Elephant food adjuster install (gggGaryized edition)

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Y'all know; madness has been getting a head refurb. Elephant adjusters on the list. the rocker arms need to be chamfered so the VW adjusters will have enough room to fit the XS valve geometry.
When the chamfer tools I had wouldn't TOUCH that rocker arm steel and dremel grinding and even diamond bits weren't much better, came up with this hack.
This might not be in the lathe operators handbook ;) :rolleyes: :yikes:
I'm sure my shop teacher is rolling in his grave.
Comparing a typical adjuster setting to the elephant backed off into the recess.
KIMG1970.JPG
ground off the "decompression tangs" while the rockers were out of the cover.
KIMG1968_01_BURST1011968_COVER.JPG
cleaned up the valve "tulips" too.
XS650 valve heads cleaned up.jpg
been measuring valve stem and guide tolerance. Waiting for some (more) measuring equipment then will dive into the replacing a guide rabbit hole.
Checked about a dozen valve stems. The short version; stems don't wear much in normal use ~8 Millimeter (0.31496") intakes staying at .314140" - .0001 or 2 exhausts .314135 -.0002 or 3 (typically at the head end). the guides end up getting a "vase shape" slightly larger at the ends especially the head end. I think this is mainly from carbon and other contaminates grinding away. My take; a down and dirty "wobble" measure done like this;
The set up; the back of the head with any stud guides removed so it sits flat on a steel surface. a piece of 1/8" stock under the valve end raises the valve off the seat enough to allow the indicator stem to sit against the valve head lip.
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Note that I unscrewed the ball end from the indicator tip, the now flat end helps keep a steady reading as a small screw driver push and releases the valve head against it.
KIMG1934.JPG

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A deflection of not more than say .006" will be less than the factory wear limit spec of (.1mm or .004" as measured directly between valve stem and guide) will give a go no go valve/guide use decision.
KIMG1971.JPG

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I was kinda thinking along these lines.
hmm wonder how hard it is to braze sintered carbide. ( see what i did there?)

edit; dum bass just realized I have piles of carbide tipped masonry bits in larger sizes. Bit of diamond grinding and bob's my uncle.
 
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I am at this exact stage for the elephant foot conversion (grinding the rocker arms)

Was thinking of using the mini mill and carbide burs.

The thought was that I could better control the depth consistency across all 4 rockers with the z axis DRO (than by hand with a die grinder or in the drill press).

Any thoughts? I like Gary’s method but would like to keep all my fingers.
 
Just curious, how does this work out for engine assembly with a stock 360 crank and cam? Both engines I have done this to (one in the bike and the other a spare) are 277's and with them there is one specific spot in the rotation where there is enough clearance to put it together without compressing a valve spring. Maybe with a 360 you would need to go deeper???
 
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