Subject: Valve shim question

[Ron Horowitz <RonHorowitz@domain.elided>]

 Subject: Valve shim question

>    Can valve shims be milled down and used, or do they have to be
purchased
>at the correct size? I think they could easily be lapped down on a piece
of
>plate glass, some 400 grit wet or dry paper, and some WD-40. I am
wondering
>if this process would take off some sort of coating or if the top of them
are
>hardened or something. What is the thoughts of the digest?

If you have access to a surface grinder, you can grind them. They're
hardened, but I suspect the hardening probably goes all the way through. If
you get through a hardened surface layer, you'll know it. The metal will go
from hard as granite to soft as butter (figuratively.)

Unless you've got some real time urgency (i.e., the motor has to go back
together _right_now_) just buy new shims. It' not worth the time and effort
to grind old ones.
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