Well - it's a good thing I didn't just go and blow a wad of cash on parts....
Because I found the other head that I completely forgot I had tucked away!
I was taking the time to have a partial "audit" of JAPton spares because I though I might have a spare set of valve-stem circlips (see later)
Nice clean spare exhaust valve from Head 2 (that I bought at Beaulieau a couple of years ago),
I dug out the old 11/32" reamer that I knew I had, and fineagled a tap handle onto it to check the exhaust guide
The Guru, when I spoke to him yesterday, said that the guides tend to blunt reamers for fun, and I think that's happened to this one. The guide resolutely refused to be thoroughly reamed (phnarr), so I'm going to wait for the new reamer to turn up.
As an aside... aren't these cute?
(they're modern repro tat, obviously, but they're fun)
I picked them up from a Retro-Vintage shop in Chichester a few years ago...
they're very handy!
It then occurred to me that I also had a pair of valve guides that might be worth checking out... so I dug out the box of drifts
and belted out the current one
Gungy valve-stem-feed passage
Soon cleared!
I then belted the exhaust guide out of the "spare" head
"Spare" on left, "current" on right
I then ALSO remembered that I had a guide and valve on the "Offerings to the God of Speed" shelf, so I got them back down to have a comparison session.
Interestingly, the guide that was on the "knackered" shelf (the small one on the right) is, I think, slightly tighter on the "spare" exhaust valve stem than the one I pulled out of the spare head! That does make a certain amount of logical sense, because I know that head 2 is very very tired (the valve seats are deeply pocketed and need to be replaced.
The observant among you will note that there are 4 valves there....
I found another one in the tin, it's older, and I think it came from my Dad's supply. I think it's
ever so slightly bent, which may make it defunct, and the end of the stem is battered to hell, so it won't go into any of the guides. I will likely tidy up the top end just to see if it's usable or not, if not it'll just go up on the Offerings shelf along with the others.
I now just need to wait for the reamer to turn up so that I can see if the "tight" guide can be opened up again to be usable, and if not, then make a decision about which one to use. I don't mind having one that's a tad on the loose side, because, if it oils up again, there's a bit more play to allow for it.
I also was advised by the Guru that it's a nice idea to have a clear tube feeding the oil to the head, so you can check the oil is getting up there sufficiently. I think this might be a good idea because it's nigh on impossible with the Pilgrim to see exactly how much is getting up there, and I definitely think I have over-oiled the head. So I dug around to see if I have any suitably sized banjo bolts. Nada. Quite a lot of metric ones though... hhmmm I wonder if could just drill a couple of them out....might be worth a try. Otherwise there's a Kempton event on the 5th December (if I can wake up in time...), or get a couple from Speedways, I need to buy a couple of valve-stem-circlips from them anyway (will probably buy a handful, they do tend to get bent when being removed). I've got a fair bit of odds-and-sods clear tube, and it doesn't need to be particularly strong because it's relatively low-pressure. Apparently you can see the oil travelling up in "lumps" (sic) about an inch long, with a half-inch bubble of air between them! Looking forward to seeing that!
But right now, it's friggin freezing out here, I need a beer.
