One thing you can almost always count on when rebuilding a cylinder head is worn valve guides. The guides experience a lot of wear because of the constant friction between the guide and stem. To make matters worse, positive valve seals on late model engines prevent the guides from receiving much lubrication. Side forces on the valve stem caused by changes in valvetrain geometry or by direct acting overhead cams further contribute to guide wear. WORN VALVE GUIDES When the guides are worn or there is too much clearance between the guide and valve stem, the engine will use oil. This applies to both intake and exhaust guides. Though oil consumption can be more of a problem on the intake side because of constant exposure to engine vacuum, oil can also be pulled down the exhaust guides by suction in the exhaust port. The flow of exhaust past the exhaust guide creates a venturi effect that can pull oil down the guide. Oil in the exhaust system of late model vehicles with catalytic converters may cause the converter to overheat and suffer damage. On the intake side, oil drawn into the engine past worn intake guides can foul spark plugs, cause the engine to emit higher than normal unburned hydrocarbon (HC) emissions, and contribute to a rapid buildup of carbon deposits on the backs of the intake valves and in the combustion chamber. Carbon deposits in the combustion chamber can raise compression to the point where detonation occurs under load. Deposits on the backs of the intake valves in engines equipped with multipoint fuel injection can cause hesitation and idle problems because the deposits interfere with proper fuel delivery. Inadequate valve cooling and premature valve failure is another problem that can be caused by worn guides or ones with excessive clearance. About 75% of the heat from a typical valve is conducted to the seat, and the remaining 25% goes up the stem and out through the guide. On late mode engines with three-angle narrow seats, the amount of heat transfer that takes place through the stem is even higher because less heat can be dissipated through the seat. So if the guide is worn, the valve may run hot and burn. Worn guides can also pass air. "Unmetered" air drawn into the intake ports past the guides creates an effect similar to worn throttle shafts on a carburetor. The extra air reduces intake vacuum and upsets the air/fuel calibration of the engine at idle. The result may be a lean misfire problem and rough idle. VALVE FAILURE Worn guides can also contribute to valve breakage. The guides support and center the valves as they open and close. A worn guide will allow the valve to wobble slightly as it opens, which cause it to drift off-center with respect to the seat. This can cause the head of the valve to flex slightly each time it closes (much like a valve with a nonconcentric seat). After so many cycles, the metal fatigues and the head of the valve breaks off from the stem. Generally speaking, the intake valve stem-to guide clearance for most passenger cars ranges from .001 to .003 in., and .002 to .004 in. for exhaust guides (which generally require .0005 to .001 in. more clearance than the intakes for thermal expansion). Diesel engines as a rule have looser specs on both intake and exhaust guides than gasoline engines, and heads with sodium-filled exhaust valves usually require an extra .001 in. of clearance to handle the additional heat conducted up through the valve stems. Heavy carbon deposits on the valves are caused by worn valve guides and seals. MEASURING VALVE GUIDE WEAR To check guide wear, some machinists insert a valve stem into a guide and "feel" for looseness by wobbling the valve. Others may use a valve seat pilot tool to check the guides. Though either technique will reveal badly worn guides, neither is a very accurate method of gauging guide clearances or wear. The best way to check guide wear is with a gauge set designed for this purpose. A gauge set will give you precise measurements and can be used to measure any portion of the guide. To check guide wear (as well as taper) using a telescoping or split ball gauge, measure the guide ID at both ends and in the middle. Subtract the middle reading from the ends to determine taper wear. Compare the smallest ID measurement (usually in the middle of the guide) to the factory specs to determine total wear. Valve stems should also be measured to check for wear and sizing. Nominal sizes vary quite a bit depending on the application, and there is no way of knowing if the valve has been replaced previously with one of a different size without measuring. Many late model engines have tapered valve stems. Taper stem valves are ground with the stem diameter smaller at the head end of the valve. This is done to create a larger clearance at the head where the temperatures are highest. This reduces the change of galling with unleaded fuel and narrow three-angle valve seats. When measuring a tapered stem, check the outside diameter about an inch in for each end. VALVE GUIDE REPAIR OPTIONS A variety of repair options are available for worn valve guides. Many professional engine rebuilders either install thin wall bronze liners, or ream the guides to oversize and install new or rechromed valves with oversized stems. Replacing guides is another option with aluminum heads as well as some cast iron heads, as is knurling. KNURLING VALVE GUIDES Though still used by some small shops, most professional engine rebuilders see knurling as a short term "quick fix" that does not hold up as well as guide liners, new guides or valves with oversized stems. Knurling should only be considered as a guide repair option if guide wear is minimal (less than .006 in.). And even then, it may not provide satisfactory results. Knurling typically decreases the inside diameter of the guide where it needs it the least, namely in the center where there is the least wear rather than at the ends where the wear is usually greatest. When the knurling tool is run through the guide, it leaves behind a spiral groove. The groove acts like a furrow and raises the metal on either side. This reduces the inside diameter of the guide so a reamer can then be used to resize the guide back to (or close to) its original dimensions. The grooves also help to retain and seal oil better than a smooth bore guide. This allows somewhat tighter guide-to-stem clearances (as close as .0007 in.). But the bearing surface area created by knurling is not that great, so it will not last as long as a guide that offers greater bearing area. INSTALLING VALVE GUIDE LINERS Boring out the original guides and installing thin wall bronze liners to restore proper clearances is not only a fast and economical guide repair option, it also provides the benefits of a phosphor/bronze guide surface (better lubricity, scuff resistance and wear characteristics than cast iron). Though liners are most often used to repair integral guides in cast iron heads, they are also a very effective way to repair replaceable guides in cast iron or aluminum heads, which saves time and eliminates the risks associated with driving out the old guides and pressing in new ones. Liners also save the cost of having to replace the valves. If the original valves are not worn, standard sized liners can be used to restore the inside diameter dimensions of the guides. If the valves are worn, the stems can be turned down .0050 in. to accommodate liners with slightly undersized inside diameters. Jerry Qualiana, vice president of aftermarket sales at K-Line Industries, Holland, MI, says their K-Line Bronze Bullet Guide Liners are authorized by Ford Motor Company and meets Ford Q-1 quality standards. According to Qualiana, the Bronze Bullet Guide Liner design is an enhanced design over previous bronze liners, incorporating an "Interrupted Spiral" which assists in retaining oil in the guide, while eliminating oil flow through the guide. In conjunction with the previously mentioned lubricity characteristics of phosphor bronze, Bronze Bullet Guide Liners offer improved guide life in today's oil starved valve guide environment. Also, Qualiana points out that because of the lubricity in the phosphor bronze, K-Line has always advocated valve to stem clearance at the low side of the manufacturer recommended specifications. Mike McElmurry, vice president of production at Sequal Corp.,Willow Springs, MO, says regarding K-Line's Bronze Bullet Guide Liner, "Because the final size is so easy to control, we have been able to tighten all of our valve to guide tolerances by at least .001 inch. This, along with the liner's ability to resist galling has reduced our warranty claims by as much as 75% "I have looked at other methods of valve guide repair, .015 inch overised valves, new and rechromed, .003 in undersize valves with replacement cast iron guides, but have found nothing that was cheaper to use than K-Line with .003 in. undersize valves. We grind our own valves and enjoy over $0.80 per guide savings over any of the combinations listed above." The key to using the Bronze Bullet Guide Liners successfully is proper installation. Qualiana says if the original guides are not worn more than .030 in. or cracked, they can be lined. Otherwise, replacement would be recommended. Installation of the Bronze Bullet Guide Liners is a five step process: 1. First, the old guides have to be bored out to accept the liners. Qualiana recommends using a KL1725CB Black Beauty carbide reamer in an air drill with a no load speed of 2100 to 3000 rpm. K-Line's KL9900 Boring Fixture has centering pilots that center the reamer off the valve seat (which maintains seat concentricity), and an air clamping fixture that holds the head securely in place while the guides are being bored. The guides should be bored dry with no lubricant, using steady consistent pressure. Once the guides have been bored out, they should be blown out and checked with a go-no go gauge to make sure they are the prope…

Fonte: AA1Car.com