Ah thank you. DSM valves are out then.

 

Anyone ever used gsc seals or the supertech black valves? I'm getting supertech guides because mine are cracked...

 

FWIW I just bought everything (valves, seals, guides...) from GSC.. but you will not miss with supertech

 

IMO OEM guides are the way to go unless you don't mind replacing the bronze ones a bit more often. OEM ones last foreeeeever.
Their seals will work just fine. I believe they are viton (?) so handle heat better. Nitride is good at resisting heat and wear , so sounds like a good idea in theory, but I don't know any facts on them.

 

I havent checked my local dealer yet but I couldnt find anything other than supertech on STMs site. I guess if you use the Nitride coated valves with the bronze guides they dont wear nearly as fast. So Ill probably end up going that route.

 

Bronze guides don't wear that fast. They won't go 200k+ like an OEM steel guide, but it's not like they have a 1,500 mile change interval either. I wouldn't worry about it.

 

Well there ya go. 👍

I was just repeating what my machine shop told me. They advised me to stick with OEM. I guess they don't know as much as they think they do. LOL

 

A little literature for you. Bronze guides aren't what they used to be:


"Early silicon based bronze alloys used in valve guide applications quickly earned the reputation of having poor wear performance. It wasn’t until high nickel based bronze alloys (AMPCO 45) were introduced that the valve guide market was able to offer a superior bronze valve guide, suitable for high heat applications (Nitro-methane etc…).

But still, people realised that that material was not lasting as long as cast iron. One of the main reasons is because this material needs to be fit at a looser clearance to prevent seizing problems.

After extensive research, the majority of automotive and motorcycle racing head manufacturers and rebuilders are now installing manganese bronze alloy guides. The two principal advantages of this alloy is superior heat transfer and also that the engine builder is able to fit the guides at a tighter clearance for a better oil film control and longer life. We should call this alloy ‘’zinc bronze alloy’’ instead of manganese bronze because it contains nearly 30% zinc, 2-3% manganese. Manganese is the hard part of the recipe and the zinc is the bearing ingredient, a material which is also a self lubricant."

 

Like I said, they know as much as they think. LOL
Good to know we have options.
👍

 

Thanks for that bit of literature, feel better about these guides. Dropped $900 on some bull**** tonight.

 

Not much going on lately, managed to get to the machine shop today and got the valves and seals removed. The shop owner is going to attempt the guides while I await the parts

 

So I take it the bottom end looked ok once you got the head off? And the cams, rocker arms, and cam journals in the head all look ok?

 

Yeah if you look towards the bottom of page one I put up pics of the pistons. Everything I took out of the head looked good, other than the valves. I'm hoping the guides don't give my machinist a big problem. I heard they can be a pain to get out without damaging the head.

 

Guides come right out with an air hammer and proper attachment.

 

Are they always that easy? I've read they can be seized in there or need heat applied or even drilled out in extreme cases