GB is not OK!

[Greybeard]

Both collets are wrong. The NOS ones are Norton or suchlike. The springs don't look right either. Lucky man being close to C & D. Best spares supplier there is. Did you take the head across with you to show what's needed?

BS, (is it OK to address you as BS?) The picture of those collets is from an ebay seller; not C&D. The chap I spoke to at C&D instantly understood where I was coming from and assured me that he has the correct collets. 

[Greybeard]

Thanks Musky , I thought it may be a red herring but I got it into my head about 4am and I felt I had to put it forward

Roger, I'm feeling pretty guilty if you are losing sleep over my problems!

[muskrat]

G'day GB.
I'm not sure the fat lady is singing yet, maybe just warming up.
Good idea to take a spring with you as I think you need a thinner wire and or less coils. Pick up a lotto ticket on the way as you are very lucky not to have dropped a valve using those SR collets.
Great to see your getting there.
Lucky John is across the ditch in Ireland.
Cheers

[berger]

i have not been to the pub, wow super pocket rocket collets can't get my breath. what an episode all must end well

[Greybeard]

I've been measuring how far the valves protrude into the combustion chambers when open, (no springs) with these incorrect collets. Both Inlet and Exhaust show about 1/32" only. The pistons do not come right to the top of the bores, plus, the pistons have small crescent-shaped cutouts beneath where the valve edge would be, plus, there is the thickness of the gasket. There is no way at the moment that the valves could touch pistons! So, that's ruled that worry out.

I'm almost certain that these dratted collets are to blame!

[Greybeard]

GB, Have you ruled out valves touching pistons?

Yes, Roger, I have now.

Come on Wifey, I need that car to get some new collets! C&D's is too far for me to use the bicycle!

[chaterlea25]

Hi All,

Lucky John is across the ditch in Ireland.

Gb Count yourself VERY LUCKY that the valves did not drop in to say hello to the cylinders/pistons 

It never ceases to amaze me what actually stays together and runs ok (ish) 

Todays problem for me on the HD J engine is that there is no free play on the side exhaust valves
It has new valves, tappets and adjusters,
It looks like I need to shorten the valve stems and tappet adjuster threaded end then thin the locknuts as well 

John

[Greybeard]

Gb Count yourself VERY LUCKY that the valves did not drop in to say hello to the cylinders/pistons 
It never ceases to amaze me what actually stays together and runs ok (ish) 

The collets seem to grip the valve fine. There is an annular bulge on the inner face of the collet that engages with the top of the cutout on the valve stem. Could the valve really have disengaged itself? Do you think the wrong collets have caused, (or contributed to) the destruction of the camshaft? The valve guides do not show signs of hammering on their ends.

[Greybeard]

Todays problem for me on the HD J engine is that there is no free play on the side exhaust valves
It has new valves, tappets and adjusters,
It looks like I need to shorten the valve stems and tappet adjuster threaded end then thin the locknuts as well 

I guess HD here means Harley Davidson. Sorry, I know nothing about those machines. Is there a nice friendly forum, like this for HD's?

[Butch (cb)]

http://www.harleytechtalk.com/

[duTch]

 Good you've found a likely culprit, but as Musko says 'The Fat Lady.....'.   It's hard to tell for sure if those are SR collets, as there are others with same profile that are a bit smaller, like the ones I had until I realised they and my caps and springs were all wrong- SR collets are significantly larger...but none of that matters for now
  I was going to ask if you'd changed any thing in the valve gear on your earlier rebuild, but kind of assumed that all would have been as standard due to your long ownership- maybe a PO changed it ?
 
 As suggested, I'm sure you'll take the whole shebang with you to C&D's- if not already back...in the missusGBmobile

 Off topic, but Good luck with the HD John- is that the Cannonball one?
 

Todays problem for me on the HD J engine is that there is no free play on the side exhaust valves
It has new valves, tappets and adjusters,

 Could that be from many re-cuts ?

[Greybeard]

In my rush to get to C&D's before they shut, I forgot to take the head with me. However, I think all will be well. Here are pictures of the new collets.

Picked up a complete set of valve springs while I was there.

If I can slip out to the shed this evening I'll get as much done as I can.

L8rs!

[RoyC]

In my rush to get to C&D's before they shut, I forgot to take the head with me. However, I think all will be well. Here are pictures of the new collets.

Picked up a complete set of valve springs while I was there.

If I can slip out to the shed this evening I'll get as much done as I can.

L8rs!

That looks more like it GB. 

[chaterlea25]

Hi GB,
The collets valve cap and valve stem should assemble into a solid chunk of metal
The inner collet groove should fit the valve stem reduced portion exactly
The taper should grip the valve spring cap without any "rock" sideways

Sorry for polluting this thread with the HD issues
It would seem that suppliers produce one set of spares to cover lots of years when there were probably several changes during production ??
Yes the valve seats have been recut but not excessively
Time is getting tight to get it sorted before shipping to USA during the 3rd week of July 
If I had my time over I would probably have kicked this thing to touch, 's with every
part I go near
I could probably fill twenty something pages on a forum if I had time to write it all up  LOL

Give me a BSA any day
John

[duTch]

 Yeah, what Roy said- looks much better, hope it does the trick- probably a bit late to find a machine shop to grind the groove higher if need be...hopefully not.

  John- there'll be heaps easier spares when you make it over there