cutting valve keeper grooves

[talon]

Good morning gents

what is good method of cutting valve keeper(locks) grooves in a blank valve - if I need to make a custom fit

thanks
Jim

[jdperform]

put them in a lathe holding on the tip end and using a steady if needed. I use a carbide parting tool to cut e'm.

[SupStk]

A lot depends on the equipment you have.

The lathe I use for cutting keeper grooves is a Colchester with a 3 1/16 spindle hole. It has a Hardenge speed chuck using 2-J collets. I set up dial indicators on the bed and carrage and use a carbide triangle insert to cut.

Can't tell give info on bead-locks since I haven't cut those yet.

[hbps1978]

Chris, do you have the prints for a standard flat groove for a small block chevy valve? I could use this information.

Thank you - Jeff

[steelcomp]

Hi again...this is something I've done a fair amount of as well, and might offer this. If you have a collet set up, that's good, and even better if you can fit the head of the valve thru the chuck, and expose the tip end. If you're using a three-jaw, try and find something like a bronze guide liner to put around the valve to protect it, and again, try and expose the tip end. I'm not sure I'd try it if I had to grab the tip in the chuck, but it might work. Always check run-out. You want the groove to be as concentric as possible, and no deeper than necessary. If Chris has some keeper dimensions, that'll help, but I wouldn't know what to add for depth clearance. Maybe .005-.007"? You can measure the original groove depth with a caliper...that would be close enough. The radii in the corners of the groove are important, too, as this is the weak point, and should be as generous as possible. When I was doing this kind of thing a few years back, I hand-ground a formed cutter out of a carbide lathe bit that copied the groove of a Manley valve . Pretty crude, but it worked.
Just some things to think about. Good luck.