Valve seals

[1970 XLCH]

Working on a 1971 FLH . Did they come with valve seals ? I don't think so , I have some seals from a 1981 FLH that seem to fit on one guide (flat on top with a .562 dia. ) but the other has a 45 deg. chamfer on top ( is also .562 dia. ) , so the seal won't press flush with the top of the guide . The guides are in good shape I'd like to use them . Any Ideas ? Thank you , Mike

[TomL]

No seals until 1981, there was a guide change in 1979, otherwise guides were the same from 1949-79.

[T. Cotten]

Earlier years can be up-dated, Mike!

Usually by trimming the top of the guide with a Manley cutter for a .530" seal, retaining the original spring collars.

(Free travel must be measured of course.)

....Cotten
PS:

No seals until 1981, there was a guide change in 1979, otherwise guides were the same from 1949-79.

Except for the bronze and 'carpenter steel' ones, TomL?
Seals were prescribed for soft cast-iron guides and nitrided valves as part of the immortal "un-leaded kit" of the 'Eighties.

[pan620]

In the 80"s i used guides from the factory that had a -79A part #, set up for seals, we called them the short top guides.

[TomL]

"Carpenter Steel"? That's a new one on me T. Cotten? Throughout the 70's we used oem guides without seals, bronze, and Ampco 45 bronze, others who had machinist skills bought bronze bar stock and made guides, this was before the unleaded sticking valve problem got real bad. To get around that the winning combination was Stainless Steel valves and Cast Iron guides with or w/o seals depending on whose guides you used and Stellite valve seats.

[T. Cotten]

"Carpenter Steel"? That's a new one on me T. Cotten? Throughout the 70's we used oem guides without seals, bronze, and Ampco 45 bronze, others who had machinist skills bought bronze bar stock and made guides, this was before the unleaded sticking valve problem got real bad. To get around that the winning combination was Stainless Steel valves and Cast Iron guides with or w/o seals depending on whose guides you used and Stellite valve seats.

I was referring to the vintage terms for the vintage hardware, TomL!

(I was a toddler.)

Yes, we are talking earlier Pans.
Anything can be made, but I found cutting guides from window weights too much for my equipment.

....Cotten
PS: If you ever put a reamer to a 'carpenter steel' guide, you regretted it .

[TomL]

I'm going to have to start looking at my drivers license more often so I know I am an old guy! ;-) Truthfully though it snuck up on me!

[T. Cotten]

It was new to me, too, TomL!

That's how I remembered it.

The literature might be more elusive...

...Cotten

[Bubbalowe]

Manley and others sell cutters for installing seals on intake guides. Just because they weren't available in 71 doesn't mean it's a good idea.

[TomL]

Guides seals were more than a "good idea". When the industry stopped venting crankcases to the atmosphere, pressures and vacuum made things like guide seals a must.

[Bubbalowe]

The short guides without seals were an engineering mistake by MOCO whose " fix" was external drain lines. Valve seals are an upgrade to any Shovel.

[41craig]

I have used the valve seals and and tools at the top of the attached photo for well over 25 years on Panheads and Shovelheads with good results. No expensive cutting tool to buy and no machining required. The photo is a page from the now defunct Rowe U.S.A. catalog. V-Twin sells the plastic installing tools and the seals. K-Line also sells them.
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