Clipper CONTINUED

Awhile ago in RC167, I introduced the 1956 Royal Enfield 350 Clipper which I’d recently purchased. I thought it might benefit from a top end overhaul to breathe new life into the oil-burning, low compression engine. I consulted my parts book and ordered new cast iron valve guides, valves, springs and gaskets, all in stock at Hitchcocks; not bad for a 62 year-old motorcycle.

It was mid-January when I dismantled the top half, lifting the barrel carefully with a rag stuffed in the crankcase mouth just in case there was a broken piston ring. Upon exposing the piston and giving the front of the crown a scrape and clean, I discovered the good news that the piston was indeed standard. New rings were ordered. The inner component parts were very dirty and ‘old oily’ which meant my degreaser struggled to remove the stubborn mess.

I like to lay my engine parts out in such a way as to keep all the inlet bits together and all the exhaust bits separate, cleaning parts individually. I removed