats be installed with the engine in the car? It's best for my bank account if the engine stays in the car. If the engine comes out, I'm afraid a valve job will turn into a full rebuild.


Yes, it could be done. Back in the day, cylinders were bored and honed, rod journals reground with the block in frame.

No, unlikely anyone today would undertake such a task.

Just touch up the seats, regrind the valve faces and call it good enough.

jack vines

Posted on: Today 11:10
 Top  Print   
Like (1)
 


Re: Valves & seats
#3
Home away from home
Home away from home

Packard Don
See User information
I had a valve insert and cylinder sleeve installed years ago on my 1952 Henney-Packard and not only didn’t take the engine out but didn’t have to take the car anywhere as they had some kind of mobile equipment, These days, though, I’ve not found anyone who can do that sort of thing. As I recall, that was done by a Napa machine shop.

Posted on: Today 11:38
 Top  Print   
 


Re: Valves & seats
#4
Home away from home
Home away from home

kevinpackard
See User information
With the engine in the car, you can grind the seats and reface the valves. We just did this on my brother-in-law's '52 and it was very successful. We started with sticking valves and a dead #8 cylinder. It turned out that one of the valves in #8 was out of round and could not seal.

We used an old school valve grinder set from an engine builder friend. He had a whole set of different sized guides to use, as well as different stones, a stone dresser, and the grinding motor. I ground the exhaust seats at 3 angles...30, 45, and 60. The intake seats were ground to 2 angles (not enough room for 3)...15 and 30.

Valves were all refaced at 45 for the exhaust and 30 for the intake. I adjusted the valve seat location for each valve so the actual contact with the valve face was in the middle to upper 1/3rd of the face, about 2mm in width. Lapped all the valves by hand as well. Valve stems were measured with the appropriate gauge. I only had to adjust the length on 4 of them, and that was done a valve refacing machine, where we took off just a bit on the stem to get it in range.

It was a lot of work, but so far the car has been running fantastically. It is the quietest engine I have ever heard, including from modern cars. The only sound is the air from the fan, and the exhaust from the back. You've done all your valve guides and things before. I think you can tackle this project without a problem if you have the right equipment. It is tedious and takes a lot of time, but definitely doable.

Of course you'll have better results if the engine is out, but we were also on a budget when we did the '52 so we did what we could with the engine in.

Posted on: Today 11:47
Kevin

1954 Clipper Super Panama "Van Halen" | Registry | Project Blog
1938 Super 8 1605 | Registry | Project Blog
1953 Clipper Deluxe Club Sedan "Rusty McRustface" | Registry | Project Blog
1956 Packard The Four Hundred "Tanner" | Registry | Project Blog
 Top  Print   
 


Re: Valves & seats
#5
Home away from home
Home away from home

53 Cavalier
See User information
Thank you for the replies!

I was just over at my mechanic/machinist's, and we have a plan! I'm glad that he likes the Packard and is willing to help a DIY guy!

He has a hand seat cutter he'll lend me, which can also be used with an air ratchet. Shouldn't be a problem to touch up the seats on #8, which won't need much work as it's the best cylinder. I asked if he would be interested in coming and doing the seats for me after I pull the engine apart. He said, "If you can replace valve guides, you'll have no problem doing your valve seats!" LOL

So I'm going to tear into my engine again, clean up the seats, get him to grind the valves and surface the head and then I can put it all back together! Fortunately I have an extra head gasket!

Can't wait to get this done as the car is basically a 6 cylinder right now!

Posted on: Today 12:51
 Top  Print   
 


Re: Valves & seats
#6
Home away from home
Home away from home

53 Cavalier
See User information
Quote:

kevinpackard wrote:
With the engine in the car, you can grind the seats and reface the valves. We just did this on my brother-in-law's '52 and it was very successful. We started with sticking valves and a dead #8 cylinder. It turned out that one of the valves in #8 was out of round and could not seal.

We used an old school valve grinder set from an engine builder friend. He had a whole set of different sized guides to use, as well as different stones, a stone dresser, and the grinding motor. I ground the exhaust seats at 3 angles...30, 45, and 60. The intake seats were ground to 2 angles (not enough room for 3)...15 and 30.

Valves were all refaced at 45 for the exhaust and 30 for the intake. I adjusted the valve seat location for each valve so the actual contact with the valve face was in the middle to upper 1/3rd of the face, about 2mm in width. Lapped all the valves by hand as well. Valve stems were measured with the appropriate gauge. I only had to adjust the length on 4 of them, and that was done a valve refacing machine, where we took off just a bit on the stem to get it in range.

It was a lot of work, but so far the car has been running fantastically. It is the quietest engine I have ever heard, including from modern cars. The only sound is the air from the fan, and the exhaust from the back. You've done all your valve guides and things before. I think you can tackle this project without a problem if you have the right equipment. It is tedious and takes a lot of time, but definitely doable.

Of course you'll have better results if the engine is out, but we were also on a budget when we did the '52 so we did what we could with the engine in.


Very encouraging, thank you! Like the others mentioned all this stuff used to be done in frame, so no reason it can't be done that way now! I don't mind if it takes time, especially considering a few days ago I was concerned I might have been heading towards a full rebuild! This will only be hundreds of dollars instead of thousands of dollars!

Posted on: Today 12:56
 Top  Print   
 








- Logged-in users will not see the following Adverts. Please Join (it's free) and Donate to help support the website -


- This above Google Ad-Sense Advert helps fund the cost of providing this free resource -
Search
Photo of the Day
TomFetchPhoto
Recent Photos
Recent Registry
Upcoming Events
AACA Fall Meet (Hershey)
10/06/2025 - 10/10/2025
South Pacific Packard Club 2026 Rally
03/22/2026 - 03/28/2026
Website Comments or Questions?? Click Here Copyright 2006-2025, PackardInfo.com All Rights Reserved