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Thread: Freshening up some R/T Heads...

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    JDreamR/T's Avatar
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    Default Freshening up some R/T Heads...

    Sup dudes...been a minute since I posted anything on here. Been really dormant and boring, haven't done any work on the truck in ages. Anyways that's about to change.

    I picked up some used R/T iron heads for my upcoming top end rebuild/upgrade. They needed a good cleaning and after giving one head and its valves an electrolysis bath, I went to work on lapping on the 1st two valves.

    My question is really concerning the exhaust seats on these heads. It seems like the exhaust seats have a radius cut, and not really any visibly defined edges of a 3-angle VJ. However, on the intake seat you can clearly see the 30, 45, 60 angles. Just wondering if these ex. seats are worn out or were they cut like that on purpose? My gut is telling me the ex. seats could use a fresh cut but figured I'd ask here first.

    Hopefully you can see what I'm talking about in the images...













    Thanks!
    Last edited by JDreamR/T; 03-27-2019 at 07:30 AM. Reason: typo
    1999 R/T CC Flame Red (what's left of the paint)
    //SHAKER// 408 Forged // TKO600 5spd // Spintech-Mids // HiPoTek 106 LOPEYCAM // FRP Tuned //

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    slammedR/T's Avatar
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    I would get a proper VJ done to those heads in my opinion.
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    98Dak408's Avatar
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    Multi angle valve job in essence is trying to make as smooth a radius as possible. So, a smooth radius is not a bad thing, but the exhaust valve seat width contact area looks too wide for ideal sealing. The intake valve looks better in that regard. As mentioned by slammed, I would have a valve job done on them.

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    JDreamR/T's Avatar
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    Thanks Chad, Richard... I'll be bringing these to a shop then soon to get some work done. Any recommendations on valves if I sprung for new? These valves could also use regrinding I'm sure, so maybe put $$$ towards a new set instead is what I'm thinking.
    1999 R/T CC Flame Red (what's left of the paint)
    //SHAKER// 408 Forged // TKO600 5spd // Spintech-Mids // HiPoTek 106 LOPEYCAM // FRP Tuned //

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    98Dak408's Avatar
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    Looks like the valves still have a lot of margin left so a regrind should be fine as long as they are not bent. Your machine shop should be able to check them.

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    slammedR/T's Avatar
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    If they are straight and stainless I would just run them, maybe get a back cut on them while at the machine shop for some more flow.
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    99dart's Avatar
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    Make sure those valves are 1 piece stainless! I learned the hard way. Better heads/cam/tune get you higher rpm's. Not good on 2 piece intake valves. Glad to see you giving the Ol' girl some love.
    99 DA CC R/T
    13.97@100 w/modded kegger & ported TB
    12.96 @103
    10:8-1 .30 over forged bottom end
    R/T ported heads
    Detroit locker 4:56 gears
    Built 46RE MSaine 3500 stall Ultra Billet
    http://imgur.com/a/lOVuZ

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    Quote Originally Posted by JDreamR/T View Post
    Any recommendations on valves if I sprung for new? .
    Ferrea.
    Properly reamed stem holes along with good concentricity of the stem is fine for a street machine. If you wanted to use valve guides, K Liners are some of the the best out there. Outlast typical bronze ones easily and perhaps just as hard or harder than the block itself.

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    99dart's Avatar
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    99 DA CC R/T
    13.97@100 w/modded kegger & ported TB
    12.96 @103
    10:8-1 .30 over forged bottom end
    R/T ported heads
    Detroit locker 4:56 gears
    Built 46RE MSaine 3500 stall Ultra Billet
    http://imgur.com/a/lOVuZ

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    JDreamR/T's Avatar
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    Thanks for the tips guys. I decided I'm giving these heads the full treatment. I'll probably buy the upsized 2.02" intake valves since I'll be getting a complete VJ, it makes sense to do the upgrade while I'm at it. For added fun, I'm in the process of hand porting these heads too to the best of my ability...

    These are the prices the local go-to speed shop quoted me for:
    -------------------------------
    We offer full head services

    Full valve Job with assembly $325.00 + Seal and any parts like springs or valves

    Below Prices Are partial Jobs Above Includes this labor

    Valve Seats only $160.00

    Boil & Glass bead $$110.00
    ---------------------------------
    1999 R/T CC Flame Red (what's left of the paint)
    //SHAKER// 408 Forged // TKO600 5spd // Spintech-Mids // HiPoTek 106 LOPEYCAM // FRP Tuned //

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    JDreamR/T's Avatar
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    some pics of the porting work I started...

    Pushrod pinch area I widened roughly .030"


    Here are two finished intake ports (rough cut) not sand rolled yet...



    Found this great article showing exact mods I'm trying to replicate in my porting job...
    https://www.hotrod.com/articles/mopp...ylinder-heads/
    Last edited by JDreamR/T; 05-12-2019 at 07:01 PM.
    1999 R/T CC Flame Red (what's left of the paint)
    //SHAKER// 408 Forged // TKO600 5spd // Spintech-Mids // HiPoTek 106 LOPEYCAM // FRP Tuned //

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    99dart's Avatar
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    Cool... glad you have a plan you are following. Will you be going with a better cam while you are in there?
    99 DA CC R/T
    13.97@100 w/modded kegger & ported TB
    12.96 @103
    10:8-1 .30 over forged bottom end
    R/T ported heads
    Detroit locker 4:56 gears
    Built 46RE MSaine 3500 stall Ultra Billet
    http://imgur.com/a/lOVuZ

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    slammedR/T's Avatar
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    You can press tubes into the pushrod holes and take that pinch area all the way to the tube.
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    JDreamR/T's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by slammedR/T View Post
    You can press tubes into the pushrod holes and take that pinch area all the way to the tube.
    Yes, I actually started looking into this. On one of the ports I came very close to breaking through, foil thin...
    Any suggestions on material? Brass tubing good to use? Was thinking of buying a reamer to enlarge the pushrod holes to a more precision bore size and surface finish, and sizing the press fit appropriately with the tubing. Am I on the right track here? Still doing research on the topic but have only read a forum post where somebody used JB weld, I'd rather a press fit solution over any epoxies I'd think.

    Quote Originally Posted by 99dart View Post
    Cool... glad you have a plan you are following. Will you be going with a better cam while you are in there?
    Yup! Cam I have in possession is a Mopar Performance P4532864
    Hyd roller
    288/292 advertised duration
    230/234 @ .050
    501/513 lift
    108* centerline

    It came standard on all mopar 380HP magnum crate engines...
    1999 R/T CC Flame Red (what's left of the paint)
    //SHAKER// 408 Forged // TKO600 5spd // Spintech-Mids // HiPoTek 106 LOPEYCAM // FRP Tuned //

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    Splash Zone epoxy, works fine on the intake ports, just clean everything really well, it's all in the prep.
    11.27 @ 118.23
    2017 NM Mopar Challenge Series Champion

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    The bumps necessary for the valve cover bolts can be ground out, use studs with red loctite on them, grind the bump and as much of the bolt to make it smooth, use epoxy to further smooth it out.
    11.27 @ 118.23
    2017 NM Mopar Challenge Series Champion

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    JDreamR/T's Avatar
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    2 months later, I took SlammedR/T's suggestion to heart and pressed some brass tubes in the heads to widen up the intake ports amap. Here's a quick look.


    PR Bore prep with Reamer





    1999 R/T CC Flame Red (what's left of the paint)
    //SHAKER// 408 Forged // TKO600 5spd // Spintech-Mids // HiPoTek 106 LOPEYCAM // FRP Tuned //

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    A lot of hrs into this already, almost ready to bring to speed shop for a VJ
    1999 R/T CC Flame Red (what's left of the paint)
    //SHAKER// 408 Forged // TKO600 5spd // Spintech-Mids // HiPoTek 106 LOPEYCAM // FRP Tuned //

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    98Dak408's Avatar
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    Tedious work for sure.

    Any details on the sleeving of pushrod tubes?
    1. Reamer size?
    2. Size of brass tube OD and wall thickness?
    3. Did you use any sealant between the tube and cast iron?
    Thanks!

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    Any plans on having them bench flowed / flow matched or you just going to send it as is?

    -Justin

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    JDreamR/T's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by 98Dak408 View Post
    Tedious work for sure.

    Any details on the sleeving of pushrod tubes?
    1. Reamer size?
    2. Size of brass tube OD and wall thickness?
    3. Did you use any sealant between the tube and cast iron?
    Thanks!
    Richard, I had a local machinist make the sleeves up for me. I actually had him make me a batch large enough to cover another set of heads [insert sales pitch here].
    I have the outer diameter tolerance held to .5435" +.0005/-.0000". He also tapers this tolerance slightly in towards the "lead-in chamfer" end for ease of assembly.


    I based the OD of the tube off of the closest sized reamer which I sourced from Mc-Master-Carr., 0.5430". I chose this size reamer too as it's only about a .007" cut if I remember right.

    For final fitment I hand polish the sleeves with some 400-500grit dry/wet sandpaper until the fitment has a good feel to it. Then I used Permatex sleeve retainer 64000 and gently tapped them home. Loctite 640 should also work.

    Quote Originally Posted by xjsc16x View Post
    Any plans on having them bench flowed / flow matched or you just going to send it as is?

    -Justin
    I'd like to if possible, but I've had a hard time finding a shop anywhere local who performs this service. I have yet to modify the other head, so it would be good timing now for me to do the testing if I could.
    1999 R/T CC Flame Red (what's left of the paint)
    //SHAKER// 408 Forged // TKO600 5spd // Spintech-Mids // HiPoTek 106 LOPEYCAM // FRP Tuned //

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    JDreamR/T's Avatar
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    Just a quick update. Been a while, but got both heads fully ported and polished the chambers and exhaust ports to mirror finish. I finally got them dropped to the machinist for a proper valve job. He's going to run them on the flow bench too, I'm excited to see the results!
    1999 R/T CC Flame Red (what's left of the paint)
    //SHAKER// 408 Forged // TKO600 5spd // Spintech-Mids // HiPoTek 106 LOPEYCAM // FRP Tuned //

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    99dart's Avatar
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    NICE!!
    99 DA CC R/T
    13.97@100 w/modded kegger & ported TB
    12.96 @103
    10:8-1 .30 over forged bottom end
    R/T ported heads
    Detroit locker 4:56 gears
    Built 46RE MSaine 3500 stall Ultra Billet
    http://imgur.com/a/lOVuZ

  24. #24


    GoFastGray's Avatar
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    Do post the results!
    12.10@106@Famoso Raceway

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    JDreamR/T's Avatar
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    Will do Gray..
    I also decided to order a new set of valves, the old ones are 2 piece I believe, and I dont want to be doing this job twice. Found out the heads are currently sized @ 2.02" dia on the
    intakes already so thats cool. Machinist said my valve guides are a bit loose tho on tolerance than he'd like, so I'm going to have bronze guides installed as well.
    Only thing now as I'm shopping is having trouble finding valves in single groove beadlock style. Manley valves seem to be the largest in selection overall.
    1999 R/T CC Flame Red (what's left of the paint)
    //SHAKER// 408 Forged // TKO600 5spd // Spintech-Mids // HiPoTek 106 LOPEYCAM // FRP Tuned //

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