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				31/2 Strad heads
				Posted: 28 Sep 2024 07:56
				by 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
			 
			
					
				Re: 31/2 Strad heads
				Posted: 29 Sep 2024 17:29
				by 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?
			 
			
					
				Re: 31/2 Strad heads
				Posted: 29 Sep 2024 17:41
				by 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,
			 
			
					
				Re: 31/2 Strad heads
				Posted: 29 Sep 2024 18:05
				by Steve Brown
				barney 66 wrote: ↑29 Sep 2024 17:41
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?
 
			
					
				Re: 31/2 Strad heads
				Posted: 29 Sep 2024 18:49
				by barney 66
				
			 
			
					
				Re: 31/2 Strad heads
				Posted: 29 Sep 2024 19:36
				by morini_tom
				Are you sure it’s not just an aluminium head gasket still stuck to the head?
			 
			
					
				Re: 31/2 Strad heads
				Posted: 29 Sep 2024 19:51
				by 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
			 
			
					
				Re: 31/2 Strad heads
				Posted: 29 Sep 2024 22:05
				by Steve Brown
				morini_tom wrote: ↑29 Sep 2024 19:36
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.
 
			
					
				Re: 31/2 Strad heads
				Posted: 29 Sep 2024 22:19
				by 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
 
			
					
				Re: 31/2 Strad heads
				Posted: 30 Sep 2024 07:21
				by 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.
			 
			
					
				Re: 31/2 Strad heads
				Posted: 30 Sep 2024 12:33
				by 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
			 
			
					
				Re: 31/2 Strad heads
				Posted: 30 Sep 2024 13:13
				by 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
			 
			
					
				Re: 31/2 Strad heads
				Posted: 30 Sep 2024 15:05
				by 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,
			 
			
					
				Re: 31/2 Strad heads
				Posted: 30 Sep 2024 15:26
				by 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!
			 
			
					
				Re: 31/2 Strad heads
				Posted: 30 Sep 2024 15:48
				by barney 66
				I certainly will,
Thanks again