1983 Eclat Excel - BRS 500Y

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Mart1n95
Junior Poster
Posts: 37
Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2025 14:15
Model: Eclat Excel
Colour: Black (mostly)
Year: 1983

Re: 1983 Eclat Excel - BRS 500Y

Post by Mart1n95 »

Successful task of removing all the studs on the heads, and got the exhaust manifold off after a bit of coercing. Cut off the bottom nuts, and used a rather nice Teng Tools chisel that split the remaning part of the nut off with ease, so for the remaining top nuts I just chiseled these off. Then lots of whacking with a hammer on wood to get the manifold to release. I wish I had chiseled off all the nuts on the manifold as when it came time to remove them, some had no thread left for putting on a nut, or double nutting. I found great success using the Milwaukee impact gun driving a nut on until the stud starts to rotate tighter, then whizz it off, this worked for all but two, where I had to use a die to thread the unthreaded part of the stud to get a nut on. One came off with the impact gun, the other I had to weld the nut on as it stripped the thread.

Intake studs were mostly okay to come out, a couple needed some convincing with a blowtorch

Got the head stripped down fully with all the valves, springs, spring seats etc removed and each in their own numbered box

Then into the ultrasonic bath for a nice clean so that I can get a good look at the valve seats for damage and cracking, and the good news is they all seem OK!
Image20251010_123119957 by Martin Gunn, on Flickr
Image20251010_142223339 by Martin Gunn, on Flickr
Image20251010_142324577 by Martin Gunn, on Flickr
Image20251010_142328182 by Martin Gunn, on Flickr
Image20251010_142334150 by Martin Gunn, on Flickr
Image20251010_142340390 by Martin Gunn, on Flickr
Image20251010_142343920 by Martin Gunn, on Flickr

Had a check of the exhaust valve guides, number 3 valve guide is a little on the looser side than I'd like, and 7&8 are both too tight which I didnt expect, so I might need to get the guides replaced which is a pain. I suppose I could ream the tighter ones out a bit maybe?

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AndrewWebber
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Model: Elite S1 503, Plus 2, Europa '
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Year: 1979
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Re: 1983 Eclat Excel - BRS 500Y

Post by AndrewWebber »

Had a check of the exhaust valve guides, number 3 valve guide is a little on the looser side than I'd like, and 7&8 are both too tight which I didn't expect, so I might need to get the guides replaced which is a pain. I suppose I could ream the tighter ones out a bit maybe?

Could it be that the valve stems in '7&8' are bent? as you say really strange the guide could be 'tight'

Andy

Mart1n95
Junior Poster
Posts: 37
Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2025 14:15
Model: Eclat Excel
Colour: Black (mostly)
Year: 1983

Re: 1983 Eclat Excel - BRS 500Y

Post by Mart1n95 »

AndrewWebber wrote: Fri Oct 10, 2025 15:55 Had a check of the exhaust valve guides, number 3 valve guide is a little on the looser side than I'd like, and 7&8 are both too tight which I didn't expect, so I might need to get the guides replaced which is a pain. I suppose I could ream the tighter ones out a bit maybe?

Could it be that the valve stems in '7&8' are bent? as you say really strange the guide could be 'tight'

Andy
I used the same valve for every test, valve 1 so the most forward valve on cylinder 1.easures it with the micrometer and I think it was about 7.13mm off the top of my head, but was the same the whole way along including where the retainer would be, never checked for straightness to be fair but it was fine in the rest of them!

But I did notice both 7&8 were tight when I removed the springs etc, had to tap them out a bit so it has to be the guide itself

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