31/2 Strad heads

[barney 66]

Morning All,
just working on morini This möring and just took valves out of heads to clean up and noticed they are different one is completely flush with gasket face other is roughly 1mm recessed obviously this will affect compression so which one is correct ?, should I skim the other one off or look for another head, also how much clearance is there before the valves hit?

Thanks Chris

[Steve Brown]

Before you go skimming things check the valve seat hasn't recessed into the head. It happened to one of mine but that was not an original factory seat. The seat had worked loose in the alloy and the hammering had recessed it back in. Maybe yours had a seat replaced some time?

[barney 66]

Thanks for the reply, seats are fine its is the actual dome in the head that is recessed in, the other head is completely flush and the valves protrude slightly like picture of other heads i’ve seen, i’m trying to decide if the head is off something else ?
I presume both heads should be the same shouldn’t they ?
this will be holding me up soon
Thanks for replying,

[Steve Brown]

Thanks for the reply, seats are fine its is the actual dome in the head that is recessed in, the other head is completely flush and the valves protrude slightly like picture of other heads i’ve seen, i’m trying to decide if the head is off something else ?
I presume both heads should be the same shouldn’t they ?
this will be holding me up soon
Thanks for replying,

Yes, they should both be the same! There should be no dome in the cylinder head-that sounds really odd! Can you post pics of it?
Or, complete guess, is there an old alloy head gasket stuck to the head? I imagine that would be obvious though, and the head still flat. Is the piston the same as the other one?

[barney 66]

Thanks again for reply, can’t believe I didn’t put pics up thought I had any I will do them now sorry I haven’t quite explained this properly it’s not a dome but a recess, pictures are not great angle but you should see the carboon the recess of the one the other is flat
Thanks again

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[morini_tom]

Are you sure it’s not just an aluminium head gasket still stuck to the head?

[barney 66]

Im 99% certain it’s not, BUT, you have both mentioned this so I need to take another look tomorrow as you have now made me doubt myself, I have a nasty feeling I’m going feel an idiot by this

Thanks anyway, will let you know either way Tomorrow morning

[Steve Brown]

Are you sure it’s not just an aluminium head gasket still stuck to the head?

I think that's exactly what we're looking at! You can see the 3 Bond between the joints too, sorry Barney I'm not trying to be sarcastic but I'm just wired that way.
I am 100% convinced that is an alloy head gasket bonded to the head. I was secretly hoping you'd discovered the fabled low comp trial special heads from the works comp department. Bugger.

[barney 66]

I hope your both right on this even if it makes me look a fool, at least I can get on with it, That’s what forums are for isn’t it ? helping each other out and taking the p##s
Thanks barney

[MickeyMoto]

However, if you look at ghe two heads, ignoring the gasket, is not one valve seat 1mm lower in the head than the other head? The one with what looks like a crack in the seat.

[barney 66]

Right, update on this, as you were probably expecting you were both right, had I examined my own pictures and looked properly at the head it was then clear to see it was an aluminium gasket stuck to the head, Thanks you both for pointing this out.

As for the crack I have just rushed into my garage and got it under my magnifying light and it must have been a bit of carbon or something that made it look like a crack as it’s no longer there having wiped around the seats with a brake cleaner soaked rag,I have looked at the picture and identified the spot and gone over it 3 times now and there is definitely no signs of a crack,
again Thanks for highlighting what looked like a potential problem

Thanks all for your much appreciated input

[morini_tom]

Fabulous news on both fronts.

This is an excellent example of why the forum, and the club are such an asset- collective experiences are invaluable, and hopefully have saved you some worry (not to mention cash!)

Good luck getting the strada back together, and hopefully see you out and about on it at some point

Tom

[barney 66]

You are right there Tom, hopefully by the weekend be back together.

The short time I have been on here this forum and the people on it have been really helpful, hopefully I can return the favour one day with something I’ve had experience of.

There is one thing actually,my bit of advice, study your own pictures before you post them 2 mistakes Ist mistake 3 pictures are the same and 2nd didn’t study what the picture showed

Is there a morini owners stand at Stafford next month ?

Thanks again to all that replied,

[morini_tom]

Yes, the club will be at Stafford show 12/13 October.

We will be downstairs in Prestwood I believe. Come and say hi!

[barney 66]

I certainly will,
Thanks again