Overhauling TO20

I am goan to start my engine overhaul this weekend, this is my first overhaul I have the Dealer Shop Manual. And The comprehinsive overhaul kit, are there any tips or certain steps I should not forget. What I don't understand is the Valve inserts.

It is a personal decision, often based upon your ability, tooling and equipment you have available, but I would suggest you have the head overhauled at a automotive machine shop.

They will crack test, check the head for warp, replace the valve guides and machine the valves and seats to the correct angles etc.

No idea on the cost in the USA but in Australia the above work is very reasonably priced, usually less than US$150 plus materials.

You are talking about what many people call valve seats. Best left too a good machine shop. When I saw valve inserts I first thought of valve spring inserts which sets installed height of valve spring. Nothing more than proper sized washer usually in .015, .030 and larger sizes.

If you already don't have one get a digital camera and take lots of pictures. It took me several months to do the entire tractor but the pictures I took of the individual parts as I took them off were real life savers when it came time to put it all back together. Good luck, Jack

Let the machine shop do the head work.
You can do the sleeves (be careful with the rubber O-rings on the sleeves.
On my first fergy (age 16 plus supervision)
I went to the dollar store and bought a BUNCH of boxes of cheap ziplock bags and a sharpie (felt tip marker)
I labeled EVERYTHING and placed them in order on two LONG tables I made from plywood and horses.
I was very surprised how neat and EASY the assembly went.
I sure do miss my supervisor thought..........
P.S. Get ya clean empty 5 gallon bucket, and a five on clean gas. put an inch or so in the bottom of the clean one. Works nicely as a parts cleaner and keeps the "splash" to a minimum.
You'll be fine.
Puttin' her back together with everything clean is like puttin' a model car kit together when you were a kid. Just as exciting.
God bless-----Mark

Do as Mark suggests and bag and tag everything. Read the shop manual thru and thru before you tear down, there are many nice tips in there. Use a punch to make a punch mark on your crank bearings and block so you can re-assemble them in the exact same orientation when you re-install. Valve inserts, I assume you mean valve guides? If yes, they are pressed into the head, the manual says to use the new insert as a mandrel, you basically press the old guide out using the new guide, as the new guide is pressed in. If you are talking valve seats, that is trickier, if you have to ask, take the head to a machine shop. You may not NEED new seats, my recollection is only the exhaust valves have seats, the intake valves seat on the block metal itself.

A machine shop charged me $80 to press in new guides, clean the head, paint the head, check for cracks & warp, and polish/grnd the valve seats. I had already tore down the valve springs, etc. That is a good deal in my book.

You may not NEED every single part in the comprehensive rebuild kit. Only use what you need. For example, my piston rod bushings were within tolerence, so I did not press out the bushings, press and ream the new bushing that came with the rebuild kit.

Use re-assembly lube or grease when re-assmbling the crank etc. Also use Plasti-Gauge to check your crank bearing tolerence per the manual.

George

Be sure to note what direction the squirt holes in the connecting rods are aimed. Toward or away from the cam?

Thanks for the advice I will let you all know how it turns out?