[tat2edfuk]

In another thread I was talking about having top end oiling problems. Mainly being it wasn't getting oil. I've been doing research and I've come across the the '71/'72 years didn't have grooves in the spindles to feed oil. I think this might be the problem. I've read that you can have a machinist cut the grooves or get later year spindles. I was wondering if anyone has dealt with this or any recommendations. I live in Texas and I need as much oil cool the motor as possible.

 

[Dr. Benway]

How did you figure the rockers weren't getting oil, did you crack those acorn nuts while it was running or something?

Bear in mind those rocker spindles don't get or need a lot of oil. I recall John Healy or another respectable mentioning something like a tablespoon a minute is what's needed...it's not like a conrod journal where you have a centrifuge spinning oil off your surfaces.

 

[tat2edfuk]

I got clear line on it. It's not getting a little, it's getting none.

John Healy is the one that I've read most of the stuff from. He said it was fixed in '73. They changed the rocker arms in '71, but didn't make the spindle fit it till later.

 

[canuck19]

Yes, Dragon posted up an article in the Tech archives, its under Triumph and BSA Oil lines... I think Healey wrote it.

I searched around on ebay and craigslist for a while looking for the grooved spindles(72, 73?) with no luck so just ran the standard spindles but rearranged the washers like mentioned in the article.

So far, the rockers seem to be getting plenty of oil. I just put my finger over the return hole on startup and that gives'em a good supply right off the hop.

Are you saying you are getting no oil in the clear line, or oil is going through the line but not out the rocker shafts?

 

[Bodyworx]

Yes, Dragon posted up an article in the Tech archives, its under Triumph and BSA Oil lines... I think Healey wrote it.

I searched around on ebay and craigslist for a while looking for the grooved spindles(72, 73?) with no luck so just ran the standard spindles but rearranged the washers like mentioned in the article.

So far, the rockers seem to be getting plenty of oil. I just put my finger over the return hole on startup and that gives'em a good supply right off the hop.

Are you saying you are getting no oil in the clear line, or oil is going through the line but not out the rocker shafts?

Thats a good point because if it isnt going through the clear line you have a restriction problem to the return that has to be dealt with first before the shafts.

 

[tat2edfuk]

The oil isn't making it to the rockers. It finds level with the oil tank level and stops. I was worried the restriction in the oil tank wasn't enough, so I plumbed in a ghetto restriction to test it. Didn't work. If I pull the line off the rockers it starts feeding fine. When I take the inspection caps off it doesn't make a difference so it doesn't seem to be a pressure issue. I seems to just be blocked.

Tonight I'm going to tear the rockers apart an make sure everything is clear, but if I can do something easy to help cool my motor I'm interested.

 

[canuck19]

Yeah thats interesting. Sounds like there might be a blockage in the rocker shafts. If you block the return hole in your tank, still no feed?

are you running 1/8" or 3/16" ID hose?

Can't hurt to just pull the rocker boxes off and use an oil can to squirt oil into the shaft ends to see if it'll work its way through the shafts and to the rockers. That way you can avoid replacing the o-rings if the oil passages are clear.

 

[tat2edfuk]

I cant reach the hole to put my finger on it, but when I made my own restriction I closed it and it didn't help. I'll try hand oiling them and see, but I am still interested in doing the modification.

 

[Bodyworx]

The oil isn't making it to the rockers. It finds level with the oil tank level and stops. I was worried the restriction in the oil tank wasn't enough, so I plumbed in a ghetto restriction to test it. Didn't work. If I pull the line off the rockers it starts feeding fine. When I take the inspection caps off it doesn't make a difference so it doesn't seem to be a pressure issue. I seems to just be blocked.

Tonight I'm going to tear the rockers apart an make sure everything is clear, but if I can do something easy to help cool my motor I'm interested.

You definitely have the wrong restriction bro. You should have plenty of pressure from your pump. Mine idles at 35-40 PSI with very little going up top. It runs about 65-80 PSI at about 3000 RPM. You need about 3/16 of restriction AFTER the "T" to the top end. In other words between the "T" and the tank. This forces the oil to take the path to the top because of restriction. Something is NOT right with it leveling off at tank level. That tells me that it is free flowing and returning with little to no restriction into the tank. Have you physically checked your oil pressure? What reading do you get? Idle / 2000-3000 RPM's.

 

[tat2edfuk]

I don't believe it's the restriction, because when I made my own restriction it didn't start working. I'll check the oil pump. It might not be giving me enough pressure. It's a Morgo plunger, so, it should be. I'm getting oil tank feed it's just not going up the line to the rockers.

I think the clear line is 1/4 I.D. Should that make a big difference?

How do you measure your oil pressure?

 

[Bodyworx]

I don't believe it's the restriction, because when I made my own restriction it didn't start working. I'll check the oil pump. It might not be giving me enough pressure. It's a Morgo plunger, so, it should be. I'm getting oil tank feed it's just not going up the line to the rockers.

I think the clear line is 1/4 I.D. Should that make a big difference?

How do you measure your oil pressure?

At the front bottom of your timing cover you'll see a sender for oil pressure light. You unscrew that and screw in your oil pressure gauge. Be careful not to over tighten the gauge and crack the aluminum. Check the reading but honestly .... If you have good oil "return" NOT FEED to the tank it can only be like two things causing it to NOT go up to the rockers. Obstruction in the "T" or hose, or lack of enough back pressure, IE restriction. My vote is the latter. Start pulling hoses off and blowing some air through them.

 

[Loffer]

If the shaft is in there wrong the whole can be blocked . Take the shafts out and maje sure the oil hole isn't blocked. My friend adds grooves in the end of the shaft so he knows they are lined up right. Sometimes the shafts rotate when reassembled and being tightened down.

 

[tat2edfuk]

So I took the rockers apart cleaned them and put a little flat on the spindle so there's room for the oil to flow. Now its flowing good. I haven't ridden it yet but at idle there is definite movement.

Once again I am thankful for this board. I wish there was a way to better to support the board. Like on the HAMB you can become a alliance member.

 

[fightclub]

tat2edfuck,

if you pull rockers for some reason can you a picture of what you did above,

its great when you work through things and figure it out

 

[bp131]

I know it's an old thread. For the sake of having it in writing.....Use something to hold the feed tube up when tightening the acorn nut. I used a screwdriver cause my top end seemed hotter than normal. I would crack the acorn nut every so often to see if there was oil up there. There was but it was not until I held it off the spindle did the oil actually flow out. Maybe I'm trippin' but my top end does not seem to run as hot and it's a lot quieter. Food for thought?