Flaminia engine rebuild

[lancianut666]

Hi Frank
I notice your road masters are different diameters? I wonder which one I have.
Clarkey

[frankxhv773t]

It's the lengths that differ not the diameter. Overall lengths are just under 25 cm for the short horn and just under 30 cm for the long one.

[lancianut666]

Hi all
It was lawn cutting time yesterday but the mower would only start and then conk out but a bit of float chamber maintenance and it was going better than ever. Today I set too getting a handle on the valve guide clearances. The method is to stick a ballgauge into the valve guide and get a measurement of the diameter of the guide using a micrometer. This is repeated up the length of the guide to give an overall picture of the state of the bore of the guide. We know the size of the valve stems (I measured them to be sure ) and are given assembly clearances and wear limits in the workshop manual. My interpretation is all the guides are with in the specs and the valves and combustion chambers can be cleaned and the valves lapped in. I will check these readings again and do the other head as I am suspicious of easy wins on this engine.
Cautious Clarkey

[lancianut666]

Hi all.
Me and my mate Terry had a little trip to Derby yesterday as a welding stand with wheels had become available, it dismantled so the Suzuki was pressed into service and about 6 hours later I was bolting the stand together. It needs a strut fabricating but should do the job when the Appia is getting it's new sills and floorpans.
Clarkey

[lancianut666]

Hi all
Had a good session on the cylinder head today as I measured all the valve guide gaps and they are pretty much the same as the other head so on with cleaning the head up and lapping the valves in. The very expensive boot for the gear linkage has arrived and it looks like the wrong one!
Clarkey

[lancianut666]

Just to let everyone know I haven't lapped any valves in yet the seats have just had a light sanding and a clean out of the valve port with a rotary wire brush kept well away from the aluminium part of the head.

[frankxhv773t]

I can relate to the problem as I was very nearly misled by that one as well. I think that seal is the dust seal for the flex coupling flange in the propellor shaft so it will be useful. Omicron list the right one as "Gear Change Boot".

As my original gear selector shaft seal was as hard as rock I decided to replace the input shaft vibration damper as well on the basis that it won't be in the first flush of youth either.

[lancianut666]

Hi all
Had a productive day on the head and valves and will be ready to lap the valves in when I get a new stick thing (I have the two pastes but it is a long time since I used them so will check tomorrow) I also need a tap for the spark plug holes as one thread has a cracking ding in it meaning I will probably have to tap from inside the combustion chamber. I got the advice of the mechanic next door and he was well impressed with the valves!
Clarkey

[lancianut666]

Hi all
I have misplaced my trusty Sony compact digital camera that let me shoot at 0.2M and it's replacement is gorging at around 1M per shot at it's lowest setting. This means I only dare risk 3 shots at a time or the dreaded YOU HAVE EXCEEDED THE LIMIT message in red will come on and you have lost your post.
So some more valve and  cylinder head shots.
Clarkey

[Dave Gee]

 
 Regarding the   heads if the threads are any were near suspect I would put a timesert in the thread

  Dave
 

 

[lancianut666]

Thanks Dave I'll check the other head when I do it. The damaged one looks as if something has fallen into the spark plug hole and caught a section of the first thread pushing it down for a few millimetres.
Clarkey

[frankxhv773t]

I have a similar problem with pictures so have to resize them in microsoft photos before posting them. It is a bit of a pain.

[lancianut666]

HI all
More trouble at mill as the inlet manifold studs don't want to screw back into the head but only the middle two. When I tried to screw a 8 x1.25 metric bolt in it just got chewed up presumably by the helicoil? I gave in and the head is at the machine shop as the man thinks the hole for the helicoil is not right and is nipping the helicoil and hence the bolt. The theory is drill out the helicoils and replace them...fingers crossed. Luckily the other head has the studs already in.
Clarkey

[lancianut666]

Update
Both heads now have the 4 inlet manifold studs in with matching nuts. I am now cleaning all the old carbon and burnt oil out of the inlet and exhaust ports.

[lancianut666]

Hi all
More progress on one head as all the valves are lapped in and the head has had a good clean. Slight problem as the oilways to the rocker pillars seems blocked on two of the pillars which backs up my suspicions as the rocker shafts looked as if they had been running dry. Had a go with the stick and the paste but it was taking forever so invested £40 in a Gunson reciprocating gizmo that fits in an electric drill. The pictures of the head show that oil is not draining out of the chamber under where the rocker pillars mount but do for the first one. Hmmm there are two screws on the head at each end of where the oilway will be so I might have to persuade them to come out to play tomorrow.
Clarkey