Valve seat grinder
 

In my wanderings I saw this valve seat grinder set, it has the special pilots for model A and flathead V8 ---I have no interest in it( because it is something I have) or no connection to the seller, it is quite old, "from the era", probably pre WWII, the stones are still made, looks to be complete enough to do most 30s era cars with what is there. I used a set like this to do my first valve seats.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/BLACK-AND-DE...3e7ee4&vxp=mtr

Re: Valve seat grinder
 

A lot of money for something you'll only use once in a while. I use a Nuway valve seat cutting tool. Leaves a machine cut surface. I bought it back in the 80s and have used it 4 or 5 times on my own engines. I loan it to friends now and then.

Re: Valve seat grinder
 

Those Nuway cutters are amazing, and I don't modern stuff!

Re: Valve seat grinder
 

Hey Glenn I see a lot of good remarks abot Neway cutters on the T forums.
Finding the up here in Canada is proving difficult.
Which angles did you by for the A engines or is it the same as a T?

Re: Valve seat grinder
 

I have and use that very same B&D set, it works great! The Nuway cutters are nice but for the little work that I do, the B&D is fine. I think I paid $50 or less for it many years ago.

Re: Valve seat grinder
 

Does Neway make the special pilots that fit the block for flatheads and A??

Sticking a normal pilot in a split guide is not reliable

I have done over quite a few jobs done with neway cutters with my old B&D set, it is easy to get off center oval seats with chatter with the Neway, I have used many different systems, for amature use the B&D has a short learning curve and a low investment.

Re: Valve seat grinder
 

B&D set was also marketed by Snap-on. Fairly cheap and plentiful, Goodson supply has pilots, stones, etc.
I lucked out and found matching seat set and valve cutter out of a discontinued school shop program...very low mileage tools.
As noted, short learning curve and a job where the extra time and care an amateur can apply can be useful.
For flathead Ford V8's the B&D pilot replaces the entire guide; I believe they made similar for A-B, and of couse something similar could be mde up from a one-piece guide, perhaps spun against sanpaper briefly to make it an easier push fit.

Re: Valve seat grinder
 

I've encountered the same problem with the Neway cutters: they do not cut concentric. The seats need touching up with a "stone".
The main thing with seat grinding equipment is the mandrel-to-pilot fit. If that fit is sloppy, you'll never get a good seat. I use Sioux equipment and find their stuff to be better quality to B&D, KOLee, and others of the 50s - 60s era.

Re: Valve seat grinder
 

I bought an old timer's seat grinding tool when he got too old to work on his own engines. The pilots for A's and Flathead V8s were with it. Problem was that the old codger wanted to hang on to his diamond impregnated carbide or whatever it is that is used to dress the seat-grinding stones. Are those stone dressing carbides still available, or does anyone have one that they would sell? Any help appreciated.

Re: Valve seat grinder
 

I have the same grinder too.Somebody bought an extra mandrel for it,so I have three.It has the pilots for the A and V8's too.Some of the parts are marked Sioux,and a friend with Sioux outfit is almost identical to my B&D.I also have a little B&D benchtop valve grinder that is kind of interesting.It has separate motors for the grinder and rotator.I rescued them both from being tossed in the dumpster at the Sanford Maine airport,over 30 years ago.I also got a Toledo valve seat insert cutter.It can cut valve seat inserts while still in the vehicle.Nobody there even knew what that was for.All this has come in handy for patching up old tractors that I didn't want to take the block out of.

Re: Valve seat grinder
 

If you are fortunate enough to use or own a Hall Toledo seat grinder, you won't use anything else. They were available for reasonable prices 15-20 years ago, but have gone crazy as of late in the $250-350 range. Hall made a solid tapered 19/32 pilot for A's and also pilots for the V-8's. The Hall has a second spindle which rotates the stone( which is spinning at 15,000-20,000 rpms) and goes about 25-30 rpms around the seat. Pilots and stones are available still from Hall-Toledo as is service for the grinders.

Re: Valve seat grinder
 

The Hall-Toledo machine I have isn't a seat grinder,it is a machine to carve a hole in the block to drive in a new seat.You bolt it to the block deck,centered by the pilot,set the cutting tool,and mill out the old seat.It has a bunch of mandrels with it to drive the new seats into the block.I've rescued some old farm tractor heads and blocks with it,they really were beyond proper repair,but some of the junk I patched is still pulling out firewood and plowing snow 25+ years later.It is a very heavy,solid tool,if you are trying to machine an OHV head on the bench you have to tie the head down or the whole thing will tip over.

Re: Valve seat grinder
 

Hall-Toledo did indeed make valve seat grinders. I have one and it's an excellent machine. They show up on eBay from time to time. I don't see one right now, but here is a set of Operating Instructions for the machine.

Joe

Re: Valve seat grinder
 

I have the same set up as the ebay post but mine is made by Sioux and the seat cutter end is at a 45 degree angle. I also have a lot more accessories with mine.

Re: Valve seat grinder
 

Someone was asking about the stone dresser...these are diamond pointed adjustable angle cutters on a stand that has a mandrel to pilot the grinder at whatever angle you need. Goodson has them...there are only a couple of common sizes for the mandrels.

Re: Valve seat grinder
 

I have a Hall-Toledo too but it is so worn out that I don't use it. If in good shape it would be a great machine.

Re: Valve seat grinder
 

I used a similar one on my first valve job too! It was 49 lincoln V8 in tech school. I have one now, a Hall mod. E S, but without all the pilots. Only two Model A and ford V8 and 4 cyl tractor N series. I just used it on a A engine I'm fixing. Worked great! it's for sale too. Glad to hear you can still get stones for them.
Terry

Re: Valve seat grinder
 

I have a K O Lee, I need to get the correct pilots. The ones that came with it are worn out. Need to replace the diamond in the dresser, guess someone wanted a diamond ring or something! :) Came with the Model A and V8 inserts. Pilots and dresser are on ebay. You just need to know the thread on the dresser and which pilot fits which unit.

Re: Valve seat grinder
 

I just started a Yahoo Group for the Hall-Toledo Model EJ Eccentric Valve Seat Grinder. I have 7 PDF type manuals for this machine that I took the time to scrub and clean to make them like new more important readable. These manuals go back as far as the 1940's and a few from the mid to late 1950's and some from the 1980's. I also found some wire tag type cards that were more than likely fastened to it when it was new, those have been scanned to a PDF format as well. These documents are provided free of charge.

Regards,
Jack

groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/hall-toledo_groupurl/info

Re: Valve seat grinder
 

I would like to (attempt to) grind the seats & valves in my early 1950's flathead Ford V-8 block. I understand that I'll need a special pilot to fit into the valve guide chamber to do the seats. I'm looking at eBay item # 262646231113. Can anyone tell me, in the 5th picture in the series for that item, is the item in the front of the drawer the correct pilot for the flathead Ford V-8 block? I have contacted the seller with this same question, but have not heard back yet.

Also, I would be glad to have any suggestions on how else I might proceed. TIA.