Noisy exhaust valve tip

Well, this is my first post in this forum. I am actually a Norton Dominator owner, but I prefer to write on Commandos chapter rather than others.

The reason of this entry is because, for some reason after a few days of normal riding, rare sound came out from the exhaust rockers.

After a close inspection I can notice that, even when oil came out through the rocker arms ends, no oil is splashed in the valve tip...so it produced a "scream". A few drops of oil solve the problem for another week of daily ride.

The question is simple. How it is supposed that the lubrication oil reach the valve tip?

I appreciate any comments about!

Yass

My valve "tips" (if you mean the end of the valve where the rocker arm rides on) are usually pretty well covered with oil, presumably from splash off the arms, but then I have a Commando, not a Dominator. Which makes me wonder why you ask the question here, perhaps the head design is exactly the same, but....

I have seen the oil spray out exhaust rockers on blip ups so can't believe at running rpms the oil slash allows dry contacts anywhere. Very strange and hope to learn something from you on this eventually.

Generally speaking there is enough oil flying around in there to keep everything lubed. Is your return line plumbing and oil tank all original.
I have seen this happen when someone installed a custom oil tank which removed the restriction that causes some of the return oil to flow into the head. Jim

The above are hedging around mentioning the fact that a lot of dommies have dribble feed from the oil return plumbing providing oiling to the head, not full pressure feed like Commandos (and some late dommies) do.

The Dommie Owners Handbook says that it is recommended to every now and then place you finger over the oil return pipe into the oil tank, to force oil up the feed pipe to the head and flush any particles out that may be restricting flow. This also would give the valves a good bath, and save the need for the oil can. There is supposed to be a pathway along the (outside) of the rockers for the oil to flow to the valve tips, maybe one is not as clean as it should be ? Does this valve look to be getting the same amount of oil as the other valves - maybe the oilway drillings in the head are not clear enough to allow sufficient oil to this valve ?

Well, first of all let me thank you everyone of you that has spent your time trying to solve my problem.

Maybe it is not usually for you to hear about those kind of problems on Commandos. As far as I know with the increase of power also came an increase of the oil flow in general.

My 1958 Dominator has its original oil pump, and oil tank, with the restriction. The oil line that goes up to the head is a transparent pipe so I can see that just kicking the oil goes through.

Even with the engine idling, with the rocker cover of you could see oil comming out from in the ending of the rocker arms very close to the head...but even when I putted my finger inside the tank a poster suggested, that oil goes down without splashing...there is not oil on the tip of the valve....at least in exhaust rockers.....

In the inlet rockers, there is enough oil on the tips...

I can assure that oil conducts are clear...

So what can be happening...

When the noisy suddenly appears, a couple of drops cure the "scream", but it is unconfortable to manually oil this parts!

Sorry again for writing in Commando Forum!

I am a member of INOA a good friend from Ed Ostack!

I live in Cuba...

Best regards,

And thank you very, very much!

Summarizing...

Why, if there is oil over there, it just goes down because of gravity and doesn't splash to keep everything wet???

Mistery!!!!

Now the end of the rocker is plain, as the wall of the head....so what produces the splash?

The rocker movement, (in may case) doesn't makes any splash...

Maybe in Commandos the extra presure causes the splash, and in earlier Dominators must be a kind of groove, or palette to make this splash....

Something missing? Any trick?

Thanks again!

I don't know that this is the answer but on my race bikes I have been known to drill a very small hole into the spindle bore on the rocker so that oil was directed toward the exhaust valve spring. I did it for cooling but maybe it would work for you also.

To drill into the hardened rocker you need to use a carbide burr to get through the hard surface before a drill will work. Jim

Maybe I am disturbing too much if I ask for a picture, or a diagram about this? I would be happy just if you open paint an draw something for me to understand...

Remember that english is not my native language...

Anyway...

I have thought a lot about this....

And maybe the drill is the solution, but maybe as the is not pressure the oil just goes down....

Furthermore the position of the rocker, if you looked it from one side, is upper the part of the valve tip than the dipstick (I mean the camfollower pushrods), so if I drill the rocker maybe the oil doesn't goes were I want...

Anyway again...

Is this a problem of all Dominators? Because maybe there is some detail left that prevents the splash!!

I think I am closer but a bit far yet...

Thank you!

Yass

I don't know the Dominators well enough to know if it is a common problem or not.

Here is what I would do if everything else is as it should be.

Very clear!!!

mmmm...seems very interesting!

Now the next step is to ask a local turner if he is able to do that...I don't know if here those drills are available..

In my thoughs trying would not damage anything,

right?

By the way comnoz...

I would like to open another topic (uneven idle), but I am new in that forum stuff..

Do I have to be up to date to changes in the forum, or there is a way that an alert arrives via email, so I go back to the forum!

I am not sure I understand your question regarding the use of the forum. You can set up email alerts for private messages. Typically you either start a new topic, such as this thread or just join in to another. For specific questions on use, perhaps you should contact LAB, our moderator.

I think it is very cool that we have a member who is living in Cuba. I am certain that you and we shall benefit from this!

Mucho gusto
Russ

Mucho gusto too sr.

I just want a way to get alerted via email, without the need of having the forum web page refreshing all the time.

Is there a way?

Yass

P.S PLEASE I WANT TO KEEP THE THREAD ALIVE!!!

Early stock Dommie's do not have a pressure oil feed, its more luck if oil gets to the rockers, you system requires an up date, kits are available...but rocker shafts may require changing as oil will swamp the head.
If you have the original return feed, you should stick your finger over the tank return hole when starting. this ensures some oil...then its luck.

Thanks John for your reply.

As I live in Cuba it would be very difficult for me to access those available kits...so I am in need of upgrading by myself...

You mean that what I describe is a normal behaviour in old domies?

I have a couple of tips I haven't mentioned because I didn't want friends to say...ahhhh good idea...in that case no good ideas will have come...

But I designed a kind of spoon, that fitted with the rocker adjuster and, with the up and down movement of the rocker itself, takes the oil that falls and splash it....but....in my thought it is a weak point in my machine, that if broken, could make damage...

The other ideas was to put some antifriction polymere X1 and wait to see how long takes the noise to surge...

More ideas?

john robert bould said:

Early stock Dommie's do not have a pressure oil feed, its more luck if oil gets to the rockers, you system requires an up date, kits are available...but rocker shafts may require changing as oil will swamp the head.
If you have the original return feed, you should stick your finger over the tank return hole when starting. this ensures some oil...then its luck.

Click to expand...

It's quite a process to update them correctly.
1. New, larger Oil pump and drive gear
2.Non-scrolled spindles
3. Oil line kit
4. Intake guides with seals

I have heard of guys reducing the size of the restriction at the tank to get more oil into the head. Jim

The oil up grade fittings are available through suppliers.
I fitted the kit and made reducers to cut down the oil supply, the hole size was approx 10 thou .010 or .250 mm i got away with just a hint of smoke in the exhaust .i kept the original rocker spindles...but your guides need to be a good fit.

Howdy yasser, took me a while to notice it was you posting. I'm one of ole 'Tomato Man' Ed Ostack friends supporting some un-smuggled parts. I started a photo thread of your poor old Norton rebuilding in this forum's "Other brands of Motorcycles" area, then it was mentioned how risky for you-me-others to commune and sure enough it was about then [maybe 3 yr ago] you had to lay low a while. We would all love to see the island life and times with your Domi and your other gals front and center. Ed has been keeping us abreast so likely has photo's galore, if its sensable to display them...?

I'm Miami Fla. boy so it gave me a lift to see cocoanut palms again as all of em in Fla. died off but the ones in my driveway the freeway didn't get. Hope you get the head spitting and draining for the long haul. Hm, I guess they don't require helmets in your State.

john robert bould said:

The oil up grade fittings are available through suppliers.
I fitted the kit and made reducers to cut down the oil supply, the hole size was approx 10 thou .010 or .250 mm i got away with just a hint of smoke in the exhaust .i kept the original rocker spindles...but your guides need to be a good fit.

Click to expand...

I have never done one that way.
Of coarse the only time I have done the upgrade was when I was doing a complete motor build for someone else. Jim

Mr. Conmoz

Is it too much bother to ask you for one of those special drills used for that porpuse? Is that too expensive?