Quote:
Originally Posted by BRENT in 10-uh-C
often we all speak about how the hobby is being hurt for the future because of hack repairs and cobbled messes
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I appreciate this perspective. Another perspective might be that the hobby is being hurt by the slowly increasing number of things that can't be repaired except at great expense. The DIY aesthetic,
and the performance compromises it requires, have been part of the Model A hobby from day one. The fact that a motor repaired by hand won't go as fast, or as long between overhauls, as one repaired by a proficient rebuilder, doesn't mean that motor is "bad for the hobby."
If I know the risks associated with cutting by hand, I can pay particular attention to those risks. I can try to size the pilot more precisely. I can make a jig to hold the cutter steady. I can go slow and use cutting fluid. I can watch for little gouges and find a way to blend them out. I can check the valve with a borescope and leak-down test every few months to make sure it's not getting damaged.
Keep in mind, this motor was running and drivable with a valve seat that was sitting loose in the bore. A less-than-professional repair, done mindfully, will still be an improvement.
Edit: I guess a shorter way to say this would be that I genuinely appreciate the rundown of all the things that can go wrong doing it this way – but I'd rather take the approach of "so try to mitigate each of those risks" versus "so don't even try it."