[ejand22]

Guys,

I need new valve guides pressed into my cb450 head, but I don't want to take it to any ol' machine shop - I want to take it to someone who's known to be good. I live in Indianapolis, IN but don't mind shipping the head somewhere.

Any suggestions on shops?

 

[ejand22]

Anybody ever worked with Mark from M3 Racing? Just talked to him on the phone and he seems to be a good guy. They also have a good selection of hop-up parts for Honda 750's and 450's.

 

[HackAsaw]

oh you don't get off that easy......... tell the rest of the story in tech

now in case you didn't catch this during that session

just because you want to have guides put in a casting

doesn't mean it's a good idea to do so if the guide bores are fawked

the cost of precisely machining/restoring guide bores exceeds the price of several CB450 heads

not to mention you would then need custom made guides

best thing for you to do is warm the head in a 400 degree oven

and then with a piloted drift.......gently drift all the guides out so you can see the bores

I'm assuming at some time this problem head has had it's guides replaced

 

[ROSKO]

THE place for cb450 work, and it happens to be nearby:
www.teamhansenhonda.com

 

[UngaWunga]

Hell, if you're going through all that trouble, do the coil spring conversion...

 

[texmawby]

hansen honda or stan lipert engineering gets my vote. you might call bill moller at boretech too!

m3........nah, i'll pass.

tex

 

[Geeto67]

I like bill bune for all my engine machine work, but I have never had him fit guides. www.billbune.com

+1 Hansen.

I know of m3's reputation, never heard anything bad, but never used them either.

 

[ejand22]

Hack - I really don't have the experience to tell if the bores are crap and I can assure you the wife won't let me put the cylinder head in the oven. (I know, asking for forgiveness is easier than asking for permission) I'd rather get a shop with experience to do it. That said, I'm just asking about shop's right now. I haven't given up fully yet. The head isn't off and I'm still planning on getting back in there and checking for movement like you suggested in the other thread before I take it off.

Back to the shops -

Is Hansen Honda in Chicago? I've spoken with Terry via email in the past asking about exhausts and he mentioned that he isn't doing much customer work these days. It's worth another asking, though.

Bill Bune has a nice price list on his site.

I can't find anything related to Stan Lipert Engineering other than a few WERA and AHRMA results and a few posts in aome forums. Have his email addy?

Bore-Tech is a good suggestion for 450s. They're one of the only companies making electronic ignitions for it. I'll send him an email.

Thanks guys, if anybody else has experiences with these or other companies please let me know.

 

[joe c]

craigs probably right.

im with tex on m3, but just cuz they are the other team.

stan is the man.

jc

 

[craig641]

Any of you guys that recommend Hansen ever used them? They have pretty bikes but I thought all of the real machine shop work is done by Framecrafters. Framecrafters are in Chicago and they do real nice work. I've used them.

Craig

 

[Geeto67]

quote:Originally posted by craig641

Any of you guys that recommend Hansen ever used them? They have pretty bikes but I thought all of the real machine shop work is done by Framecrafters. Framecrafters are in Chicago and they do real nice work. I've used them.

Craig

+1 Randy Illg is the shit!!!!

 

[kenessex]

I've always done my own valve guides. It is not very hard if you have an oven to heat the head up in. Honda sells a valve guide reamer in the appropriate size for all of their valves. I have never had a problem using either Honda or aftermarket guides and OEM Honda valves using the Honda valve guide reamer. I have done plenty of heads over the years. Is it the precision way to do it? Probably not, however it has been effective.

Ken

 

[HackAsaw]

here is the gig....

if that head has had guide replacement and it was not done correctly

and IF even one guide bore is crap

and all you have to do is look with your eyes first......... if you can see crap it's crap

the guide bore should be smooth, any galling or gouging in the bore means the casting is NFG

I wouldn't waste my shipping money if the guide bores are shot

and anyone that knows what is involved to repair a bad valve guide bore will tell you just to get a good casting

if the bores look good.... then it's ok to send the head out and hope the shop getting it will make sure they are also good and round


you can knock the guides out cold but they come out butter easy if you warm the head

best is to blast the port sides of the guides to make sure they are clean before you press or knock them back out the guide bore


here is a tool that is very afforable for pressing guides in or out cold

you can also use an air hammer with a piloted punch and either method will work cold with no damage done

just don't try to knock them out sideways

 

[kenessex]

Holy smokes HackA, What is all that stuff? All I have ever used is a hammer and a piloted punch. I have never tried to R&R guides cold, but hot, they go in and out pretty easy, as long as you are square on the guide. Sideways doesn't work.

Ken

 

[HackAsaw]

warm is generally accepted as better but if the interference is correct

cold is just fine

those are just some various engine tools you'd expect a guy with a motorcycle/machine shop to have laying around

I snapped those pix for a guy in Europe that wanted some pix/dims of various valve spring compressors so he could make his out out of a "c" clamp

 

[ROSKO]

quote:Originally posted by craig641

Any of you guys that recommend Hansen ever used them? They have pretty bikes but I thought all of the real machine shop work is done by Framecrafters. Framecrafters are in Chicago and they do real nice work. I've used them.

Craig

Not me. I have heard a lot of good things about Terry's work on the cb450 board from folks who have hired him. Never heard a complaint, and you know how internet peeps love to complain! I have also spoken with him numerous times and he has been very helpful and a super nice guy, even though I was not buying anything! I'm not sure what "machine" work gets farmed out. My understanding is the man is famous for his engine assembly and knowledge not necessarily his machine work.

Now, let's get down to the real issue. Craig, send me photos of the framecrafters shop.

 

[ghetto_racer]

Stan is the MAN...