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OK I got my heads back from the rebuilder. Basic stuff, bronze guides, cleaned up the throats, new valves. Are the exhaust valve rotators needed? I assume that their job is to rotate the valve so that it does not constantly seal on the same spot.
Should I just scrap them and replace the springs and retainers with some aftermarket ones, or keep the rotators? It's a truck motor going in a J-20 for towing.
I've never had a problem without them. Even AMC abandoned them in the mid 70s, the later heads don't have them.
Unless you have a tool to test spring tension, it's cheap insurance to throw on new springs, retainers, and locks.
Bob
tufcj
Without a doubt new stuff. I was not sure which spring / retainer combo I was going to use and my machine guy had a slow spot so I sent the heads out. I am getting Crane springs with steel retainers. I was also not sure if the rotators were needed for a truck application only.
didnt the rotators have something to do with preventing carbon buildup from holding a valve open? I cant think of any reason to keep em and the factory couldnt either.
Take those things to the lake and throw them as far as you can! With the suggestion of the Mopar Tech Line I ran rotators on my 360 heads years ago. It only had a .484 lift cam in it but the Mopar guys said it would be fine. Wrong. After about 2,000 miles the rotator separated and the valve dropped. Broke the valve head off and lodged it in the piston. Split the cylinder wall, etc. Never use a two piece retainer - EVER! :shock:
THEY ARE LONG GONE..... NEVER TO BE SEEN AGAIN[/quote]