Rocker oil feed lines

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olympus

olympus

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Hi Gents
Can someone advise me please what the oil feed banjo bolt (oil feed to rockers) size is and the thread please.

Thanks
 
BSF has a 55 degree thread angle while UNF thread angle is 60 degrees.
 
If he is talking about the bolt on the back of the timing cover it is 1/4 bsf. I just replaced one.
 
@htown16 not sure what you mean?

All three of the rocker oil feed banjo bolts are the same thread 5/16 BSF (22tpi) as mentioned already.

Part number of the standard banjo bolt is 06-7696
 
Thank guys
I want the source the plastic braided lines & fitting to build myself as i want the introduce a Tee for an oil gauge
can some one recommend a stockists for 1/4 bore pipe & fittings in the UK??

Many thanks
 
Roger at RGM sells 1/4” bore cloth braided and stainless braided hose.
https://www.rgmnorton.co.uk/buy/1-4-bore-hose-with-cloth-over-braiding_1215.htm
https://www.rgmnorton.co.uk/buy/1-4-bore-braided-stainless-hose-per-foot_3824.htm


Something else to consider would be through drilling your rocker shafts and doing away with the hose that goes from left to right side.

That way you’ll have less joins, connections and no need for a tee piece as you could connect your gauge to the left side.

Our main man @comnoz did a vid on drilling rockers a while back
 
I replaced my original nylon lines with air brake nylon line of the same diameter. This stuff was available locally at an automotive store that had a lot of trucker/agricultural parts. Was $0.60 per foot on sale from $1/foot. Went on the original banjo spigots nice and firmly. I used a flaring tool to clamp the hose to help grip it but I'm sure other solutions would work. The line is doing great now for 2000 miles. My originals were 44 yrs old and also going strong, not leaking or cracked. So that is a testament to the material. Have heard of issues with the stainless braids such as chafing through any rubber lines or painted surfaces. Would suggest using pic covered SS braid if that's what you settle on.
 
I just watched Jim's video to see if he would mention that you only need to drill out the intake rocker shafts because in the head they meet in the middle thus transferring oil from one side of the head to the other. If you drill out the exhaust rocker shafts it serves no purpose and depending on the fit in the hole in the head could dump some oil pressure. I just looked and it is a blind hole so probably wouldn't really hurt anything but you only need to drill two rocker shafts.
 
I wonder if the external pipe's purpose might be to deliver cool oil to both sides, as opposed to far side getting oil pre-heated by its transit from the other side? I doubt that the cost of drilling the shafts exceeds that of the external piping.

I'm working on an oil cooler for the rocker lines' oil alone.
 
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Do the rocker shafts really need their own oil cooler? Just asking.
 
Not so much the rocker shafts as reducing oil temps in the head and as it drains down to the followers/cam. Based on Jim Comnoz’ scar testing it appears that many oils are OK up until a critical temperature is reached and then, higher than that point, the oils fail and damage to the cam or followers is possible. Further, the head, exhaust valve spring pockets especially, is a likely place where such damage occurs and where pre-cooling might be most helpful. As we know, oil temps at the tank are generally appropriate and usually need no reduction. Oil to the head, however, gets pre-heated as it enters the engine and then goes through compression heating at the oil pump before it goes up to one of the hottest parts of the engine.

Whether there is enough volume of oil being delivered by way of the rocker lines to effect any meaningful temperature reduction is the real question. Stock nylon lines were 3/16 IIRC and the braided stainless kits (at least the set on my bike) are apparently AN3, which while nominally also 3/16, chokes down to less than 1/8 at each of the banjos' barbs. So, since small diameters reduce flow, I'm looking at replacing my lines with 1/4 inch, or AN4 so that a cooler has more of a chance to be helpful. And then, that assumes that timing chest pressure regulator will allow that greater flow.
 
Last edited:
olympus said:
Thank guys
I want the source the plastic braided lines & fitting to build myself as i want the introduce a Tee for an oil gauge
can some one recommend a stockists for 1/4 bore pipe & fittings in the UK??

Many thanks
Click to expand...
I get all my hoses made up by Abbey hoses.(Essex)I think they are owned by pirtek.Youd be amazed what £20 buys there.
 
Simple solution is to use two double banjos then the LH one will take a length of quarter bore petrol pipe and you can then insert the narrower op gauge tubing inside with a smear of araldite to make it pressure tight ,optional is a small jubilee or similar clip but not really necessary. Smiths gauges are available in the UK .. pricey but they look the part..
 
Tornado said:
I replaced my original nylon lines with air brake nylon line of the same diameter. This stuff was available locally at an automotive store that had a lot of trucker/agricultural parts. Was $0.60 per foot on sale from $1/foot. Went on the original banjo spigots nice and firmly. I used a flaring tool to clamp the hose to help grip it but I'm sure other solutions would work. The line is doing great now for 2000 miles. My originals were 44 yrs old and also going strong, not leaking or cracked. So that is a testament to the material. Have heard of issues with the stainless braids such as chafing through any rubber lines or painted surfaces. Would suggest using pic covered SS braid if that's what you settle on.
Click to expand...
I did the same thing in 1988 when I rebuilt my 850 commando. Although it was in storage for many years, the lines are still working fine and have not cracked or broke after running this summer, but I think I will replace them next spring. If you slightly heat the end it will slide right on and conform to the banjo nipple when it cools, I did use small hose clamps just in case.
 
jsnorton said:
I did the same thing in 1988 when I rebuilt my 850 commando. Although it was in storage for many years, the lines are still working fine and have not cracked or broke after running this summer, but I think I will replace them next spring. If you slightly heat the end it will slide right on and conform to the banjo nipple when it cools, I did use small hose clamps just in case.
Click to expand...
The Nylon is a fine material for this application. Fitting to the banjos only requires a bit of "elbow grease" and strong twisting. Had read somewhere on these forums not to use heat to soften the line for fitting. I didn't need to. I also replaced the copper sealing crush washers on the banjos....in all I spent less than $5 for this renewal.....and can put the $145+ I saved over the stainless braided setup to better use elsewhere on this bike ;-)
 
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