38 Flattie Valve stuck

[Tony Smith]

I don't know what the situation is like in other parts of the world, but here it's getting harder to find a machinist or engine rebuilder who has had experience rebuilding Ford V8 sidevalve engines. I think I rang over 20 businesses to find someone who was capable/had the equipment to insert hardened valve seats in the block! Most would glibly say "Of course we can do it! just drop the heads over and our CNC machine will do the rest." When told the whole block has to go under the cutters, the "Head Jobs Unlimited" cylinder head places would drop out of the running. The engine rebuilders would battle on by saying that they'll put the block on their cylinder boring machine and cut the holes for the hardened seats that way. When told the valve stems are not parralel to the bore and the seats not flush with the deck surface, they'd dismiss it as all too hard and not worth the job. I eventually found a machinist who has an antique hand-held seat cutting machine who was happy to do the job, and he has continued to find work from me because of the quality of his craftmanship.