1946 VB (Iron Head )valve chest oiling

[garycullen]

No problem Simon.
My other set of tappets and the bit that goes through to the cam follows don’t have grooves.
I think I will just take Nev’s advice and add a drop or two of 2 stroke oil each time I fill up.
I was probably over thinking this anyway…
Cheers
Gary

[nevhunter]

I only put about an egg cup full to a tank. Any bit of oil is better than absolutely dry. Good 2 stroke oils don't leave carbon these days. Helps stop tank rust too. Nev

[Mike Nash]

Gary,
My VB has no grooves in the tappets or the tubes they run in. However, enough oil seems to get through the small hole at the base of the valve chest to do any necessary lubrication. Little is needed 'cos the tappets (well oiled from below) provide as Nev says a vertical motion to the valves perfectly in line with their needs; unlike these new fangled OHV engines there's no side thrust given to the valves which then needs more care in lubrication to keep the wear in bounds. Way back, I ran my VB around 90 miles a day to work and back for years, and valve & guide wear was never an issue.

But recently I've opened up the hole in the chest bottom to match that in the crankcase! Regards from MikeN.

[garycullen]

Thanks Mike,
So have you noticed a more oily environment in your valve chest since you enlarged the hole?
My next test is to plug the end of the timing case breather and see what happens at the chest breather.
Since it is the same place atmospherically this should result in me being able to fell puffs from the chest breather.
If so then I will leave it be and use some 2 stroke oil in the petrol as Nev suggests.
Cheers
Gary

[garycullen]

Nev, I have to ask the question: is your egg cup an Emu’s egg or Bantum egg cup?

I took a random egg cup from the kitchen cupboard and measured a cup full as 35 ml.
So that is what I have added as 2 stroke oil. My tank is the big one which I think is also for SQ4’s so close to 4 gallons?

Gary.

[Roger.Baker]

My VB had a 5/16 in hole on the bottom of the valve chest; the thing burnt oil like it was going out of style. After new valve guides ,resleeving the barrel and a Heplex piston didn't make much difference I turned up a plug with a 2mm hole for it; oil burning ( and smoking ) doesn't happen any more.
Roger

[garycullen]

Thanks Roger,
I intend to leave mine as it is now. The hole in mine is about 3/16.
For interest sake do you feel puffs or sucks when placing your finger over the end of the valve chest breather?
Gary

[Roger.Baker]

Gary,
Just tried it, doesn't seem to suck or blow when revved from a fast tick over. I've a plastic tube on the breather that extends below the bottom frame tube, don't know if that affects it, certainly it's oily so must be blowing when it's revving on the road. I did the mod about 900 miles ago, the valve chest seems oily, not dry at all.
Roger

[Mike Nash]

Gary,

I might have to follow Roger's path if mine burns too much oil. (Its yet to run after a rebuild; a couple of years of family and health concerns have delayed me.) Regarding oil consumption, my "Ariel Owner's Guide for the 1954-55 Models" says they " . . should average about 2000/2500 m.p.g. solo . . " (and remember that's the IMPERIAL gallon, the big one.) So Ariel expected something like only 250/300 miles per pint even when the engine's in good order. And in my experience sidevalvers run best and most reliably with a good deal of piston clearance so I think you should expect to have a relatively high consumption rate.

Regarding Nev's advice on adding oil in the fuel, when he first mentioned it a while ago I found my egg cup was 40cc and I've added it (when I remembered) to the fuel in my Morris Minor as a safeguard against rust in the 60 year old tank. In one gallon of fuel that's a ratio of about 1/125 which gives no smoke even on tickover. And overall oil consumption for my Morris is about 200 to the pint.
Regards from MikeN.

[garycullen]

Thanks or the comments Mike and Roger.
Like I said I am going to leave it be for now, apart from having added 35 ml of 2 stroke oil to the petrol tank, and see what it is like after it has run a few miles and got up to temperature.
I am still dealing with the engine being hard to start which I am sure is carburetter related.
I have a new 276 now installed just waiting for a break in this wet April and May we have been having in Auckland.

cheers
Gary