Forum

[Norm]

Interesting point Dennis but for that to work, and obviously it does, the thing would have to breath up through the cams and tappet guides? There was obviously reasons why the factory fitted the big crankcase breather on the Inters. The added problem is they decided to drill a hole from the crank into the timing chest but nowhere for this pressure to escape. Maybe they felt the timing cover should leak oil as well. lol

[Dennis C]

Hi Norm
I see the point you are making re the breathing through the tappets Etc but I think you are forgetting the openings which the top end oil uses to return to the bottom end prior to being pumped back to the tank, these openings give plenty of access for the pressure to be relieved via the top end it also has the advantage that at the top end there is less oil being thrown around so therefore less chance of it coming out of the breather as I have proven by the empty catch tank.

[Mark M]

I think Dennis is right, when I acquired my 1953 700 Meteor it had a stripped thread and missing stud on one of the rocker covers and didn't leak oil. I repaired it and it started leaking. Also, in the 60s the American accessory maker Webco offered a set of finned rocker covers for the Enfield Twins, these feature a breather take off point for a rubber pipe as well. I've never heard if they worked, but experience suggests they should! REgards, Mark

[Dennis C]

When I did this I had a vague recollection from more years ago than I like to admit that this was a mod from the 60s which worked. Now we are re-finding these old ways.

[Norm]

Hi Mark and Dennis, a breather from the rockers certainly can't hurt, but I think I will still have one off the oil tank as well but probably a smaller one than I was contemplating originally

[Norm]

Just out of curiosity has anyone machined the rods out to tale a big end shell or will the later rods with shells fit the early cranks

[Norm]

There is a slot machined in the timing side case that is above the oil tank in the face that bolts up to the drive side case and between the 2 oil feed outlets to the rockers.I don't believe it has any purpose because it goes nowhere but when these cases were split previously it looks like somebody has used a screwdriver to spread the cases ( plenty of other places they have done this as well) but it has broken the width of the screwdriver through and into this machined slot. My thoughts are just to weld the slot up, any thoughts?

[Norm]

Ok so I can only assume nobody has any idea as to why this slot is machined in the case, from what I can see it has no purpose at all and I can't imagine why the factory would have bothered machining a slot for no reason

[Colin F]

Norm that slot should go from the oil tank into the inlet Cam area,early 500's had that exiting the
case onto the generator,Tim talks about it over at AE.
cheers
colin

[Norm]

Thanks Colin, the only place this slot went was after somebody put a screwdriver through it was to spew oil out onto the top of the oil tank. I will go back over what Tim was saying