1) The temperature had to be close to the top end of suggested range before spindles would go in. 380 degrees F.
I heated in stages. 200 degrees from cold oven (and wait half hour after temp reached) , then 300 degrees (then wait half hour) then 380.
At 380 I waited at least 45 minutes after oven read 380 degrees as the head is a huge mass to heat up.
2) Do not lubricate very much as the oil creates a lot of smoke when you pull the head out of oven to work on.
I had permission to use our home oven as the head was clean.
Just oil on the valve stems before assembling them. Do not put lube on spindles before inserting them because if you don't get all spindles
done on the try (my case) you will need to reheat and thus cause lots of smoke. You can lube spindles after all are in as follows.
Let head cool down, tip head on its side and with an oil can drip oil into two of the spindle holes and fill them,
then clean well and put the spindle hole covers on with gaskets and traces of sealant. Same for other side.
( I will also be pressure force oil filling my dry engine with oil before startup).
3) Two of my spindles had been rotating when I took them out. This is bad as oil supply to rocker shaft can be cut off. The factory spindle covers to stop them rotating are minimally effective. I bought beautifully machined spindle covers from Norton Holland works. They have good projections to lock the rocker spindles from rotating.
4) Thanks to forum members' suggestions, I put washer, rocker and Thackery into each position before heating head. No oil here or they might slip down in the heat.
(I learned this the hard way) . Do have the split end of the Thackeray visible because if it does slip out of position, it is easy to compress the end and push it all back into place
5) I eased the ends of the rocker spindles to about 45 degrees with my Dremel. This means that when I pushed the spindle in, if the washers etc were not perfectly positioned, they would be caught by this 45 degree bevel and pushed into placed as the spindle was knocked in. The bevel face is perhaps 2mm. It worked. I felt resistance as it hit the washers and with a little hammer knock, it aligned the washers
6) I have new spindles and I filed (on the side of the oil hole) one side of the notched end that does not go in first. I did this so I can see the shine filed part after installing it and know that the oil hole is oriented to out of engine. On these new spindles, one cannot put a wire in to probe that the oil hole faces out because the internal bore narrows too much to get a wire with a bend into.
7) By the third spindle insert and two reheats, I learned how to do it next time. Orient the spindle with oil hole pointing out. Knock the spindle in all the way as this means all the washers are in proper place. Then using the puller tool, pull spindle out about 1/4 inch, put a pair of pliers on the spindle and twist it so it is oriented properly. Knock it back in and check bolt hole alignment. I knocked mine in flush with the head as the Norton Holland machined spindle covers have good projections even when a gasket is used.
8) After all cools down, you can fill the spindle shafts with oil (as in 2) and also dribble oil all over the rockers and washers for startup. Best to do dribbling after the head is back on engine or it will keep draining out of bottom of head just as you are putting head back on cylinders with a clean gasket.
Thanks again to the forum.
Dennis
Vancouver
I heated in stages. 200 degrees from cold oven (and wait half hour after temp reached) , then 300 degrees (then wait half hour) then 380.
At 380 I waited at least 45 minutes after oven read 380 degrees as the head is a huge mass to heat up.
2) Do not lubricate very much as the oil creates a lot of smoke when you pull the head out of oven to work on.
I had permission to use our home oven as the head was clean.
Just oil on the valve stems before assembling them. Do not put lube on spindles before inserting them because if you don't get all spindles
done on the try (my case) you will need to reheat and thus cause lots of smoke. You can lube spindles after all are in as follows.
Let head cool down, tip head on its side and with an oil can drip oil into two of the spindle holes and fill them,
then clean well and put the spindle hole covers on with gaskets and traces of sealant. Same for other side.
( I will also be pressure force oil filling my dry engine with oil before startup).
3) Two of my spindles had been rotating when I took them out. This is bad as oil supply to rocker shaft can be cut off. The factory spindle covers to stop them rotating are minimally effective. I bought beautifully machined spindle covers from Norton Holland works. They have good projections to lock the rocker spindles from rotating.
4) Thanks to forum members' suggestions, I put washer, rocker and Thackery into each position before heating head. No oil here or they might slip down in the heat.
(I learned this the hard way) . Do have the split end of the Thackeray visible because if it does slip out of position, it is easy to compress the end and push it all back into place
5) I eased the ends of the rocker spindles to about 45 degrees with my Dremel. This means that when I pushed the spindle in, if the washers etc were not perfectly positioned, they would be caught by this 45 degree bevel and pushed into placed as the spindle was knocked in. The bevel face is perhaps 2mm. It worked. I felt resistance as it hit the washers and with a little hammer knock, it aligned the washers
6) I have new spindles and I filed (on the side of the oil hole) one side of the notched end that does not go in first. I did this so I can see the shine filed part after installing it and know that the oil hole is oriented to out of engine. On these new spindles, one cannot put a wire in to probe that the oil hole faces out because the internal bore narrows too much to get a wire with a bend into.
7) By the third spindle insert and two reheats, I learned how to do it next time. Orient the spindle with oil hole pointing out. Knock the spindle in all the way as this means all the washers are in proper place. Then using the puller tool, pull spindle out about 1/4 inch, put a pair of pliers on the spindle and twist it so it is oriented properly. Knock it back in and check bolt hole alignment. I knocked mine in flush with the head as the Norton Holland machined spindle covers have good projections even when a gasket is used.
8) After all cools down, you can fill the spindle shafts with oil (as in 2) and also dribble oil all over the rockers and washers for startup. Best to do dribbling after the head is back on engine or it will keep draining out of bottom of head just as you are putting head back on cylinders with a clean gasket.
Thanks again to the forum.
Dennis
Vancouver
