Hmm, I first wrote an elaborate letter on this subject, but then I
accedentally pulled out the wrong power lead, and woopps, gone...
So, here goes again, somewhat shorter:
I installed a external oil feed one year and a half ago. I had the engine
on the bench because I bought a new chassis (no rust and recently
resprayed) and wanted to use my old sound engine with the new chassisAnd
this is what I did:
I cleaned both areas thorougly, and I did so before I took out the old
plugs. To limit the amoung of possible oil comtamination. And I cleaned the
threads with a tiny brush. The oil gallery end of the pipe was easily
fitted, as the threads are self tightening (coned).
The upper joint was a different story. The pipe I installed was bought from
Chris Witor, and I got two collapsible copper washers. I presumed that
these should be fitted on each side of the banjo joint, because it seemed
like the material of the banjo and bolt wasn't sufficiently soft to get a
tight seal.
The washer fitted between the head of the bolt and the banjo was
troublefree as it fitted perfectly around the bolt. The washer on the
inside, between the banjo and the head was quite loose around the bolt, as
the bolt was thinner at this point. Anyway, I fitted the whole thing, the
banjo with the copper washers on each side, and tighted it finger tight. I
then had to nudge the inner copper washer to get it perfectly aligned with
the banjo(the touching ridge of the banjo wasn't very broad), and then
tightened it.
According to previous experiences, these copper washers are meant for light
to medium torque, and I tightened the thing until I could feel more
resistance, and stopped right there. I did not tighten it much, far from
it. It's hard to say what torque I used, but I think it would be in the
vicinity of 15-20 lbs/inch. I am pretty sure I didn't use more than 20 lbs/in.
Because I have experienced earlier that these copper washers have a
tendency to leak if over tightened.
And I have never had any leak since. At least no oil leak! :-)
I think the trick is not ot overtighten the bolt, as this will make the
collapsibles leak.
And I think you should try fitting it, because it really helps the oil
supply to the arms. And it even helps the lubrication of the rear camshaft
bearing.
With this pipe installed, the rocker shaft gets lubrication almost
instantly, and this is a vast improvement over the original, where you
could run the engine in cold weather for 30 seconds without proper
lubrication to the top. And I believe that the pipe makes it unecessary to
fit the orignal (and expensive) 60 rockwell rocker shaft, the remake and
softer one will do fine.
I hope that this was of any help.
---Asgeir---
At 05:53 26.01.00 -0800, you wrote:
>A few more points for the group:
>
>1) Does anyone know how to plumb in the rocker oil feed pipe kit without
>it leaking?
> I have finally given up and removed mine, after grappling with it for a
>year.
>The problem occurs at the banjo joint at the back of the cylinder head.
>The 2 metal washers
>supplied with the kit are useless - the force needed to squeeze them
>enough to stop oil
>coming out would shear the bolt. I next tried fibre washers, and thought
>that this had solved
>the problem. Each time I detected oil seaping out I cautiously tightened
>the bolt a fraction,
>and this seemed to do the trick. Now however the washers have compressed
>so much that
>the shank of the bolt has reached the threaded hole, so of course oil
>started to pour out.
>I have tried copper washers (not soft enough), more fibre washers (too
>soft), metal washers
>with chemical metal smeared on the faces (won't stick, so falls out),
>even string and red
>gasket cement.
>I had the head off recently and took the opportunity of facing up the
>area around the hole, but
>it made no difference.
>
>2) Is anyone either in the club or across the classic car scene keeping
>a log of people's
>experiences with LRP and the various petrol additives now in use to cope
>with the absence
>of lead?
>I have noticed that LRP rapidly perishes the rubber diaphrams in
>Stromberg carburettors. I
>fitted a pair of brand new ones (ie not lead-accustomed) when I started
>using LRP, and on
>investigating the lumpy idle that soon developed found the rubbers
>swollen.
>I have now switched to unleaded with Millers VSP manganese-based
>additive, and fitted new
>diaphrams after 2 tankfulls to clear out the old LRP.
>My observation of using Millers is that so far, it fully lives up to its
>reputation. In the last days
>of leaded petrol I noticed the car more and more prone to pinking, so I
>suspect they were
>skimping on the lead even then. LRP was better, but still not as good as
>4star in the old
>days. Millers and ordinary unleaded however has outstanding resistance
>to pinking. Even if I
>try I can barely make the engine pink. (Standard ignition settings)
>
>Manganese is said to be the only additive that reproduces the cooler
>burn characteristics
>that leaded petrol had and that older designs of engine need. I cannot
>definitely confirm this,
>as I have rectified so many other things that might have been
>contributing to my chronic
>overheating problems. But car now runs cool and I am thinking about a
>radiator muff!
>
>Of course these are early days, and there may be longer-term problems
>yet to emerge. That
>is why I thought some kind of experience-register might be useful. Some
>people doing large
>mileages might have useful advice or observations to pass on so that we
>don't all blindly go
>down the same mistaken road.
>
>Cliff Pope
>
>
>
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