1929 Sidevalve valve/tappet lubrication

[Graham.Goral]

Hi all,

I'm just rebuilding a 1929 Model A engine and can't see how (if at all) the valve chest in the one-piece top-end receives any lubrication. It's pretty rusty in there so perhaps it doesn't?

I have an early thirties VB which has a feed from the drive-side crankcase breather to a hole in the back of the valve chest and a drain hole to the cam chest between the two tappet holes.

Am I better off making the above mod to my 29 engine?

Another question is... Where can I obtain a sealing ring for the "lemon squeezer" finned cap above the exhaust valve please?

Cheers
Graham

[nevhunter]

You would be better off trying to inject high temp grease into the valve gides. Plenty of bikes did this originally around the early 30's and it works well. Just a tiny bit at the beginning of the day...
Q2. Part off aluminium or copper tube, of the right size, (carefully so as to have a good edge on each face) Nev

[john.whiting]

Most old bikes had no lubrication for the valve stems,or used a bit of blowby from the crankcase.WW2 Norton 16h still only had grease fittings.For valve caps,I have in the past used a ring of bare copper wire,one turn crossed over and squashed as the cap screws down.Now I use a copper gasket from a kit,most motor reconditioners and mechanics will have a kit of copper rings of various sizes .You could probably make a flat coil of copper wire with a touch of solder. Once the caps screwed down it wont matter if it melts.Regards John.

[Graham.Goral]

Ok guys, thanks for the guidance... I ended up turining up a sealing washer out of an old piston and it seems to work well.