Lucky 13 Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 Why does it always happen like this?I've just bought one of these as I'm in the processof rebuilding my engine and while stripping it I found excessive wear on the rocker arm.BUT - I've just read elsewhere that these things are the devils work and fitting them is a sure fire way of lunching your engine..... :'(Now is this just Internet gabble or is there really some substance to it?Does anyone have first hand experience - either positive (hopefully) or negative?Many thanks John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 Had one on an engine years ago, took it off PDQ. Floods the rockers with far far too much oil. Ends up burning oil, and reducing oil to the crank.If the rocker shaft is worn, it will be much worse. Do yourself a favour, fit a new shaft (about £20) or a recon rocker setup complete (I think £60 or so from paddocks) and then all will be good with the world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard B Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 If you fit it either plug the hole from the block, but then you are committed. Alternatively fit a restrictor to the amount of oil let through. If you are rebuilding an engine I wouldn't bother.Do clear out the three oil way drilling's in the head with a drill bit (by hand)1/8" down from rocker pedestal3/16" across from bolt at back of head1/4" up from head gasket face.With these cleared out of crap you'll see why people fit them (to bypass a problem, rather than sorting the cause).Yes I had one in my 2.5 Spitfire, made the top end really oily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucky 13 Posted April 10, 2012 Author Share Posted April 10, 2012 OK - not what I wanted to hear really. I'm having new valve guides installed and planned to install valve stem seals to help reduce oil flow down the the stems. Reground crank as well, and I certainly don't want to reduce oil flow to that, so...Anybody want to buy an unused Rocker Shaft Oil Feed Kit...................... going cheap??? :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
black6osprey Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 My car has an oil feed to the rocker which was put on in 2004 (previous owner).Cant say whether is good or bad but in the last 6 months since Ive had the car I havent had to top up on oil as the level has remained unchanged. Some people believe oil consumption goes up with the feed fitted. I replaced the rocker gasket the other week and oil was present on all rockers but not excessively and the inside of the rocker cover was pretty clean so as far as Im concerned it will stay where it is. Also after a decent drive if I check the oil level with the dipstick straight away its still a pretty healthy level and fills back up to normal level fairly quickly so it suggests there is plenty of oil where it should be and its not all stuck at the top of being lost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markcro Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 I bought one of these and fitted it around 6 months ago. A nice simple and neat install that took about 10mins. The car ran fine and didn't use an additional oil. But then I read the same horror stories of it reducing oil pressure to the crank bearings, which I suppose makes sense. So I removed it just to be safe. Pity as I liked the idea of extra oil getting to the head.Anyway, from what I read on here, the only way to know if it is having a negative effect on oil pressure would be with an oil pressure gauge. I don't have one fitted, so until I do I will leave it off just to be safe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 Yea, verily I say unto you that Ye Cylindre Heade Oile Feede is ye worke of ye Deville!No joking, it is a mistake to fit it. I ruined at least two engines before I sawe ye errrore of mye wayes!Experinec eis never cheap, but if you have taken it off PDQ, probably no harm done.John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
black6osprey Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 markcro wrote:Anyway, from what I read on here, the only way to know if it is having a negative effect on oil pressure would be with an oil pressure gauge. I don't have one fitted, so until I do I will leave it off just to be safe.I do have an oil pressure gauge and I have very good pressure, so again its staying where it is as I cant see a reason after 8 years of it being there to take it off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dannyb Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 I fitted mine but fitted a reducer inside the head of the pipe. It reduces it by about half the original size. I have had no problems Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 Thinking logically about this, the rocker feed is normally a smidgen pumped up. However, if straight from the gallery, it will be a full pressure supply.If the rocker gear is all very good, tight clearances and so on, it will supply more oil and high pressure, but may not be a serious issue.However, if the rocker gear is worn, it will leak vast amounts of oil, and that is probably when the serious issues occur, with pressure being lost as the oil leaks out the rockers and therefore starves the crank. But the main point is........do they really help anyway? No good just saying it isn't causing problems at the moment, to be fitted it has to serve a purpose and be an improvement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dannyb Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 Well they are sold as an improvement which is debatable . I have a completely recon engine and thought I would go halfway by reducing the flow through the pipe and have the best of both worlds. I can see that Clive's comments make sense about not fitting to a worn rocker shaft.I suppose in the end it's all about changing oil and filter regularly and not getting the oilways gummed up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucky 13 Posted April 10, 2012 Author Share Posted April 10, 2012 Thanks for the feedback guys. Real food for thought....As usual there's a variety of opinions, but on this subject it appears there's a general concensus that these things are suspect in some circumstances. I imagine putting them onto a worn engine is likely to bring out the worst case scenario. While installing one on a completely refreshed engine is probably the safest.My rebuild is costing a fair amount of cash, with just about everything being reground, rebored or renewed so I certainly want to protect that investment, hence why I bought it in the first place. I'm thinking I might follow the route suggested by Dannyb and fit a restrictor, while also keeping a very careful eye on oil consumption. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herald948 Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 I've long wondered how it is possible that an overwhelming majority of these engines survived and continue to survive just fine WITHOUT external feeds, valve stem oil seals, etc.? ;D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rotoflex Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 That way lies madness, Mr. Mace: next you'll be wondering how they sometimes do things like Aaron's car & run conspicuously hot but give him a break & wait until he's in a friend's spacious driveway to finally blow up. And then you'll ponder the meaning of how that repair entailed the use of a hammer, even for the replacement of a water pump gasket replacement. Don't go down that road of dark speculation... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard B Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 3310 wrote:Thanks for the feedback guys. Real food for thought....My rebuild is costing a fair amount of cash, with just about everything being reground, rebored or renewed so I certainly want to protect that investment, hence why I bought it in the first place. Hopefully you have a spin-on converter, thermostat & oil cooler. More worthwhile than a bypass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aar0sc Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 rotoflex wrote:That way lies madness, Mr. Mace: next you'll be wondering how they sometimes do things like Aaron's car & run conspicuously hot but give him a break & wait until he's in a friend's spacious driveway to finally blow up. And then you'll ponder the meaning of how that repair entailed the use of a hammer, even for the replacement of a water pump gasket replacement. Don't go down that road of dark speculation...The car only ran hot when it was going up his road, and the day before when heading up hill - it had never done so before! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bradley1500 Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 My car came fitted with one when I bought it and has done over 5000 miles with it so I wouldn't call it an engine killer.However saying that I'm going to be removing it as it's obviously putting pressure where it isn't needed and is making my already leaky engine even leakier!If you haven't fitted it yet I would leave it off, I can't see a need for them.Bradley. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucky 13 Posted April 10, 2012 Author Share Posted April 10, 2012 Richard; Yes, I've got a filter converter and oil cooler ready to install, and (turn away all you purists) I'm planning to use a golf radiator as the original 6 rad is in a bad state and would need recoring at least. So hopefully that should keep both oil and water at the correct temps....As for the oil feed kit - I'm being swayed by the 'bin it' argument. Cheers John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard B Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 I've got one of the Honda Civic aluminium radiators. They look very similar to a GT6 one. Tim Ward added the brackets for me.http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HONDA-CIVIC-92-00-EG-EK-ALUMINUM-RACING-RADIATOR-/200510470518?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item2eaf5af976#ht_803wt_698 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucky 13 Posted April 11, 2012 Author Share Posted April 11, 2012 Richard,Thanks for that - I think that's an even better option than the Golf rad.Also just to report the dreaded Oil Feed Kit is on it's way back to it's maker!Happy Days,John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cook1e Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 Richard_B wrote:I've got one of the Honda Civic aluminium radiators. They look very similar to a GT6 one. Tim Ward added the brackets for me. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HONDA-CIVIC-92-00-EG-EK-ALUMINUM-RACING-RADIATOR-/200510470518?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item2eaf5af976#ht_803wt_698What did you use for a top Hose Richard? It looks like the top hose input would be pretty much central on the Civic rad whereas it's over to one side on the GT6 RAD. Other than that that certainly looks like a good modern replacement... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimW Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 cook1e wrote:What did you use for a top Hose Richard? It looks like the top hose input would be pretty much central on the Civic rad whereas it's over to one side on the GT6 RAD. Other than that that certainly looks like a good modern replacement...2 90deg silicone elbows with a hose joiner connecting them together in a "S" shape if you follow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dannyb Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 I take it that the rad will only fit a GT6 and not a spity Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cook1e Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 339 wrote:2 90deg silicone elbows with a hose joiner connecting them together in a "S" shape if you follow., Makes sense. I think next time I need a new Rad for the GT6 the Honda Rad is definitly the way to go... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 WHAT????????Honda rad, all alloy, for �70??A repro one for a GT6 from a well known Midlands Triumph supplier is �227, to order!Will it fit a Vitesse???Or any other sugestions?John(I've got rad probs, bad) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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