TOPIC:

I agree that if a valve is bent, it is really bent, but remember what I did: I got the timing wrong and turned the engine by hand, only a few times as the ominous 'clicking' of the valves made me nervous doing any more. I then discovered my error and deduced that the valves were interfering with each other, in a manner so that the one valve opening prevented the other from closing, so I imagine the lip of one valve went underneath the other, and then when that went out a little further, the first valve cleared an clicked back closed. So maybe not the valve stems bent, but the lip of the valves got damaged. Or maybe the 'head' of the valve bent a little at an angle.

And EVERY valve had the same issues, so potentially ALL the valves have suffered. My only explanation for one being worse than the other is the slight clearance differences.

I don't have a leak tester or a compressor...

My compression tester was brand new a year ago and I have only used it once to measure compression in my old Mercedes and it worked fine. Second time I used it was last week. I will give it a good clean and inspect it and try it again (on the Mercedes first so I know it works), but I really fear my wrongful cam installation has done some significant damage to all valves...

Paul

Paul: don't take this as a dumb question but: are you holding the throttle fully open while cranking?

No such thing as a dumb question.

Carburettors are not on the engine. It's just the engine on a bench, nothing attached. No carbs, no exhausts, no electrics, no drive shaft, not even a frame.

Paul

Frank833 wrote: Are you sure both cams are properly timed?

I will have a look at them again and take pics to show the forum and ask for their opinion.

Paul

Ok, checked the timing and it was spot-on, so I know how to do it, just didn't do it right the first time.

So... last night I pulled the head once more.

Hereunder what happens if you get the cam timing wrong: the valves prevent each other from closing and then scrape each other and snap shut, resulting in the damage you see, which I imagine is the same or worse on the other side of the valves where they are supposed to seal.

So no surprise I have no compression!

I'll take the head to the guys again and see what they say. They may be able to salvage the valves, but I may have to buy 12 new ones.. $$$ OUCH!

Paul

Sorry to hear of this but it's what I expected. Zero on compression is usually bent valves or holes in the pistons. Let's hope the seats didn't take a hit too.

Some lessons learned are expensive. I had valve seats done on a head and then found out that the seats were already too deep. So $200 thrown out the window. Just received new seats from Kibblewhite and I'll have to machine them to fit the head then have the new seats cut. $234 CDN for the seats, I'll machine the seats myself and install, then back to the head shop to get cut (another $200)

It's all about the journey.....