Hi Richard,
I have posted it to you first class so you should in theory get it tomorrow. When I examined it wearing my reading glasses I realised that it has TWO layers of gauze, one each side of the gasket material, which is interesting. I presume that they work in the same way as the gauze screen in a Humphrey Davy Miner’s Lamp, preventing the flame from going all the way through the transfer port. If the Spares Scheme is interested in having my lonely old original gauze as a pattern/sample, please let me know.
I would think that the gauge of the mesh is fairly critical, as it was in the miner’s lamps, and that they will probably take the edge off the performance of the bike, but hope that is acceptable with the reward of sweeter low speed running, and less chance of a carburettor fire !
The only Scott I’ve owned which had this problem was my 1927 long wheelbase Flyer, which had a low-compression engine, ( piston crowns lower, and stamped “T” instead of the usual “R” ) . On two occasions it managed to blow the R/H crankcase door off ! I didn’t fit gauzes, but managed to cure it, after various experiments. I will keep my remedy to myself for now, but would mention that the bike was by far the most tractable and sweet Scott I have ever owned. It would pull top gear down to a walking pace, and then accelerate away without any four-stroking or spitting back. Provided that the bike was rolling there was no need to change gear, and I rarely used bottom gear at all. When the three-speed box was introduced it was advertised as being an emergency bottom gear, and so my riding technique was entirely as intended by the factory , something that is not normally possible with later higher compression and/or long-stroke engines.
Brian
