Thanks Grumpy, I have located a replacement valve. I needed to reassemble the engine for floor space and it started and ran nicely. I will install the new valve and try a better system to ensure an even grind on the valve stem.
The excess clearance seems to make the starter harder to pull. I'm guessing the decomp feature is minimised as you mention in the other post.
It does start on the first pull every pull though now unlike before it was a bit iffy on a hot start.
