Ariel Owners Motorcycle Club

Started my 52 Ariel four today, last ran in 1962.
Engine completely disassembled and reassembled in 2024.
There is a big oil leak, oil dripping off cylinders, mostly left rear cylinder but other places too, lots of oil.
Checking with trouble light it looks like oil is coming out between cylinders and head where head gasket is.
Please tell me what happened.

thanks, Jerry

I wonder how flat the top of the cylinder block is. You got quite forceful freeing off those seized pistons.
The rocker box drains down onto the cam followers and cam through the head gaskets and there can
be quite a lot of oil especially if a morgo pump has been fitted. Is there any sign of the cylinders blowing?

Check your rocker oil lines too - I went down a bit of a rabbit hole with a top end oil leak and eventually found two things - one, that the feed into the front of the rocker box needs a copper sealing washer (it cooks fibre washers) and two, that I had a very poor joint on one of the unions.

So bad that there was oil all over the steering damper!

I wonder how flat the top of the cylinder block is. You got quite forceful freeing off those seized pistons.

That is fantastic memory.
The pistons were moderatley stuck, not to bad, came out easy with the fixture I made.
I check head and cylinder both were flat.

The rocker box drains down onto the cam followers and cam through the head gaskets and there can
be quite a lot of oil especially if a morgo pump has been fitted.

Using original two piston pump.

Is there any sign of the cylinders blowing?

Head gaskets are ok, checked nuts, all were tight.
To much oil even if gasket failed.

Check your rocker oil lines too - I went down a bit of a rabbit hole with a top end oil leak and eventually found two things - one, that the feed into the front of the rocker box needs a copper sealing washer (it cooks fibre washers) and two, that I had a very poor joint on one of the unions.

Head oil line fitting is dry.


This is a Jed Clampet leak, Jed move away from here, movie stars, swimming pools (american comedy)
Thanks for the replies, I appreciate the help.
I've seen a lot of strange things in this life.

That is some oil leak - impressed.

For what it's worth Jed and family made it to the UK. One of my fellow instructors was nicknamed Jed.
He was tall, came from wildest Bedfordshire but didn't have the money.

One problem I had with my Mk1 was that the studs on the cylinder head fouled the 3rd fin on the cylinder
before the head had settled as too much had been machined off the cylinder over the years. The nuts
seemed tight and they were but they weren't pulling the head down properly.

Does the compression measure up ok?

Check the oil pressure gauge in the tank - is the oil union leaking ??

Bob.

For what it's worth Jed and family made it to the UK. One of my fellow instructors was nicknamed Jed.
He was tall, came from wildest Bedfordshire but didn't have the money.

Very rare name in usa, never met any Jed.

Does the compression measure up ok?

All cylinders 90 psi

Check the oil pressure gauge in the tank - is the oil union leaking ??

Oil gauge was reading 10 psi, have not verified gauge is accurate.
External oil line and fittings on head are dry.

That 10 psi is with the engine hot? Cold? Idling?

My MK1 runs 70 psi on cold idle, about 25 when hot. If you're seeing 10, thats suspicious to me.

I think this is going to be technical - moved!

SG