There's a trick to reducing the stack of the Levin headsets. Buy lesser model Tanges and mix and match. (They are all interchangeable.) Roughly (I haven't researched this) stack goes down as the price goes down. Their $8 OEM replacement headsets are really short. My custom was built around a King Grip Nut HS that drove me nuts. But it's stack was considerably less than a Levin. So I used the races of the $14, washer and locknut from the $8. Works really well, feels super and yes, every 8000 miles the detentes are back. I did one repack using one size large balls to get another 1000 miles, then forked over the $14 and did it again. Rough life. In return I get a headset that needs (maybe) one tweak 100 miles after install, then roughly a tweak a year. I pack them with lots of marine grease and repack at mid-life if I am bored.

The headset that is considerably better is the Stronglight with the roller bearings. I put on one the Mooney in 1995. 30,000 miles later is feels like new. But for the Tanges I can go to a local shop, pay my $8-35 and take it home. For English, French or JIS. A weirdie? Might had to wait 5 days for the shop to get one through QBP.

I use loose ball from day on in the lower race and the retainer for the upper. Do the install with the bike upside down so I am just dropping the loose balls into the grease. Easy. Fill the race, put the fork in and spin it and pull it out. Remove one ball. (Put the fork in to align the balls and make it obvious if I have too many.)

Ben