Pathetic rocker oil feed V500

[dennis.t]

Having finally managed to start my 1955 V500 alloy head by replacing the carb but the oil feed to the rockers is pathetic, barely a dribble and certainly no pressure.
I have an in line oil filter of the spin-on type. Oil is returning to the tank and the engine is idling perfectly. Perhaps I would have expected more oil flow back to the tank based on other bikes I own.
I ran the bike for about ten minutes with no improvement in oil flow to the rockers. I disconnected the pipe to the rockers and barely a dribble of oil came out so it is not a problem of back pressure from the rockers. I tried pulling oil through the rocker feed tube using a syringe but all I got was air! I pushed air down the tube with syringe and I felt no resistance. I don't think I have plumbed up the rocker feed incorrectly; it comes off the return pipe to the oil tank on a smaller diameter T piece built into the pipe i.e. not one constructed by me.
Should I take the oil filter out of the system and see if that improves things?
The oil pump seemed fine when I fitted it and it has new springs and balls. I have another pump to try but I should welcome any suggestions before changing the pump.
Dennis

[dave.owen]

I personally don't think you need an inline oil filter on a single, they do run with very low pressure , putting the filter in will no make any easier for oil to return.
Once started you will see oil from the sump at a good rate , after that the return will be in spurts, the return has twice the capacity of the feed.

Dave

[paul.jameson]

With the engine running, put your finger or thumb over the return hole in the oil tank pipe below the filler cap. This will pressurise the oil feed to the rockers. You need very little oil to lubricate the rockers but it is worth doing this on a newly built engine for a minute or so. Once you ride the bike, there will be plenty of oil getting up there.

[Roger Gwynn]

I agree with Paul, the rockers will survive on a little mist. When I reduced the flow to the rockers on my KH as per the factory 1957 mod it ran without problems but the inside of the rocker covers was only lightly smeared with oil and looked dry

[Steven.Carter]

I agree with Paul, the rockers will survive on a little mist. When I reduced the flow to the rockers on my KH as per the factory 1957 mod it ran without problems but the inside of the rocker covers was only lightly smeared with oil and looked dry

I think it would be great if there wasn't any oil up there at all, save all that mess

[dennis.t]

Steven I agree wholeheartedly and thanks for all the other comments. As an experiment today I put a T piece on the oil return line before the spin-on filter and used the line off that for the rockers feed. On starting the engine I had oil flowing almost immediately to the rockers so I am going to try that for a while. I have no gauze filter in the tank so I am sticking with the spin-on filter for now. I am getting a pulse of oil back into the tank as per Dave's comment. With reference to Steven's comment I now have the problem of oil weeping from both banjo connections! I have tried using no washers, fibre washers and then copper washers, all with no success. On the plus side the engine is running sweetly but is very noisy at the top end. I probably need to revisit adjusting the tappets.
Dennis

[JohnnyBeckett]

hi i have got Morgo oil pump on my ariel and i got a nice flow to the rockers

[dennis.t]

Yes I hear good things about Morgo pumps.

[JoshJ]

Trying to get a new Morgo is the hard part..

[Roger Gwynn]

If by Morgo pump you mean the uprated plunger pump rather than his gear one, Draganfly now do an uprated plunger one.