Ariel Owners Motorcycle Club

1958 VH500 with older head and barrels.

I now have oil dripping off the valve lifter spindle. Also seem to have a cracked oil pipe which is making a but of a mess. But my question is.... Is it possible that my bike is building pressure in the rockers which is forcing oil through any available vent, causing it to weep oil? If there is a breather, where is it, and how easy is it to check it is not blocked.

Thanks.

On your crankcase LH side it's under the Inner Primary chaincase. Generously dimension compared to the earlier Models. Is your compression OK on the Kicker? Do you have a lot of Blowby at the rings? If so you'd probably have a bit of oil getting into the Magneto dynamo drive Nev

I patched the leaky pipe with some JB weld, and popped an O ring over the valve lifter spindle.

Had a long run over the last few days, 200miles plus on the Moidart Run, and the leaks while obvious are not as bad as I feared. Only topped up the oil tank with maybe 1/8th of a pint after all that. Very relieved- I was carrying a litre and a half with me!

I'll stop worrying about it!