Valve collett spring clips

[PhilBonneville]

Morning all.
I have at last a question! I decided to check the valve rocker clearance yesterday on my '69 traveller. Took off the rocker cover, and gave it all a good dose of looking at. All four inlet valve collett spring clips were laying on top of the head. The four exhaust valve clips are in place. The escapees are all too loose a fit to stay in place. I have ordered a new set (ooh, the expence!) so the question is, is this normal? Does this mean I should be looking for something else, or are the spring clips just sub standard?
I look forward to your views and opinions.
Thank you.

Phil.

[bmcecosse]

Throw them all away - and cancel the order for new ones - they are completely unnecessary!

[mike.perry]

Not used on the side valve engine and they are upside down. The collets are held in place by the valve spring tension

[les]

Put them in the same bin as the beehive springs!

[PhilBonneville]

Ahh. Thank you for such a quick response. I'll chuck them in the beehive spring box. Does this mean that the days I spent refitting the beehive springs was unneccessary?
Thanks again.

Phil.

[bmcecosse]

Errr YES!

[TFM150K]

I've struggled to fit those beehive jobbies for years, are you telling me that they were one of Alec Issigonis's little jokes? They cant be easy springs to make and the hole to clip them into on the backplate must have involved a cost...........

[bmcecosse]

Absolutely not necessary.......

[les]

Roy and I enjoy differing on this issue.

[chesney]

I would say (having had a dropped valve due to the collets flying off) they have their uses. I'll keep fitting them.

[bmcecosse]

Collets flying off ????? Must have been some SEVERE wear on the cap/stem/collets.......or a mismatch of parts? It's impossible for these parts in good condition to come out..... The clips were never provided on later A series.

[chesney]

As a matter of fact, it was a completely new rebuilt cylinder head from a professional company...
We all learn from experience. I just don't want it to happen again...

[bmcecosse]

Obviously NOT a 'professional' company if that could happen! They may have used the incorrect collets - or caps - or valves...... There are various different types and they MUST NOT be mixed up! I've used these collets etc on an engine revving to 9000 - without the clips, and without any problems..... However -I did buy a 202 head a few weeks ago, and one valve was about to escape - it had sunk down in the cap -the clip was missing and in fact the rocker had been pushing on the collets which were sitting up above the valve stem...... Cap and collets in the bin - and very likely the valve will follow, although I kept hold of it meantime...

[chesney]

That's fair enough. You can not fit your collet clips as you wish, I'll continue to fit them, they don't take much effort to fit.
Several others regard them as a professional company and use their services, that's all I have to say on the matter...

[bmcecosse]

I hope they compensated you for the engine damage - and supplied a 'properly' overhauled replacement head!

[chesney]

Sadly not, the head came from a fully reconditioned engine (which was sent back as that was faulty also) but they allowed me to keep the head, however fitting this head to another engine would seem to have invalidated any warranty it had...

[bmcecosse]

So -this 'professional company' provided a faulty engine -and a head that dropped a valve ??? And you still think they are 'professional'......????

[chesney]

Several others regard them as a professional company and use their services, that's all I have to say on the matter...

I refer to my original comment...

[bmcecosse]

I wouldn't be going anywhere near them....based on that story...

[chesney]

No, hence I haven't, obviously! Probably best to do this over PM Roy than on the open forum if you want to discuss it any further... Not only is it very off topic but the company in question are probably reading these comments, which won't be helping matters I'm sure!