Skimmed Head

I picked up the skimmed head at 4.30 PM, 30 minutes ahead of schedule.

I started my walk at 3 PM with the intention of purchasing my own torque wrench and getting more cash out of an ATM. I was unsuccessful with the torque wrench. I let one firm order one in but it is not due in until possibly Friday. It is unlikely that I will purchase it but this is a big firm and they should have one in stock anyway. I walked over to the other side of town and the hardware that had sold me the bulldog clamps had "Truper" tension wrenches with 3/8" and 3/4" drives, but not 1/2" drive as I required.

I got to the machine shop 30 minutes early and the head was ready. The had skimmed .003" and there were still some rough spots showing, though the man told me that they were not in a position to do damage.

Partly because I am a skinflint but mostly because I like exercise and a challenge I decided to forego the 50 peso taxi ride in favor of humping the two 60 lib heads the mile or two back to the marina. As Bob had pointed out, it was mostly downhill, but was nevertheless a hot slog. I carried the good head in my backpack and the bad head in the crook of my arm. Maybe it was the sun, but I got manic and had the impulse to extend one leg with the other knee flexed, holding out the head and proclaiming in my stage voice "Alas, poor Yorrick! I knew him." ... "Here hung those lips that I have kissed I know not how oft." Well, my excuse is that the Mexicans around me would not have understood what I was saying, but the real reason is that the head was too bloody heavy to hold out.

Attached are photos of the skimmed head. An enlargement of the first photo will better show a small groove near the center of the head between the rectangular opening and the two valves. There is also a rough area remaining at the upper edge of the head.

To me I had the choice of two risks: (1) do not skim and run the risk of leakage problems, and (2) skim and minimize the risk of leakages but run a risk of problems due to increased compression in that cylinder.

I called it the best I could. Time will tell. If this works out then recovering the head from Colin would have been a good thing because for some reason he did not have the head skimmed.