Vintage Valve Grinder

Ryan · Nov 30, 2016

Found object on Craigslist in mint condition! Works swell too!...

To read the rest of this blog entry from The Garage Journal, click here.

454ragtop · Nov 30, 2016

Love the factory cabinet base. Believe Van Dorn was eventually acquired by Black and Decker. Do you have the jig to chamfer the ends of the valve stems?

txvwnut · Nov 30, 2016

It sure does look similar to a Black&Decker one I had twenty five years ago.

Does it have a coolant pump or is it set for dry grinding?

FJ 432 · Nov 30, 2016

Love the cabinet!

Two Door · Nov 30, 2016

I saw a valve resurfacer much like that forty years ago at Godfredson Pontiac in San Marcos, Texas......

Ryan · Nov 30, 2016

454ragtop said:
Love the factory cabinet base. Believe Van Dorn was eventually acquired by Black and Decker. Do you have the jig to chamfer the ends of the valve stems?

Yes sir.

txvwnut said:
It sure does look similar to a Black&Decker one I had twenty five years ago.

Does it have a coolant pump or is it set for dry grinding?

Dry grinding...

rsanter · Nov 30, 2016

I'm using an old Sioux 680 that I have had for many years.
I have also had several of the old B&D units as well as an older Sioux as well.

Just used it a few weeks ago to build a couple sets of heads

Bob

oberst · Nov 30, 2016

That bent drawer front is just damn cool....

And I approve of the ambient music. I like to think that VanDorn would, also!

Hang onto that beauty. It's got another hundred years of life left, easy.

Mintgrun · Nov 30, 2016

I have an ancient seat grinding tool, which would go nicely with that.
A while back I saw a tool for setting the angles and truing up the grinding wheels, but it took me too long to figure out what it was for and I did not buy it. I regret that now.

Oregon rock crusher · Nov 30, 2016

Here are a couple pics of a Black & Decker version of the valve grinder, probably several years newer than your Van Dorn. Like others have said I sure do like that cabinet base you have for yours. This one has a coolant reservoir and pump and came with a ton of tooling. Ed.

Roberts210 · Dec 1, 2016

Ahhhh... the good old days. When Black and Decker made quality tools instead of cheap junk.

gungatim · Dec 1, 2016

oooh, another valve grinder thread!

here's mine. I don't have the diamond point for truing the wheels but so far it had done dozens of small engine valves and one V6 Taurus...when I first got it it was missing the collet (I thought) and I almost scrapped it. then I started cleaning it and found the collet sitting in the oil pump drawer.

wish I had the vinyl cover like the photo!!!

Edis · Dec 1, 2016

I bought this one a couple of years ago for about 40$ on an auction here in Sweden. The owner of a local tractor workshop retired so he sold most of his stuff:

Was a machine under the dirt

I changed the long leather "wire" and got it to work, but a valve will not center correctly, so I´m looking for a new collet. I have found a couple from other models, but they are expensive, so I have not bought any yet as I don´t know it they fit. I would also like to buy some extra stones too if I find a collet.

Falcon67 · Dec 1, 2016

Not sure what you paid, but a decent one on racingjunk runs $500~1000 or better.

Dennis Leigh Henry · Dec 2, 2016

Ryan said:
Found object on Craigslist in mint condition! Works swell too!...

To read the rest of this blog entry from The Garage Journal, click here.

Cool machine.. Do you know how to dress the grinding wheel? It looks like it needs it. Its usually done with a diamond tipped dressing tool that somehow chucks up so you get the angle you need on the wheel itself. If you don't do that and run the machine dry (doesn't appear to have wet grinding capability), you stand the chance of grinder burning the valve..

I haven't ground valves on a machine like that since high school auto shop..

Schurkey · Dec 2, 2016

rsanter said:
I'm using an old Sioux 680 that I have had for many years.

I bought a 680 a few years ago. Came with a compressed-air-powered seat grinder, a few pilots, a few stones, two very ratty stone holders, some seat cutters, the cabinet, two stone-dressers but only one had the diamond-point, the fixture for ****-grinding the valve stem, and some miscellaneous ****. Did not come with the fixture for refacing rocker arms.

I had to re-mount the motor for the chuck; clean...everything. Twice. Apparently, the previous owners NEVER cleaned this machine. I made other minor repairs. The valve-holding chuck needed to be re-set on it's threads; it can be assembled four ways and three of them are wrong. I've played with the carriage ways, and the backlash on the handwheel adjustment. And then I cleaned it again.

I bought more pilots, more stones, a concentricity gauge, and a really crappy photocopy of the owner's manual from a guy on eBay that sells a lot of photocopied owner's manuals for various machinery.

At this point, it will hold 0.0005 runout pretty consistently; sometimes better. At the time, I thought the price was very ordinary, even a little high. I bought it because there just wasn't anything else available, and I had a cylinder head project. Wasn't until later I discovered that $650 was a screaming bargain, all things considered.

Fantastic machine, even if there are newer models. I might want the variable-speed chuck from one of the newer machines--but for automotive work I don't really need it. The only thing that it genuinely lacks is the ability to accept modern small-diameter valve stems; although I think I can finesse 5.5 mm stems, there's just no hope of anything smaller fitting the chuck.

Schurkey · Dec 2, 2016

txvwnut said:
Does it have a coolant pump or is it set for dry grinding?

Ryan said:
Dry grinding...

Looks like there is a nozzle for coolant just above the grinding wheel, in the video.

Capt Chrysler · Dec 2, 2016

Kool, I spent a lot of time on a Sioux valve grinder. I think I retaught every young tech we got how to grind valves.

Capt. Chrysler

Dennis Leigh Henry · Dec 2, 2016

Schurkey said:
Looks like there is a nozzle for coolant just above the grinding wheel, in the video.

Good spot.. sort of looks like it.. but the way its set up it certainly wasn't a full flow setup.. Seems like the one we had in high school was full blown coolant flow with a catch tray underneath everything.....

sberry · Dec 3, 2016

At one point had considered it, and then engine work went away. My Bud had a Bud who saved one from a dumpster and it got passed to me for free and somewhere we scored seat tools in the deal. I did a dry grind on 1 valve the other day, just a touch.
We use it once in a while, if I was farting with old engines all the time would certainly consider today to hunt down a bargain sale set.
Allow for fix it now no cost repair. I can do golf carts ad the recent repair was a minor grind to 1 valve, didn't do anything to the rest of it but clean.
I use it so occasionally actually have a cox its covered with and put on a shelf out of the way with the forklift, its great to have,,, out of the way.
The seat stuff is used, a lot of stones though and I been able to make it. The grinder was NIB, sat in a half busted packing crate taking space in my Buds place and finally to me where I was the first one ever used it.

Schurkey · Dec 3, 2016

You're killing me. That's a Sioux 680, just like mine only...perfect.

And missing some parts; I don't see the coolant reservoir or pump.

Hat's off, dude. I'm envious.

Mintgrun · Dec 4, 2016

and that Hall Valve Seat Grinder is like the one I have, based on the box.
thanks for the photos.
Tom

Dennis Leigh Henry · Dec 5, 2016

sberry said:
At one point had considered it, and then engine work went away. My Bud had a Bud who saved one from a dumpster and it got passed to me for free and somewhere we scored seat tools in the deal. I did a dry grind on 1 valve the other day, just a touch.
We use it once in a while, if I was farting with old engines all the time would certainly consider today to hunt down a bargain sale set.
Allow for fix it now no cost repair. I can do golf carts ad the recent repair was a minor grind to 1 valve, didn't do anything to the rest of it but clean.
I use it so occasionally actually have a cox its covered with and put on a shelf out of the way with the forklift, its great to have,,, out of the way.
The seat stuff is used, a lot of stones though and I been able to make it. The grinder was NIB, sat in a half busted packing crate taking space in my Buds place and finally to me where I was the first one ever used it.

That's a beauty....

LegacyIndustrial · Dec 6, 2016

Like to see that thing grind some valves. Hopefully a follow-up video post-restoration is coming!

sberry · Dec 7, 2016

Schurkey said:
You're killing me. That's a Sioux 680, just like mine only...perfect.

And missing some parts; I don't see the coolant reservoir or pump.

Hat's off, dude. I'm envious.

If you were talking to me there is cooling on it, my tech was just zinging a face on 1 that wasn't going to seal, it was the only machine work we did to it. It was in a rusted seized engine we had to take apart to get unstuck. It all looked like it might work but for this little spot in one face.
See how there is interest will take some pics of the Hall when I have it out again.
I only looked in to old tools by accident.

Dmoen · Dec 17, 2018

My $250 score . I picked up an old B&D. Came with a couple boxes. One has a nice blueprint seat grinder. Most of the stones are trash, but there consumables anyway.

The other box is a K.O BRAND setup to cut in seats.

Lastly, there is no cooling built into this that is evident. Was it optional? And does anyone have it? It leaves quite a rough finish on the valves right now even after trueing up the stone. If not I’ll look for a finer stone

Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

sporta · Jun 10, 2019

Hey all,

First time poster and I need some expert help

I have a vintage Black and Decker Standard 550 Vibro-Centric Valve Seat Grinder Type D (ser# 669531) and its accompanying "Van Dorn" Heavy Duty Stone Dressing Stand for Vibro-Centric Valve Seat Grinder Type B (no serial number on it). I am searching for a Stone Dresser to adjust the angles of the seat stones...any help with an original part number or someplace to begin looking for a replacement dresser would be greatly appreciated...I have attached pictures of the old beast and I'll get a better picture of the base later this afternoon. The odd-ball part of the Stone Dresser is that the protruding portion of the stand would be hex shape with external threads behind it...kinda confusing but hopefully the pictures later will help.

Thanks in advance,

Steve

chopperpilot356 · Jun 22, 2022

Hey everyone,
I have acquired a few items that I will be putting to use soon.
One is this vintage Sioux wet valve seat grinding machine . It looked like it had never been cleaned...so...I spent a week cleaning and painting it. I posted some pictures.
The other gem that I found is a Sioux 680 valve grinder. I had to do the same clean-up and paint on it.
Does anyone out there know how to resurface tappets on this machine? Do I need a special attachment? The tappets that I am resurfacing need to have a convex curve on them.
Any information would be helpful.
Thanks,
Chester

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