Elbow grease

Getting the head cleaned up requires some serious effort. not just cleaning between all the cooling fins and various tunnels and holes, but getting all traces of the old gaskets off and removing all the carbon from the combustion chambers.
I found that the paint stripper i had been using to remove old paint, was fairly effective at softening old gaskets and the carbon deposits. Kitchen scourers were employed to do the rest, not being abrasive enough to damage anything but effective, if short lived!



It took me 20 minutes to weld up a valve spring compressor in the shape of a g-clamp but with a head that allows access to the valve collets. Once all the valves were out i could inspect them more closely.
Inlet valves were nearly new and oversize stainless items, exhausts are as standard. There was a large amount of wet carbon deposits on a few of the inlet valves so some investigation will be required to find out why.

I need to have some repairs done to the upper crankcase. At some point in the engines life the chain had snapped and smashed 2 of the sprocket cover mounting lugs off. These have M6 threads and i expect it's critical to use them all as the sprocket is offset and has a bearing support mounted on the cover.

I'll cut up some chunks of alloy and see if someone can do a decent job at welding them on.