Found this article on Lucifers hammer in a magazine. Don Tilley had just restored the original bike. It sat for many years in pieces in the back room as they call it. Don Tilley passed away a few years ago after a motorcycle accident. Boucher

It is cool to find something like that Chris. You will learn something from it and enjoy the build even more. MikeV

I’ve been a busy little beaver making pushrods. This is 2024 grade alloy .500” od and .250 I’d. I could only buy it out of the USA and it took 3 months to get here. I made a set of dummy ones out of alloy tube from the local hardware shop to get the right length. Than machined these up and than drilled the end with a letter drill size P. That gave a nice tap in fit with loctite added for peace of mind. I couldn’t use cr-mo pushrods as they expand at a different rate to the rest of the engine. The journey continues. Boucher.

Well done Chris, nice for you to see a little more progress.
Paul

Hello Ducati people, got the top on. I set the squish around the top edge of the piston at the std rule of thumb .40”.I had to make up some shim plates to raise cylinders up to get these numbers. Fitted up new pushrods and checked the valve to piston clearance. That came back at 2.00mm intake and about 2.90 exhaust on both cylinders. Fitted up the rings and assembled the top bit. No gasket between the cam box and head just yamabond though I’ve have heard of a after market copper gasket. I trialled exhaust and it fitted up great. The four open holes in the rocker boxes is for doing the valve clearances. The square ended shaft is an eccentric shaft through the rocker. That’s how the valve clearance is set. Boucher.

That is a beautiful monster. MikeV

Thought I’d better show a pic with internals. Boucher.

Hello Chris,
What is the bulge on the studs near the top of the pistons ?
Graeme

Those certainly are some long cylinder/head bolts. I am going to guess the bulge is to “center” the head and cylinder where they join. Or, maybe, Mike said (tongue in cheek), that is where you clamp those big ole vice grips so you can torque those suckers down.

Not sure I want to be the one to change the oil filter!

Amazing how much an upside down Harley head looks like an upside down Guzzi head.

Finally, about that valve lash adjustment; won’t you miss setting up shims for the first time on new heads?

MikeV

Hi Graeme, I’d say the bulge is to center the cylinder stud as mike said. Boucher.