Valve guide replacement
 

Hi Folks
I'm an infrequent poster here - hope you don't mind my stopping in.

I need to replace the valve guides in one cylinder head. Have any of you done this yourself? Do you recommend it, or should it be taken to a shop?
Are there problems to watch out for? For instance, I've read that carbon build-up on the guide can scew up the head when being removed. That it's possible to crack the head in the process or removal.

Thanks for your help!

Re: Valve guide replacement
 

The head comes off fairly easley as for removing the valve guides pretty much straight forward i would think I had all the valves and springs out of mine but not the guides did not look any more dificult than a tipical guide removal dont know of any problems you may have to look out for use the factory manual and follow step by step!!or you can just take the head off removed all the cams shims buckets springs and valves and take the head down to honda I bet it will be cheap and you will save a boat load doing it this way the head is cake to take apart just make sure you torque everything and use recommended loctite on the cam gear bolts on reassembly and order a new head gasket.

Re: Valve guide replacement
 

Thanks for the response miken996
Yeah, I've had the heads off (not that that's related to why I have to work on them again....uhem;). I plan to remove them myself, but I've heard that the guide replacement is a little trickier due to carbon build up. The carbon can apparently scratch the bore surface for the guides and make the fit bad.
I don't want to have to go through this again if I can avoid it.

So, anyone out there remove the guides themsleves? Better to take it to a shop??

Thanks

R&R of the guides is pretty straightforward. However they need to be reamed to the proper clearance. Then the valves and seats need to be cut and lapped. If you don't have the proper tools, you probably don't have the proper experience. Quality tools are prohibitively expensive.

You can take them off and take them to a machine shop.

Re: Valve guide replacement
 

You don't show where your located but S&K Racing in Dayton Ohio does afforable head repair . I can highly recommend Scotts work .

And yes , you will need the valves faced and seats touched up and possibly the stem faced a bit to maintain correct installed height .

http://www.skracing.com/home.htm