Valve job now or in 200 miles

[David]

If I am starting to burn a valve, how long can I put off a valve job.

My Lotus has a miss and the shop is going to do a leakdown test. The shop is the Guild of Automotive Restorers, which is a couple of hundred miles away. I'm thinking of bringing the car closer to home for the valve job. Would another 200 miles do much more damage?

I had the car towed to the Guild for an emergency rad hose replacment. The trouble with an old car is they keep finding more things wrong. You'd think a restoration would last longer. I just replaced those rad hoses 15 years ago!

It is an aluminum head with iron inserts and twin overhead cams. New Lotus cylinder heads are stupid expensive, so I don't want to risk damage.

On the plus side, I found a shop in southern Ontario who does all the vintage race Lotus engine work in Ontario. So I know where to send out for machining.

[10.5' Tunnel]

If its just the valve seals I don't think I'd worry. However I once saw a valve that actually broke, turned around, and then was drove through the head :eek: If it was me I would tow it there, maybe even myself. Go rent a trailer from uhaul, make a day outta it if your that worried. I've heard nothing but good things from that shop (if its the one in Bradford I'm thinking of), but they have crazy hours and I've never gotten in their to check out their collection.

[Rickracer]

....tow it, you don't want to chance cracking a head. When a valve isn't sealing, the exhaust that escapes between the valve and seat will superheat the seat, making it expand. Eventually, the seat will fall out of the head, or crack the head in the seat area. Sure that can be fixed too, but it gets pretty expensive, and narrows down the number of machinists equipped to do the job properly. If it was a severe overheat, you may have galled a valve guide, and a leakdown test will not necessarily show that. If a valve sticks open while it's running down the road, you can imagine what will happen then. Better safe than sorry, tow it. :cool:

[baddjonny]

If you want to drive it there and your a little handy just pull the plug wire off and ground it for the bad cyl.and if you want to be extra careful pull the adjusters out for the valves for that cylinder unless of course there the bucket type. doing at least one of those two things you should be able to limp there without any more damage.

my 2 cents
jon b

[David]

The cheapest head I found was $3400 bare ($4200 Cdn!) in a quick web search. So I won't drive the car home. I don't want to risk any damage.

Disable a cylinder? The valves are bucket and shim so pulling the adjusters is out. The 1600 cc 4 cyl engine would run pretty rough on 3 cylinders.

The Guild (http://www.theguildofautomotiverestorers.com/) is a respected restoration shop and I'm sure they can do a good job. The other option is to send the head to British West. British West builds most (all?) the vintage racing Lotus engines in Ontario. I'd be happiest having the job done by someone who works on the engine on a regular basis and knows it quirks. Of course I don't know if British West will accept the work. It is race season and they are busy.

This will be expensive and I won't see my car running until fall. The hazaards of a semi exotic car.