needless variations...

[tubaguy9]

Don't you know, bloke, that the manufacturers do stuff to only please the players and don't care about the repairmen?

[SRanney]

I wonder...why the manufacturer of these valvesets would have all of these seemingly needless minor "variations" in geometry, when there really seems to be no reason for it?

Is it a simple issue of poor QA/QC? All of these valve sets are made in the same manufacturing plant, right? Maybe cutting back on QA/QC is the best way to reduce costs.

Just a thought.

[SRanney]

The only think that I can think of is that the intentional subtle extending upward (or lowering) of the tops of the valve casings is possibly to address hand position/hand comfort issues on the various models - related to the way these otherwise "generic" piston valvesets must nestle into the bugles of these various models. (Am I possibly on to something here, as I've "slept" on this since the first post...??)

Are the measurements consistent within a model?

[SRanney]

The only think that I can think of is that the intentional subtle extending upward (or lowering) of the tops of the valve casings is possibly to address hand position/hand comfort issues on the various models - related to the way these otherwise "generic" piston valvesets must nestle into the bugles of these various models. (Am I possibly on to something here, as I've "slept" on this since the first post...??)

Are the measurements consistent within a model?

I...pretty much...think...so...

Sounds like you've got it figured out then. You could always test that theory to quantify how different the measurements are among models.

[cjk]

Do the big valve sets all seem to take a 4mm washer underneath the valve cap?

[J.c. Sherman]

I've also thought it was weird how many rather useless variants in slide locations or "wraps" are used too.

Before I get flamed, I know some are necessary for one bugle layout or another, but when I look at some wraps, like B&S with all their useless open z bends, and how so many others seam to be such minor variations on the "Jake York" wrap, I wonder how much money could be saved puting together really well set up valve sections en masse and then mating them to the various bugles. While being able to mass produce more parts in fewer variants, of course.

Or something.

J.c.S.