Elite head valve sizes - actual and listed

[LaceyDucati]

George
My 7mm guides are for our race valves used in the larger engines hence 13mm, the listings should state that. All 125/160 guides are nominally 11mm whether Italian or Spanish. We don't have any guides for the 125/160 engines at the moment, they are on the long list of parts to get manufactured. You can however utilise VW car guides in the 125/160 from certain Polo/Golfs.

Finding a good used head is by far the cheapest option, regards seats. I have a few 160 heads but I'm fairly sure I don't have a 125 head. Regarding firms for seats/guides, HT howards in Slough have a good reputation and have experience of Ducati's. Alternatively Matts machine shop in the Valleys in south Wales would be worth a try. I don't do general guide/seat work for customers any more.

Regards Nigel

[George]

Nigel your comments are welcome as always. I came to the same conclusion and have located a cylinder head with seats a lot better than mine and will check guide wear when I collect in a couple of weeks. I have never seen seats so worn, to the extent that there was almost no adjustment left on tappets adjuster threads. Don't know how I missed wear when first stripping head.

[Geordie]

Browsing the lamaneta forum I came across an Elite thread

http://www.lamaneta.org/forolamaneta/vi ... 8&start=40

The restorer has valves as mine and as those of poster here, Bob Mathews.

He also says that he has been told by Jesus Guuzmann (recambiosusados) that those sizes are unknown to him. I was told the same by an experienced restorer in Valencia.

The lamaneta restorer goes to say that he believes there were 1,000 heads produced with those valve sizes. He recognises those as being Monza Sebring dimensions.

Those were the valves I fitted but their collet dimensions are not as those of the Elite. It is necessary to fit the correct collets and spring bridge piece for security.

I have no reason to disbelieve a thousand big-valve heads were produced or not but we now know of three plus the quote of Ian Fallon supplied by poster Duccout.