manifold removal - stuck on oversize stud

[Zetomagneto]

I once lapped a warped head on my landlord's plate glass mirror, the head was serviceable after but the mirror wasn't!

Nowadays I lap on an old iron surface plate (eBay) which is not perfect but near as makes no difference. I lay a sheet of abrasive paper on top of it (grit up!) and give it a good squirt of WD40 for lubrication. That way the surface plate stays flat. For larger parts I have used abrasive paper from a floor sander. Keep rotating the part and the imperfections should even out. Not as flat as milling but a useful tool for a light clean-up.

Quick skim at your recondioners then you know its flat

[JonE]

I've used a new carborundum block to clean it up, but I'll try the plate glass route... don't as yet know who to approach for engine bits.

[Chris KC]

Whatever you do Jon it must be all over the joint face, no localised rubbing down.

Zeto is right, that skimming will (should) make the face flat. I tend to avoid paying others to do things wherever possible because of the number of times things have come back ruined. At best they will take off more metal than was necessary (and there are only so many times you can skim a part).

There's a fairly trustworthy engine recon shop close to Cardington if you are coming up Jon, I can give you the details if interested.

[Greig Smith]

Another useful flat surface is the chunk of marble or Smartstone that is left over from installing a double bowl kitchen sink into a fancy kitchen counter top. I have two of them in the garage and being nearly 2" thick they are quite robust items to work on. I've lapped a few items on them.

The installers usually never take the marble off-cuts away and they just lie around in the yard or behind the shed & most folks seem happy to get rid of them.

Aye
Greig