1983 Eclat Excel - BRS 500Y

[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!
20251010_123119957 by Martin Gunn, on Flickr
20251010_142223339 by Martin Gunn, on Flickr
20251010_142324577 by Martin Gunn, on Flickr
20251010_142328182 by Martin Gunn, on Flickr
20251010_142334150 by Martin Gunn, on Flickr
20251010_142340390 by Martin Gunn, on Flickr
20251010_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?

[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]

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

[Mart1n95]

Hi all! Apologies for the lack of updates, I've been slacking

Will upload some photos later but a quick rundown of whats been happening

Head - Waited a month for a valve seat cutter pilot bit to arrive, ordered the wrong size so waited another month for the correct one to come. Tried cutting the seats and just wasn't happy with the result I was getting and verifying the seat width. So took the decision to send it of to the professionals. So sent the head off to ProRace Engineering, had them give me an opinion on the valve guides as well. They advised tonot only replace the exhaust guides, but also the intake guides as well as they were also quite worn. They supplied the guides at £10 each inc VAT, which is a great price, so all in for 3 angle seats, guide replacement and guides was about £600 including the return postage. Bit of a sickner being close to £1k in the head for the machine work, exhaust valves and gaskets etc but hopefully will all be worth it in the end

Got the cam carriers cleaned up in my ultrasonic bath, made a rookie mistake of not putting in the camshaft before pressing in the seals so have got another set of cam seals on the way
Major struggle getting the spirol pins out the block for the head alignment, obviously the snapped in half and fell to bits, spent a good hour getting the remains of them out with a die bit on the dremel and a small screwdriver

Got the headlights working fully, only one side worked and only when using the flash. Got the faulty side motor limit switch contacts cleaned up, then that side worked on flash and the other didnt!
Remembered seeing something on here about the headlight switch being at fault, so took the dash panel off and sure enough the contacts needed cleaned up. Got it back together and the headlights work as they should!

Got hung up on the gearstick gator, turns out the gator was inside out for some reason, took a good half an hour to figure out how the retaining ring worked and how it should sit but got there in the end

A few months ago I cracked off all the bolts on suspension and brakes to make sure I could get them off, ended up snapping the bleed nipple on the drivers side front brake caliper, even after heating it up to a million degrees with the MAP gas torch. Managed to get the nipple out by welding a nut onto it which I didnt expect to work, but that was a result! Rebuild kit for the front calipers on the way from Big Red with new pistons


Martin

[MetBlue]

Good positive progress there Martin.
Be on the road by summer.

[Mart1n95]

So heres some photos!

Gear stick gator fiasco, and how the ring is supposed to sit for anyone that might be struggling in the future
20260119_121619702 by Martin Gunn, on Flickr
20260119_123347450 by Martin Gunn, on Flickr
20260119_123444134 by Martin Gunn, on Flickr

Cam carriers stripped and cleaned
20260119_142105788 by Martin Gunn, on Flickr
20260120_103028624 by Martin Gunn, on Flickr

Some scoring on the cam journals unfortunately, gave it a rub down with 400grit to get rid of the high spots
20260119_142123989 by Martin Gunn, on Flickr
20260119_142118748 by Martin Gunn, on Flickr

Incredible welding skill pictured here to get the nipple off
20260122_125054630 by Martin Gunn, on Flickr

Obligatory photo with the lights up, new tyres fitted too
20251227_140452155 by Martin Gunn, on Flickr

And the awful spirol pins that decided to give up life
20260120_131043818 by Martin Gunn, on Flickr

Also would like to add I now have the valve shim library! So a great thanks to the forum for that, will update once the heads on and the library is ready for the next person!

Martin

[bash]

Good progress there. It looks like a keeper when its back on the road.

Bash

[Pete Boole]

Yep - great work. Definitely worth getting the head done.

Pete