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Guide & Valve Seat Replacement

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n3303j:
The T3 is spread across the NEW (YAY!) workshop. Moved to a new house November 2023. Workshop build finished November 2024. Everything waited over a year. Poor motorcycles.



March 2025 the T3 showed 30% compression leakage on a compression differential test. It hissed at the oil fill hole. So I have rings on order and am cleaning up the machine while awaiting ring delivery.

Cleaned the heads and pulled the valves. Intake valves and seats look excellent at 100K miles. Both exhaust valves and their seats are quite "textured". Seats look fairly worn too. So I'm probably in for valve and seat (maybe guide too) replacement. Surprised they sealed as well as they did.

My question:

Up to now I've always used Memphis Motor Werks (Leo Goff) or Long Custom Mechanical (Randy Long) to do this type of service. Now I notice Memphis no longer lists motorcycle work on their website so they might not be available. Randy Long is very good at what he does so usually has a 6 month waiting list for his services. I'd like the work done sooner if possible.

Who else is doing a reliable job on this type of machine work for our vintage machines?

guzzisteve:
Look for a guy that does V8's, same stuff basically their tooling works. I used a friend w/auto motor rebuilding shop. I found one real close to me here in GA. Hard to find an old school machinist.

n3303j:

--- Quote from: guzzisteve on March 23, 2025, 08:08:29 PM ---Look for a guy that does V8's, same stuff basically their tooling works. I used a friend w/auto motor rebuilding shop. I found one real close to me here in GA. Hard to find an old school machinist.

--- End quote ---

I get concerned about using automotive guys for this service as a number of the BMW /2 fellows (and later Airheads) had problems with heads reworked by car guys. Seems there's some magic in fitting durable components into higher RPM air cooler machines. Cars are cruising around 1,200 RPM now. I often keep it cruising between 3K & 5K RPM.

PeteS:
Can’t help with a name but have used both those guys in the past. Leo must be pushing 90 by now. Never met Randy but he did my BMW heads a few times. Both craftsmen.

Pete

guzzisteve:
Yes, i forgot about the BMV factor here. Trust as you wish.

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