Rocker oil feed line questions??

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Diamondjet

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I've managed to become quite confused with the oil feed line from the crankcase to the head and rockers.

My parts box has a oil feed line with 4 banjos but I've also come up with a broken line that has only one banjo and a smaller one at that! Is this from another bike or does this go someplace on the 1973 850 Roadster that I've forgotten about?....wouldn't be the first time. Thanks in advance.
 
The stock setup has the long feed line going to one of the supply ports in the head. The supply ports are the holes between the spindles. This is connected with a double banjo which also secures the short line going to the supply on other side of the head.
 
You only need one external oil line. That line would normally have only three banjo's.

However, many stainless lines have two sections. One, with a banjo at each end, to go from the timing cover to the right side of the head. The second, with a banjo at each end, to go from the right side of the head to the left side of the head. A double length bolt is used at rhe right side.

Also, some of the oil pressure gauge kits, such as the one from Old Britts use a banjo fitting to direct the pressure feed through the steering stem, so would require a third length of line and a fourth banjo fitting.
 
Diamondjet said:
My parts box has a oil feed line with 4 banjos
Click to expand...

Is it a two piece stainless braided line, as there wouldn't be any reason to have a one piece oil feed line with four banjo fittings,-unless one was for an oil pressure gauge connection, possibly?



The original banjos are smaller than the ones normally used for stainless braided fittings, so the stainless type may require shouldered banjo bolts.
 
You're right...only three banjos. The 4th is completely different piece and smaller. Must be off of a different kind of bike.
 
I'll have to look at the rocker set-up again.....I'm not sure how a hole drilled into the shaft will feed both left and right rocker cavities.
 
ludwig said:
If you drill trough the inlet rocker shafts , you'll only need one line and 2 banjos .
Click to expand...

So the total oiling through one fitting to all 4 shafts indirectly, is as good as through two fittings to two pairs of shafts?
 
Best to have it done by a competent machinist, since I'm not, I had mine drilled which was probably cheaper than buying a cobalt or other super fancy drill bit.

Jean
 
i would imagine drilling the shafts the same diameter as the line or as close to it as possible so a pressure drop isn't experienced would be proper? I know a ton of pressure isn't needed up there, but...

What do ya'll think?
 
No just drill them with an 1/8 inch drill bit. They are case hardened only So a #3 carbide center drill will break the skin, than a normal drill for the soft steel inside. Yes the thread is 5/16 -22 same as the gas tank bolts on BSA's. So the oil goes right through the first rocker shaft into the second (They meet in the casting) than through a drill way up to the exhaust side and so on. Why the factory did all this extra plumbing with fittings on a high pressure rocker system is hard to say. It sure makes no sense to leave it that way now.
 
I just can't resist posting this one. There was a Commando oil line with 4 banjos. Dunstall sold a cam with oil holes drilled through the lobes and fed from the left end of the cam. He supplied a rocker oil line with an extra hose running down to a fourth banjo that fed the left end of the cam.





Ken
 

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