Cleaning the valves

I decided to clean the valves of my spare head before reassembling  and  storing it. The valves were heavily carbonised but as I forgot to take any pictures I have re-photographed the process using one of the bent-ish exhausts from the other head for illustration purposes.

This valve isn't too dirty but carbon can be seen on the back of the valve, stem and some on the face. The valves for my spare head were much worse.However I've already cleaned those without pics so I'll use these for illustration only.

I got this method from a U tube video, it works really well although I'll let you know how the valves fare in use! I recommend looking at the original vid though (no its not mine and I don't get royalties!)
Check out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GEmuQa3dPY

Wrap masking tape around the top of the stem and also just above the stem carbon deposits. Its probably best to wrap the whole stem to protect it but I found this worked fine.

Hold the valve in a pistol hand drill, make sure its straight. Grip on the protective masking tape only.

Running both the driell and a wire brush in a bench grinder angle the valve to allow the brush to remove the carbon

Rotating the valve in the drill as well as the wire brush ensure that the rubbing is even. The method is very effective and very satisfying to see. The carbon just flies off. However you must use a brass wire brush as a steel one will mark the valve.  Avoid any contact at all between the brush and the the polished valve stem.

Clean head by applying valve vertically to the top of the brush

Remove tape- clean back of valve and stem

 This is one of the actual cleaned valves from the spare head itself. It was filthy at the start but has cleaned up in a very satisfactory manner

Net result lovely clean and polished valves, all ready for grinding in (lapping) once I have cleaned up the seats.

The valve is actually better than the pictures suggest because the flash causes a distracting reflection.

I will clean the seats and ports using a small brass wire brush in a Dremmel- a flexible drive should help and I'll put some pictures up when I have tried this job.