Re: Valve Noise


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Posted by John Swensen on October 06, 1999 at 12:11:55:

In Reply to: Valve Noise posted by JD on October 05, 1999 at 22:11:13:

Joe S. said it very well, but I would like to offer a few additional observations.

One top cap on my B&S fits a tiny bit looser than the others, and it will click if not screwed down all the way. I found that melting equal parts of beeswax and anhydrous lanolin to a chapstick consistency, when cool, and applying a tiny bit of it to the threads helps, both to damp down any rattling, and to prevent the cap from getting stuck.

Besson makes a different kind of felt washer (think rubberized dryer lint), which is much quieter than felt, cork, or sorbothane, and appears to hold up much better than felt. It also does not shed lint into the valve, which was a problem for me when using felt. Dillon's carries these Besson washers, and Matt should be able to help you choose the correct size. Unfortunately they are more expensive than felt.

I have been experimenting with different valve guide materials. So far, my favorite is black Delrin, but I have only begun to work my way through over half a dozen different materials (all plastics). I would rather avoid metal guides, because I am afraid of wear in the slots (plastic guides only take a pair of strong fingernails to change).

My springs are supposed to fit into machined depressions in the bottom caps and valve bottoms, but if a spring is not sitting squarely in its depression it can rattle or make "scringe" noises. The springs should stand straight on a flat surface (judicious bending can correct crooked ends). Also, before replacing a valve, jiggling the horn with the valve cylinder vertical to get the spring centered and straight seems to help.


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