This new-to-me 1975 runs great and has good power and feels like a happy engine but I have white smoke on lift off. I’m thinking valve guides so was hoping to get an education on what I am in for on fixing it on a Type 4.

Thanks!

Not sure what to say other than bring $$.

Not really an easy DIY fix. Guide are cheap enough. But . . . . here's a rough overview.

Need to disassemble all valves, drill out valve guide a bit to relieve tension on it (they are shrink fit), heat head, press out out or drive out with pneumatic hammer and and dowel road guide to keep from having anything slip and buggering the head.

Install - again heat head and more custom driving tools. Then need to ream the valve guide (more special tools) to account to any distortion induced within the guide bore by installation process.

While you're this far in you might as well do a valve job. Again more expensive tools, valve seat grinding not well suited to DIY. Best done professionally by someone that does lot's of heads.

Then you get to shim and set up all valve gear again.

So after all that, Len's new heads look a bargain. I have a set of 2.0L heads that someday will get rebuilt, but honestly after looking at HAM pricing, it just made sense to get a set of his.

Thank you for the detailed and thoughtful overview, very much appreciated.

Sounds like time for a whole top end refresh....

Yes. Take it to a shop that works on air cooled heads. The guides are repkaced with the next OD size up each time they are replaced. If it is a 2.0 replace the seats as they tend to drop seats.