Topic: Do it youself Valve guides

[Leanier]

Well, I have done some research and have decided that it is possible to do you valve guides mostly yourself..  From what I've gathered this is the process:

• Bead blast to remove carbon (any home-type way to do this?)
• Heat the head up to 350 F (I think) and drive out the old guides.  (754 I think suggested cutting the heads or something? any more info on that?)
• Heat head again drive in the new guides
• What are the chances dynoman "Pre honed" guides will just work with no further work?
• Then cut the valve seats (I plan on having a shop do this)

I know this might not be smart, but I just plain cant afford to pay a shop to do it, and my bike burns tons of oil.
Any more comments on improvements to my process?  (I probably left some steps out.)
Feel free to tell me this will never work, maybe I'll listen and try to save for a shop to do it.

I am specifically working on a 73 CB750

Thanks.

[Skonnie Boy]

Its a virtual certainty that you'll also have to have the new guides reamed after you've pounded them in.  That was my experience.  It might not add that much to the total bill if this is done at the same time as new seats are cut.

Heeeyyyyy, Mad-City.  Love my hometown.

[Leanier]

Yea I'll have to look up how much that would cost..

Also, can anyone provide me with the measurements I'd need to  make a driver for myself to drive them in an out.

[MCRider]

A driver can be a bolt with some nuts on it of small enough diameter to follow the guide thru its hole in the head. Get real crazy and use a larger nut, then grind off the hex points, make it round, to follow the guide. It'll have a little more meat on it.

Whoever cuts your seats can ream the guides. May or not be cheaper than buying a ream.

[Skonnie Boy]

Think I still have the driver I used.  I'll try to take a pic and get some specs for you.

[Leanier]

That'd be great.

Anyone know what it should cost just to get the valve seats cut?  My local shop quoted me $178 for 8 seats.  Seems way to much to me..  Since it's only like 200 for the full guide install.

[Skonnie Boy]

I'll bet I snagged this pdf from some older thread, but here it is.  Not sure if its the 750 you're working on, but if so, here's specs to make a drift of some sort.  Ignore the carbon steel part, mine was made of brass, worked just fine.

[Leanier]

Thanks for that! That's exactly what I was looking for.  And yes its a 73 750, always forget to mention that.

Starting to look into just getting a used head and hoping for the best, as local shops are all quoting me around $200 to cut the seats, then another $100+ to ream them/fit the valves.

[Leanier]

Anyone have any other advice if I try this  myself?  currently trying to find a shop to cut the seats for less than $200..

[Skonnie Boy]

In no particular order:

-I didn't heat the head up to remove the old guides, but did freeze the new ones.  Not sure if it helped. 

-Obviously, you'll need to lap the valves, test for leaks.  You probably knew this already.

-Try to clean the exposed tips of the guides as much as possible, so when you pound them out, debris doesn't gouge the head.

-There are two tiny parts called oil orifice controls or some such, located on either side of the head, in the oil galley.  They literally help control how much or little oil flows up to the cams, etc.  They are easily lost when you start pounding and wailing on the guides.  Do not lose them.  Like my friend *cough* did. 

That's all I can think of right now.