I took the valves out of the head and cleaned them up and they are black. Are the vales in the heads coated with something for heat or anti-corrosion?

 

yes

 

is this another thread or was my response deleted?

I don't believe they're coated with anything. They are case hardened, so the hardness is only about 1/16" deep- you don't want to scratch them. I use a brass wire wheel on my drill to remove the carbon deposits and they have a greyish finish when I'm done. Stainless wheels are too strong and would probably scratch off some of the case hardening.

you could also soak them in something like techron (available by the gallon at some parts stores) it's the buildup remover that Chevron has been using for decades. A nice soak and then brushing by hand (again brass or maybe a hard bristle toothbrush).

 

Intake valves dry film lubricant such as DFL-1, TLML, or CERMA LUBE.
Exhaust valves thermal barrier CBC2 or CBX and then dry film lubricant DFL-1, TLML or CERMA LUBE.

I'm not sure if that applies to every vehicle.