rocker spindle springs - singles

[adrian.hannam]

Hello again, Does anyone leave the rocker spindle springs out? When I fit them, and tighten the dome nut, the lever binds up tight. I have tried new springs and old tired ones, spacer seems correct. Tried numerous combinations as with my valve timing exercise, all with the same result. 1951 VH. Thanks, Adrian.

[adrie.degraaff]

There are differend kind of rockers and axels, your using a older type with rings, they are not for springs.

If you tighten the old ones to much than the rockers are blocked.

[nevhunter]

The military ones have spacer washers which I prefer to springs anyhow. They are about 1/8" thick. If you want a more accurate reading let me know and I will measure them. There may be a variant in the spindle design. Think the rockers themselves are all the same length. Nev

[adrian.hannam]

Ok, I have checked out the parts books for '47, '51 and '53. The boxes and rocker levers are all the same part numbers. They all have the same distance collars (spacers), I measured them at 0.120". There were no springs in 1947. The spindles changed sometime in 1949. Springs were added in 1951 and then the spring part number changed in 1952. I have a selection of flat and wire springs. So maybe the easy assumption is I have early spindles in my 51 VH. The interesting thing is my spare NH engine is 1951 and it has springs. The spindles appear the same, just a slightly larger chamfer on the shoulder where the spring sits. It was dismantled by previous owner but when I tighten them up with oil line in place, the rockers bind, doesn't matter which spindle or spring. Pehaps I am tightening them too much, but have found in the past they need to be tight to avoid leaks. I will leave the springs out for now.

[keith.hodgenia]

Hi Adrian. You could try bolting it up with no springs just to check that the arm stays free. You can then measure what free play is left, if play is less than that of the compressed spring you will need to make up shims to suite. I seem to remember shimming rocker arms end float is part of the "blue printing" process for performance engines.