Cylinder head 'D' washers

paulsco · Post by **paulsco** » Mon Jun 01, 2015 8:47 pm

I am attempting to fit the the cylinder head D washers that I have bought from SNG.

There is about an 1/8" gap between the edge of the D washer and the side of the cam housing, so when I attempt to torque them up they turn on an angle and I cannot get them to sit square.

Is there something I am missing here, or are the reproductions shorter than the originals?

I am tempted to throw them away and just use round washers.

Thanks,

Paul

abowie · Post by **abowie** » Mon Jun 01, 2015 9:20 pm

My experience also. I wedge a screwdriver behind them, or you could make up a bit of 3mm plate.

andrewh · Post by **andrewh** » Mon Jun 01, 2015 9:41 pm

Yes agree very unsatisfactory I did nothing about that but was unhappy. Think they are shorter. May be re chrome the originals?

daykrolik · Post by **daykrolik** » Wed Jun 03, 2015 12:12 am

To some extent there was the same problem with the originals and, if you wanted them to sit exactly square, you needed to insert some small wedge. However, the gap was approximately 1/16 of an inch ? certainly not quite 1/8 inch.

paulsco · Post by **paulsco** » Thu Jun 04, 2015 7:15 am

Thank you all for your help.

Interesting that the originals had the same problem.

Perhaps the gap is nearer 1/16 than an 1/8; I am prone to exaggeration.

Paul

PeterCrespin · Post by **PeterCrespin** » Thu Jun 04, 2015 11:40 am

It's not a 'problem' as such. Can you imagine the hassle of trying to dismantle a head when twelve close-tolerance D washers were jammed between the stud bore and the cambox wall? There has to be clearance and where there's clearance there will be 'misalignment' for those anal enough to worry about it.

Which is not to say that's necessarily a bad thing in itself, but don't transfer your angst onto the new parts if the old were similar. I could easily imagine the washers being cut to spec size but somehow reduced slightly by heavy polishing for today's better-than-factory-finish owners. People today would regard many new parts as inferior if they were supplied exactly as they were originally.

paulsco · Post by **paulsco** » Thu Jun 04, 2015 8:11 pm

My point is that I didn?t have the originals to compare with and having such a problem keeping the replacements straight because of the loose fit, I wondered if the originals were a better fit.
I don?t think I am being anal about it, but I can?t see any point in having chrome D washers if it was never intended that they fit straight.

Paul

PeterCrespin · Post by **PeterCrespin** » Thu Jun 04, 2015 9:43 pm

"..but I can?t see any point in having chrome D washers if it was never intended that they fit straight."

The point of the D washers was to prevent the head material from distorting under heavy torque and heat/cool cycling. Try dismantling an XJ with round washers, especially if incorrect thin ones have been used instead of the thick specials. The alloy distorts enough to collapse the inner diameter against the stud, making head removal even trickier.

Being Lyons, and having attractive underbonnet appearance as a design goal from the start, they were chromed for a bit of bling to match the acorns. That's a far cry from thinking appearance was their primary purpose. Wasn't having a go at you anyway - being anal is harmless and to be commended in some situations. I've been known to put a little electrical screwdriver blade in there myself before tightening to line them up, but I don't stress about it.

Pete

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