inspection camera for looking at Norton engine

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p400

p400

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I would like to inspect a Norton (or other MC) internally.
*cylinder scoring
*cam wear
*whatever
What is being use for this small port (spark plug or drain plug) inspection by knowledgeable Norton or rather any pro motorcycle mechanics.
I see a camera available at my local Advance Auto.
 

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I used to use a boroscope all the time for looking at the things you mention. Generally, once suspicions were aroused, after a look we tore the engine down anyway.
We either saw a confirmation of a problem, or reckoned it was somewhere we couldn't see it.
 
<insert gynaecology/proctologist/urologist jokes here> ?

How would you get access to look at the cam ?
The lifters are totally inaccessible and unviewable.
All the bearings and bushes and big ends likewise can't be viewed.
The piston/skirt is buried in its bore.
etc etc.

Only really evident damage to the bore might be visible,
and the oil use and maybe smoke coming out the pipes and other indications (compression test etc) would tell you that anyway...

Conclusion - Very limited use for a Norton engine.
About all the things you want to look at need to be apart to see them.
Unless there is something I am totally missing.....

Might be good for studying the insides of petrol tanks though.
Although the fuel leaks will tell you that anyway too.
 
Hi, The one I have seems to like the one in the photo and it has a limited field of view, it will only show clearly very close up and only straight ahead, I have tried to use it often and have been disappointed . They are fun to play with though.
 
Rohan said:
How would you get access to look at the cam ?
The lifters are totally inaccessible and unviewable.
Only really evident damage to the bore might be visible...

Conclusion - Very limited use for a Norton engine.
About all the things you want to look at need to be apart to see them.
Click to expand...

To borrow an image from Kber45, you can imagine the bore scope snaking up through the sump plug to look at the cam lobes and lower areas of the bores.
inspection camera for looking at Norton engine


It would just be a matter of rolling the crank into position to allow passage of the scope. They're pretty flexible.
There's been enough posts lately about lost power and what could be the cause that the use of this could assist in diagnosis. True, you can use leak-down testers and measure valve lift for verification, but there's something satisfying about being able to peer into the heart without performing open-heart surgery.

Nathan
 
Hmmm, a Nortonologist in the making.
Practicing a walletectomy, no doubt.....

That cam tunnel shroud is going to prevent any view of the cam lobes ?

But, I can imagine turning the engine over for a slightly better look at a dark oily image of 'something',
and hearing your borescope crunching in amongst the engine internals !! ?


Nater_Potater said:
To borrow an image from Kber45, you can imagine the bore scope snaking up through the sump plug to look at the cam lobes and lower areas of the bores.
inspection camera for looking at Norton engine
Click to expand...
 
I bought one off ebay that plugs into an Android device (phone or tablet), I think I paid $12 delivered.

...haven't used it yet.
 
I did my upper & lower borescope 3 years ago, couldn't see squat from the sump plug. I'll post images later
 
I have one like that pictured above. They go down the spark plug hole but you can't see valves or head from inside. I haven't been able to get to the cam area either. They come in handy sometimes in other areas but so do those little dentist type mirrors. Mine has few bits that came with it one of which is a small but strong magnet that has picked up a few dropped nuts from deep in car engine bay for which I was very grateful to it. It cost £35 from Ebay an I have other special tools like crank pinion puller that cost more but only used once so I don't think it's to bad. They can be very useful thought if like me you have young children that want to "help" it keeps them amused for ages :D
 
grandpaul said:
I bought one off ebay that plugs into an Android device (phone or tablet), I think I paid $12 delivered. ...haven't used it yet.
Click to expand...

I ordered one of these cell phone borescope, off of Ebay, last nite.........$13 with mirrors, magnet, cord..........

The borescope manufactures and even medical equipment manufactures have got to be pooping their pants.
 

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I have a Harbor Freight version that I bought to look into a wall. While it's pretty good for that its use in an engine is nothing like a real borescope. I bought a used tractor engine that had enough rust in one cylinder that I suspected the head was cracked. The dentist type mirrors that come with the HF was useless to see the crack but I know from experience a real borescope would have see it easily through what I think is a prism angle head. If there had been something big like a badly burned valve the HF would be able to reveal it but a leak down tester would find it just as easily.

The real tiny unit my MD looks into my sinus with might be able to get a look at a cam lobe but I don't think he'd let it go.
 
p400 said:
I ordered one of these cell phone borescope, off of Ebay, last nite.........$13 with mirrors, magnet, cord..........

The borescope manufactures and even medical equipment manufactures have got to be pooping their pants.
Click to expand...

These things are perfect for finding obstructions in sanitary facilities (well at least within one or two meters from the sink) but the resolution is not good enough to really identify anything in the engine.

And don't drop one of those clip-on mirrors or magnets in the cylinder ..... :mrgreen:


Tim
 
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