Kawi2strokes.com Forum

Hi all,

I want to oring my H2B cylinder heads and I know there's a few here and on the other board that have done this.

I'm looking through the Parker oring handbook (lots of info!) on the resource site but thought Id ask what you guys recommend?

Ive got a lathe and mill here and an pretty handy with them but what did you guys use for fixtures? Machine an adapter for the plug hole and machine the groove in the lathe? Rotary table on the mill?

I know Ill have to grind a HSS tool for the cutter if done on the lathe to the specs in the Parker handbook.

Finally, will my stock heads be ok to use without the head gasket? As in squish/clearance etc?

Thanks for the help as always people!

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1982 Beige Austin Allegro

I did it for my H2, and use Viton O-rings. You do need to account for the lack of a head gasket, but if you're CCing and squishing your heads that's easy to do. If you've already done that, I guess you'll need to do it again.

The Parker O-ring handbook will give you the dimensions you need. I used my lathe to do the work, and used a square-ended HSS tool that was maybe 1/2 the groove width. If you try to make the tool the groove width you may have trouble with chatter. I'm pretty sure I would. I made a tool to hold a head from of an old spark plug body and steel bar, but there are several ways you could hold a head in the lathe, including four bolts and spacers, and a face plate.

It's a shame that Kaw didn't use O-rings originally. They're way easier to use, and absolutely don't leak. You can pop off a head to inspect things any time you like, wipe any dirt off the O-ring, groove, and mating surfaces, and put it back together in a couple minutes and you don't even need a torch!

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If it surges, that's normal, upshift.

Thanks for the help Jim

Its the Ccing and squish adjustment that Im not too sure on at the moment, Ive got some idea but want to be sure..any pointers?

Cheers!

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1982 Beige Austin Allegro

It's been a few years since I did mine, so it's not fresh in my head. The resource site has a page about squish in the how-to section. CCing is often done with a clear plastic cover that you attach to the chamber with grease. I used that method with the head still in the lathe so I didn't have to keep taking it off the fixture and putting it back on. I used alcohol as the fluid.

I'm sure you can find tons of photos and information about it on the web, including how to calculate the volume you need for a desired cranking pressure, how to get the piston dome volume, deck height, etc.

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If it surges, that's normal, upshift.

Ah, it was along the lines of what I was thinking. Thanks Jim

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1982 Beige Austin Allegro

Squish and fill must be calculated before any cuts are made.

Of course there is o-ring compression, referred to as squash, squish, squeeze, etc., and there is squish band squish, which I mentioned above.

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If it surges, that's normal, upshift.

The original O cut was put there for the copper head gasket to rise into as the head was torqued into place, and should become much the same as a barrier for the compression.

The one prevailing thing that NOBODY knows is, to use our stock gaskets correctly, they need to be ANNEALED before application.

Annealing is heat softening of the base metal, in this case, copper.

I did the copper O ring type setup for a number of Yvon's engines,and all of my own, good if done right.

I do not use stock combustion chambers, I use "Top Hat" types, very different squish bands and domes, and match the edge of the piston dome to the squish area flat.

I have a couple of engines I tried, with not much time for evaluation, with flat squish bands and piston decks, was interesting, but hadn't followed through with them all these years, just no spare time..