How do you clean valves when rebuilding a head?

[SandyEggoE30Girl]

The black mess is better known as CARBON.
If your "rebuilding" a head, you need to take the whole head apart. Then heat tank the steel parts, and carb clean the aluminum head. After that check head for any cracks, surface if needed, replace guides, and the seats if needed. Clean valves with a steel or brass brush, and give the head and valves a three angle cut.
Personally if you have never worked in a machine shop, and do not know how to clean valves, it is better left to a shop that knows what it is doing.

[CorvallisBMW]

carb cleaner+brass brush

[bmwpower]

umm, buy new ones?

or use a buffer wheel.

three angle valve job too!

Yea, haven't priced new ones. I would guess they're not cheap.

Buffer wheel might do it as long as it doesn't take any metal with it.

[86espowa]

umm, buy new ones?

or use a buffer wheel.

three angle valve job too!

[bmwpower]

You've seen the black mess hardended on pulled heads...how do you clean this crap off?