Hi All...More doom and gloom/ My newly aquired VH is ready for the road but runs very rich with smoky exhaust . Further examination has revealed the carb is wrong and is only 1" diameter! Right, that explains why it runs too rich. I feared the head might be a NH 350cc version but it measures up...

Hi David. Perhaps we are not talking about the exact same thing. The exhaust valve lifters have a built in "poppet valve" type seal that needs to be ground in with grinding paste. I show the 2x parts and the faces that mate together to form a perfect gas tight seal. Just dismantle the valv...

Hi David. I thought the gas/oil seal was effected by a valve seal identical to that of a poppet valve as used in cylinder heads? Fully ground-in it seals perfectly without O rings and washers. It just needs slight contact pressure created by the single turn external spring on the shaft. Maybe there ...

Hi Charvey. This is a risky question....did you ever try grinding in the tapered seal on the inside?.. I really can't see how the lifter can leak if it has been done really well and you have the correct spring washer on the outside to apply sealing pressure and finally, a fibre washer between the ma...

I agree with Vincent. Having just reground the taper seal and refitted one. Fit the lifter with the pin at about 2 o'clock with the lifter assembled but not fully tightened to lock the angle with the cable. The spring should hold the pin at this 2 o'clock position with no slack at the cable. The pin...

Oh dear. After sorting out new levers and fiddling around, I realise the late Ariels used adjusters that fit into the levers...There's no real way to avoid this especially with the front brake cable with its big ball nipple end. So, I am now thinking of just buying a pair of new levers complete with...

Hi Nev. The tyre valve nut is one I hadn't heard of, but its a good one...

Hi Nev. Your chain link idea takes my memory back to about 1965 before I even had a motorcycle. I used to read the monthly Motorcycle Mechanics magazine and even to this day I remember the regular feature of "Readers Tips" and the little drawn illustration of that idea submitted by one of ...

Thanks Johnny I see what you are saying.... I was wondering though, if you started a new build project and wanted the red to be near replica of what the factory used, I wonder what the general consensus is colour wise? Does the club list its recommendations? However my bike could just have a red tha...

I wonder what oil you might be using. Just an idea but maybe these modern oils do not allow enough friction to allow bedding in. If you think about it, say you used oil that was so good no wear took place at all. Then it would never bed in especially after only 900 miles...you need some wear to bed ...