Birty Dastards Jeep Club

Tech Forum => Workshop => Topic started by: Alucardtnuoc on July 01, 2010, 04:33:06 PM

Title: Valve seat inserts. AMC 360 - 1978
Post by: Alucardtnuoc on July 01, 2010, 04:33:06 PM
What are everyones opinions on this? My 360 heads have no hardened inserts. Research has provided no clue as to weather they will definitely be needed. Does anyone elses heads use inserts? HELP

I am really at a loss with this one as I am getting alot of conflicting info.

Cheers Dudes.
Title: Re: Valve seat inserts. AMC 360 - 1978
Post by: Panic mechanic! on July 01, 2010, 04:44:17 PM
As far as I was aware  most american vehicles from the mid 70's onwards used hardened valve seat inserts to cope with the unleaded fuel that was introduced, I know the 77' chevy van I ran for a while had them but to be honest not sure about jeep engine of that age.
I would guess its not a hard job to have done if needed but being a V8 its going to cost a lot more than normal engines.
Title: Re: Valve seat inserts. AMC 360 - 1978
Post by: tim_aka_tim on July 01, 2010, 04:56:04 PM
Yep, the EPA mandated catalytic convertors and unleaded gas in 1975. Any engine from
then onwards can only use unleaded.
Title: Re: Valve seat inserts. AMC 360 - 1978
Post by: Bubba on July 01, 2010, 04:57:23 PM
jeep went unleaded friendly in 72
Title: Re: Valve seat inserts. AMC 360 - 1978
Post by: tim_aka_tim on July 01, 2010, 05:02:56 PM
jeep went unleaded friendly in 72

I read somewhere that most manufacturers did so by just lowering the compression ratio
by 20%, not necessarily fitting hardened valve seats.
Title: Re: Valve seat inserts. AMC 360 - 1978
Post by: Alucardtnuoc on July 01, 2010, 05:48:16 PM
Yes, I read that too. But the 360 runs a lowish compression ratio anyhow. So if I take the compression up to 9.5:1, do you reckon I would still get away with not putting inserts in?

I have another 360 here from a waggy sold in this country, so may pop a head off to see if it has inserts. Bugger. Should've checked this first before committing time to porting.

There may be 2 360 heads up for sale soon.......  :headhack:
Title: Re: Valve seat inserts. AMC 360 - 1978
Post by: Bulldog67 on July 01, 2010, 06:11:47 PM
was chattin wiv a man in the know today and he sells them at £1000 each complete with ancillaries, and mine with no ancillaries was £600, so u shud have enuff money to buy a 401 and ship it over  :icon_super:
Title: Re: Valve seat inserts. AMC 360 - 1978
Post by: tim_aka_tim on July 01, 2010, 06:12:23 PM
If you've got the head off anyway, and it's cheap to do, might be worth it if only for your
own peace of mind. Chevron's answer to the issue of lead in fuel was that it's only needed
for severe service and for most people, using higher octane gas is ok for most applications.
Given that UK petrol is higher octane anyway, 95 ron should be fine. However, that answer
doesn't cover raising the compression.
Title: Re: Valve seat inserts. AMC 360 - 1978
Post by: tim_aka_tim on July 01, 2010, 06:15:17 PM
was chattin wiv a man in the know today and he sells them at £1000 each complete with ancillaries, and mine with no ancillaries was £600, so u shud have enuff money to buy a 401 and ship it over  :icon_super:

Bulldog's "Man in the know", yesterday.

(https://birtydastards.com/frm/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.dailymail.co.uk%2Fi%2Fpix%2F2008%2F11%2F18%2Farticle-0-006ECCE900000258-486_468x441.jpg&hash=da2a86e6f27a01c960f025de0f1c22fa9c957939)
Title: Re: Valve seat inserts. AMC 360 - 1978
Post by: Bulldog67 on July 01, 2010, 06:18:41 PM
price wise ya about right Tim  :003:
Title: Re: Valve seat inserts. AMC 360 - 1978
Post by: Bubba on July 01, 2010, 06:32:54 PM
was it steve
Title: Re: Valve seat inserts. AMC 360 - 1978
Post by: Alucardtnuoc on July 01, 2010, 07:09:28 PM
BD, what exactly was done to your heads? Do you have photos?
Title: Re: Valve seat inserts. AMC 360 - 1978
Post by: Dutch on July 01, 2010, 08:20:49 PM
BD, what exactly was done to your heads? Do you have photos?

[attachment=1]


I'll get me coat......where's the door ?  :hysterical:
Title: Re: Valve seat inserts. AMC 360 - 1978
Post by: Bulldog67 on July 01, 2010, 08:23:39 PM
BD, what exactly was done to your heads? Do you have photos?

what, in the 401? no photos anyway, sorry

but the prices i was talkin about above were for 360's
Title: Re: Valve seat inserts. AMC 360 - 1978
Post by: Bulldog67 on July 01, 2010, 08:25:17 PM
errrr Dutch, u do know what a bulldog looks like?

lay off the hallucinogenic skunk dood  :003:
Title: Re: Valve seat inserts. AMC 360 - 1978
Post by: Bubba on July 01, 2010, 08:26:13 PM
was it steve you spoke to
Title: Re: Valve seat inserts. AMC 360 - 1978
Post by: Bulldog67 on July 01, 2010, 08:29:36 PM
nah, same bloke i txt u about today

and yes, hence £1000  :icon_eek:
Title: Re: Valve seat inserts. AMC 360 - 1978
Post by: Bubba on July 01, 2010, 08:32:42 PM
ahh yes and i bet he has a few
Title: Re: Valve seat inserts. AMC 360 - 1978
Post by: Dutch on July 01, 2010, 08:33:44 PM
I stand corrected  :icon_redface:

[attachment=1]
Title: Re: Valve seat inserts. AMC 360 - 1978
Post by: Bulldog67 on July 01, 2010, 08:41:51 PM
thats more like it, but ya still overdoin the skunk  :003:
Title: Re: Valve seat inserts. AMC 360 - 1978
Post by: Dave69 on July 02, 2010, 09:42:49 AM
it all depends on what kind of driving you intend to do. driving short trips should be ok but if your a regular motorway user over long distances then you might have issues for concern.

back to the old A series engine (mini and metro etc) this is well known for seat recession but this has been varied depending on the usage. long distance commuting at a steady speed increases wear but round town stop start driving has been known to create small amounts of wear.
Title: Re: Valve seat inserts. AMC 360 - 1978
Post by: PtP on July 04, 2010, 04:06:32 PM
What are everyones opinions on this? ..............
Providing you’re not going to be driving zillions of miles, would it not be worth looking at using something like this: http://www.millersoils.net/1_downloads/literature/general/Lead_Substitutes.pdf (http://www.millersoils.net/1_downloads/literature/general/Lead_Substitutes.pdf)
Title: Re: Valve seat inserts. AMC 360 - 1978
Post by: Dave69 on July 06, 2010, 08:57:23 PM


http://www.fbhvc.co.uk/fuel-information/#f4 (http://www.fbhvc.co.uk/fuel-information/#f4)



i wouldn't touch any lead replacement addative that didn't have the FBHVC approval and carried their logo.