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I sent the heads for my Convert out to a shop in PA, Longs Mechanical. No website, but google the name of the shop and you will see a lot of terrific feed back from BMW and Guzzi riders alike on various forums. Apparently he is "da bomb" for airheads, as they used to say, and is very familiar with Guzzi as well. Here is the address:Randy LongLong's Mechanical ServicesR.D. 1, Box 685-K74 Risbon RoadHoney Brook PA 19344He cleaned and inspected both heads, reground the valves and lapped them in, installed new guides and removed and helicoiled one exhaust stud. Cost, including shipping was around was 275 USD.
After a piston-to-valve incident I had the heads overhauled on my LM2. I had the guides K-lined rather than new guides as I understand it's a better product and avoids any potential damage to the heads of guide removal plus needing to source the correct guides.
For some reason K-lining is not offered in my area (upper midwest USA). I have asked at a couple of different automotive machine shops and all I get is a blank look and a "never heard of it" answer. As far as I know it was invented in the US. Maybe I have not looked hard enough. It looks like the cats meow for our older iron to me.
I checked with every shop within 75 miles of me and none of them do K-Lines. If done right, there is little chance of damaging the head while removing the guides. "Correct guides" are easy sourced. I've been using those supplied by either MG Cycle or Kibblewhite with excellent results.
Brider, there is a shop in New Haven that'll do great, no shipping needed. I've visited your place in Orange once...Pete Nizen is on Whalley Ave down near Broadway...est 1920 something...usually reworks caterpillar motors...but has a niche with pre ww1 cars...and has worked for many of us Guzziti in the area...rebuilt an entire loop frame motor for Timmy, heads/valves for me and others...3rd generation...lots of fun to watch him spin up a caterpillar crankshaft...30 or more 4-5 foot cranks being reground at any one moment. I asked him if I could work for free...."we get that a lot..."About 2 short blocks further into town from the guzzi dealer, New Haven Powersports on the same side, just behind Rubbermatch Waterbeds....know the area?
Seriously. *I've not done it* but looking at the videos, it is simple ordinary every day machine shop work that could be done by anyone with an IQ higher than one of Pete's shaved apes.political stuff deleted.At any rate, if I needed it done, I'd order a kit and do it. <shrug>
Roper recommends K lines in Guzzi engines , he should know , right ?
Yes. BUT, if nobody around here does them, it's a little bit difficult to have them done, no? I guess I could shell out the $566 for the basic kit and another $106 for the liners and do them myself... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJ8AnUKANpA&feature=youtu.be
The $566 is only the entry fee. I could see investing in the kit and the companion tools to use the kit if I was planning to go into the business, but if I'm in it for a one-off, V $12/ea for new guides? I don't think so.I have to reject Pete's argument for K-lining as it's been presented. Maybe Pete can be more convincing. If the alloy was that dodgy, we'd be seeing porous, cracked heads, pulled spark plug threads, guides and seats falling out of heads, and all the other signs of inferior metallurgy on a constant, regular basis. We don't. With the proper tools and techniques a guide replacement is as uncomplicated as R&R-ing a wrist pin.
Pete what size are the valve stems on the 8 valve engines? K-Line makes a 5mm, 5.5mm and 6 mm kit. DonG