Is this normal?

[Stevels]

Hi Forum Folks!

I am finally getting a chance to get my Lister project going after not touching it for several months.  I have a couple quick questions, that I am hoping someone can answer for me before I get too much further in the project.. 

When I took off my valve covers, I noticed that one of the eight head bolts sticks out about an inch and a half from the nut, while all the other bolts are flush with the nut.

Please see the picture provided. Is this normal?  Is this OK

See that one bolt sticking out?  I am feeling like I have three nipples here!

Also, When I took off one of the coolant flanges, I was shocked and saddened by the Indian Quality Control or lack thereof.  I don’t know if it is poor casting, or what, but what looks like it should be a large diameter opening for water is sealed almost shut with cast iron. Please see Picture provided.

My Sphyncter is gafloogeled!
Again, Is this normal? Is this OK? Should I bore this out and look for others like this on the other opening of the engine and fix them too?  I want to install an active cooling system, and I suspect that this is not a good thing in terms of aperture size.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks guys!

Stevels

[dkwflight]

Hi from other posts  this seems to be normal. Don't get upset, yet. If you pull the engine down you can try to turn the long stud out and check to see that it is turned in as much as it could be. the threads might be screwed up, or the stud just didnt get turned all the way in.
Check the torque on the head bolts. If the torque is up to specs its probably all right. The casting defects can be ground out. The water pasages should be full size, in my opinion. Everybody has several
These engines should be considered a project. You will improve them and adjust them to the point that makes you happy. If you search this site and the other resources available to you, you can find most information you need.

Good luck
Dennis

[MeanListerGreen]

Yes...my coolant ports were like that too so was that head bolt.  Actually yours looks pretty good compared to what I wound up with.  Luck you......

[Halfnuts]

Hi Stevels,

Guess you've been hibernating.  Good to hear from you again.  That stud looks suspicious, however I guess you're not the only one to have one long stud.  If you want to check that the stud is screwed in all the way, take off two head nuts, thread them on the stud and tighten them together.  Then put a wrench on the top nut and see if you can turn the stud in any farther.

Re: the water inlet, they're all like that, more or less.  What you're seeing isn't all casting flash.  The head stud comes down through part of the casting that obstructs the right half of the water inlet.  It's a funny place to locate a water inlet.  Don't know what the Brits were thinking.  Don't do as someone else has done here and grind it out or you'll expose the head stud to coolant and have a new problem.  You can open the left side of the hole a little by using a carbide burr in a die grinder, but other experienced folks say there will be plenty of wter flow without doing that.  I have an Ashwamegh 6/1 and the obstruction has never caused me a problem.

A complete tear-down and reassembly to check for and evict any grit is a GREAT way to learn about your engine, and you might find something in there that could save you some money and downtime in the future.

Halfnuts

[hotater]

  Just grind out the excess flash in the inlet.  The designed size is plenty but the flashing is 'extra'.

The long head bolt is  for a screw on lifter hook, I bet.  It would lift at a slight angle but for moving top heavy engines around the plant they'd just be 'on the hook' and safer than lifting from below.

Get the CD from George at utterpower.com....it'll save you a LOT of time and trouble in the long run.

[Stevels]

That is a cool idea! I don't know if I would want to pick up the engine from a single bolt, but if it works it works!

Thanks.

I have George's CD, but I don't recall picking up this pearl of wisdom from it!

Thanks again!

SA