panhead valve seats

[shovelheadstan]

can anyone out there recommend a machine shop that can put valve seats in a set of 1964 heads?

[camsaure]

The originals are bronze and cast in when the heads are cast. Replaced hard seats have been know to come loose so I am no fan of doing that. There is a shop called Headhog that builds the bronze seats up again. That is the route that I would take. I am sorry that I do not have contact info with me at the moment, but I would think a search would find him.

[Rubone]

Regretfully Don Sullivan of Headhog passed away last year and the business is in limbo, maybe gone for good.

[panz4ever]

Used HeadHog for my 49 EL project. Definitely a loss to the old MC industry.


Been looking around and found a company called Advanced Cycle Machining out of Wisconsin http://www.advancedcyclemachining.com/services.html. Might be worth a call at least. Maybe contact someone in the area. Don't know if anyone on this site has used tthem/heard of them and could provide feedback.

[T. Cotten]

Stan!

The seat insert problem wouldn't be such a problem if (1) everyone bubble-tested for vacuum leaks, and (2) OEM seats were used instead of hardened seats.

If you had the seats, then any competent automotive machine shop should be able to do it without cracking the heads.

....Cotten

[shovelheadstan]

competent machine shop is the problem

[duffeycycles]

When a friend/machinist was doing some pan heads several years ago,i told him how head hog did it.He bought the equipment & did them that way after that.The equipment is cheap compared to doing a few replacement seats......dont ask,HE RETIRED

[T. Cotten]

competent machine shop is the problem

No doubt! Folks,..

Any pro up to the task of filling Don's shoes should be heartily encouraged, but it would require great sacrifice to learn by trial and error priceless insights of spray welding lost with Don.

Meanwhile some of us got by with simple resourcefullness in the past.
I have one of these, with extra necessary fixturing, and even a drawer of hardened inserts.
Never shall I use it again, if its worth this much! https://www.ebay.com/itm/K-O-LEE-Kno...AAAOSwUchZ5X9w

(It was handed down to me from a South Pekin Grim Reapers MC founder. Mostly I used it on Chubbles and Indians, but a buddy from Florida used it on his Knuck when he dropped a seat at my back door...)

But its still worthless for Pans if you don't have inserts with a thermal expansion coefficient similar to the original cast-in "brass".
Its been at least a decade since I shopped, but modern offerings all spec'd the same disastrous press-fit as hardened seats.

....Cotten
PS: Stan!
Have you measured to be certain that oversized valves are not the simplest solution?

[Liz]

Used HeadHog for my 49 EL project. Definitely a loss to the old MC industry.


Been looking around and found a company called Advanced Cycle Machining out of Wisconsin http://www.advancedcyclemachining.com/services.html. Might be worth a call at least. Maybe contact someone in the area. Don't know if anyone on this site has used tthem/heard of them and could provide feedback.

I can't speak on Panhead seats, but I used these guys to repair the case race and alternator O-ring lip on my '70 shovelhead. (they were Superior back then) I have almost 300,000 miles on that motor since the repair. I am pleased with their work.

[shovelheadstan]

have done some research. going to try a oversize valve to see if this the fix.

[shovelheadstan]

oversize valves are the trick. lowered the stem heights by .100 thousanths