top-end overhaul (pt2!!)

[mikey14sr]

Just spent another two hours doing a good job of lapping the valves in. Surprisingly they were in pretty good condition to start with, leading me to think that this head has maybe had some work done before. I only had to use fine grinding paste to obtain a 3mm band of clean material on every valve and seat, so hopefully this will ensure no leaking valves unlike the head I put on in december. Forgot to charge the camera battries again so no pics still, I'll have to leave a note next to the head for when I get the new gasket set, as i haven't put the valves back in due to not having any new stem seals spare.

I think I may have a pin-hole leak in the thermostat housing where the top hose sits, Think I might have to drill it out and get some chemical metal on it, or I might just see if it leaks when it's all back together!

Really all thats left to do is fit the stem seals and put the valves back in, then make sure I've got the right gaskets and the attack will commence!!

I was thinking of cleaning up and painting the spare cam carrier this week, But I'm not sure if I should be swapping a freshly run-in cam into a carrier that had a very worn cam in it? Any advice on this would be welcome.

[mikey14sr]

Finally got the gasket set today:D . Started off sticking the valves back in, then decided to attack the car!
Couldn't see any damage to the bores (still got some honing marks on them!), the valves on the temp head look ok too, I'll have to pop them out I think.
Spent a little time screwing the inlet manifold studs into the head I've been working on properly, I hate it when they only half go in.
Bolted the inlet to the head while I had it in the garage, it is so much easier to do it off the car, my back certainly doesn't feel as bad as it would have!
As I write this the current situation is head and cam box back on, tightened down (40lb/ft/90deg/90deg/75lb/ft), carb reconnected, dizzy refitted, belts on. All thats left to do is get some bolts for the exhaust manifold (the studs were all knackered) and get that back on, a slug of anti-freeze and a new jubilee clip for the top hose ( ), and she'll be up and running again.

Oh and here are some of the pics I promised!

[Adam]

Hold that camera still

Sounds like good work

[mikey14sr]

Woah, super-size my pics! Think I'll resize them later. The camera I use is about three years old, just a basic kodak thing with hardly any features on it, that must be the 5000th pic I've taken thats ended up blurred, will have to sort out the button as it takes a good press to make it take the pic.


Edit, pic size sorted.

[mikey14sr]

All back together and running now. Checked the compression after running it until the fan came on, all cylinders at 170psi, but it's still running stupidly rough unless I give it either a touch of throttle or choke.
Can't afford to take it back to Boggs at the moment, so can anyone think of anything I could try to get it running smoother?

[dan23]

er a rough guess use some redex in it then after that try tweaking the mixture screw a little

[Welsh Dan]

If it needs choke then is it running a little lean?

[Ash]

if it gets hot quick then it will be running lean