[paulbipe]

Good write-up! what is the reed valve mod you talked about in the first post. I have a DLE 20 as well.

[Minty]

14. Put some thread lock on the cylinder head bolts



15. Reinstall the cylinder bolts.

Sorry for maybe the dumb question, but I have a DLE 111 and was thinking about doing the same thing. IS there a spec rating for tightening the head bolts regardless of manufacturer?

Thanks for the insight..

James

[jbach]

Good question.

I've gone ahead a got right down to business on the engine. You could easily get this done in an evening and I now highly recommend doing the same to yours at some point. The only thing holding me from finishing is the ring that Frank sent and the gasket set that VVRC has in the mail for me.

I was a bit surprised to find that I could see the florescent bulb shining through the reed block when I held it up towards it. Upon further disassembling, the reed block looked like it had been trued with 180 grit. When I put it to the glass and 320 grit paper I noticed quite the bow to the longitudinal sides of each side of the block. It looks much better now that its actually flush. You can tell just by looking at the reeds in that they sit nicer.

I managed to remove and true the other phenolic spacer/reducer as it seemed a bit unfinished and rough. The gaskets definitely were doing their job. Hard to tell at first but you get to appreciate your effort when you see the progress you make. I took all mating surfaces to the glass and 320 grit. Blew with compressed air and thoroughly cleaned with solvents.

[Mike Sebastien]

What is the advantage of a "bowman ring"?

[grosbeak]

Originally Posted by grosbeak

Hi Gordon,

I can't confirm the residential address at the moment, but the email address is correct.

I checked when I got home and the residential address is correct.

Originally Posted by paulbipe

Good write-up! what is the reed valve mod you talked about in the first post. I have a DLE 20 as well.

Thanks Paul - you can check out Write-up: DLE 20 reed valve block mod.

Originally Posted by Mike Sebastien

What is the advantage of a "bowman ring"?

The advantage is increased compression for more power and a more stable idle.

[Mike Sebastien]

How does it increase compression and is there and detrimental effects to the engine?

[grosbeak]

Originally Posted by Mike Sebastien

How does it increase compression and is there and detrimental effects to the engine?

If I understand correctly, Frank Bowman manufactures his rings to tighter tolerances than stock. And I've read no reports of detriments.

[paulbipe]

Perhaps a better way of saying it is that the Bowman ring restores cylinder compression to the design specifications by manufacturing the ring to a tighter tolerance. This should lower blow-by past the ring and improve performance across the rpm range of the motor.

What I would be interested in is some testing numbers of the before and after ring installation on the idle and maximum rpm's on a motor.

[Mike Sebastien]

Originally Posted by paulbipe

What I would be interested in is some testing numbers of the before and after ring installation on the idle and maximum rpm's on a motor.

I would to

[grosbeak]

I have read reports of an increase of several hundred RPM, but I have nothing more specific than that. The response I saw was enough to convince me, though.