valve guides need replacing

hey can anyone tell me about my valve guides? I have 430 69 buick heads and when the heads were done they took out the guides where can i find replacements and how do I put them in?

[56Roadmaster]

hi, better check carefully I'm nearly 100% positive your heads have valve guides cast in to them which means you can do two things get a set of valves with oversize stems and have the guides reamed to accept the new valves (this is the easier route) or you can try to find after market guides and have the heads machined to accept them then they are pressed in. your machinist may have done this(reaming),but you may have a hard time finding aftermarket guides vs. valves with oversize stems. I recently redid my 430 and most parts were all still available at NAPA.(If you get a jobber who is willing to look through books vs. his computer) Also try some of the suppliers in Buick section of Hemmings. One more note a compentant machine shop should be able to fit the valves for you and get guides if they are available and this is a job better to pay them to do.

[NTX5467]

The common "fix" for worn guides is "knurling" the existing integral (i.e., cast as part of the head) guide. This is a common machine shop operation that has been around for ages.<P>An upgrade from that is bronze "heilcoil" inserts where you tap the inside of the guide to install the bronze heilcoil material. Then, once it is seated and such, it is sized to for the original valve stem size. It provides an excellent wear interface with chrome stem valves. Once that is done, then the valve job can be done as a correct reference point has been established. Any valves with excessive wear or bad wear patterns should be replaced.<P>Another item would be the "knock in" guide inserts. The valve guide is drilled out and a "knock in" insert is installed, just as in the earlier times before the whole guides were cast as part of the cylinder head. This is more labor intensive than the other options and probably more costly too. The bronze wall versions are preferable to the plain cast iron versions.<P>Key thing in all of this is to have a competent machine shop perform the work. You might look under the heading of "racing engines" as they should have the newest equipment with credible work output.<P>I concur that NAPA might be a good source for engine parts. Just get the ones that are listed to be at least as good as the OEM GM production items.<P>NTX5467