Camshaft wear
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Fast Eddie
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If you have a cam with worn lobes, and want a cam with Stelite lobes, RGM can get them welded and ground.
Megacycle do not list a stock Commando cam in their catalogue. Someone else might know more about whether or not they can / will supply one.
I’m pretty sure Webcam would do one, PM Comnoz, he’ll know for sure.
WZ507
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Fanfare26 said....
The Megacycle 560-00 requires 3" radius lifters and is a fairly hot performance cam.
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Mine, origin AN, in 2 cams very used (2 mm) after 7000 kilometers , I am discouraged well and of course the tappets are lined well.
I use some oil motorcycle MOTUL 3100 MA2 20/50, drain away all the 3000kms, oil pump new .
I look for a reliable one (NOS 70 to 72
) to make still several tens of thousands of kilometers as that of origin (80 000 km).
Never had of problems of camshaft on my previous 5 Norton like that.
I read many messages on the subject in the forum and it is not reassuring on what we can find at present he seems to me for a use route only.
Thanks very much for yours answers.
I use some oil motorcycle MOTUL 3100 MA2 20/50, drain away all the 3000kms, oil pump new .
I look for a reliable one (NOS 70 to 72
) to make still several tens of thousands of kilometers as that of origin (80 000 km).Never had of problems of camshaft on my previous 5 Norton like that.
I read many messages on the subject in the forum and it is not reassuring on what we can find at present he seems to me for a use route only.
Thanks very much for yours answers.
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There must be an assembly mistake in that engine if our cam shows wear in only 7.000 miles. I have run our camshafts in the engines of the family Commandos (including racers) for many years and have yet to see wear on lobes. The most "vintage" I know for sure is the PW3 cam in our "family racer" that has seen over 20 racing seasons. No wear. (twenty years ago sourced from Mick Hemmings who had his cams made by the same people and in the same material we use gfor all our camshafts)
After looking at photos of the Fanfan engine our Ashley comments:
1. The oil way from the inlet side of the head to the timing cover side is either blocked, or valve stem oil seal is off – you can see where oil has been drawn down the inlet valve guide on the right hand valve and ran down the back of the valve stem and rose.
2. Tappets around the wrong way, no great deal as this, as this has been seen before on engines that have not failed, but it does show incompetence on the engine builder – he should have queried the difference!
3. Looks like something has passed through the right hand chamber, scores in the piston covered by carbon, any decent engine builder would have polished the scratches out the best they could to prevent carbon adhering and causing hot spots prior to re-assembly.
4. None standard push rods – length of rods? – where are ball ends? The rods are also parallel for their entire length to the reduction to get the ball end on – not ours.
Another fault I have seen is the length of the guides for the tappets are a fraction too long for sports camshafts on some barrels and have to be ground away in that area. If not they wear on the cam and, further, the cam then "closes" their mouth which gives resistance to movement of the tappets. In one case I expereinced in a friend's engine the pushrod jumped out when the camfollower overcame that resistance and closed rather rapidly. Had he gone on no doubt the cam would have started to wear. In his case no damage was done (PW3 cam in 750 engine).
So, if that engine is re-assembled with the same parts in the same manner it is most likely the cam wear problem will re-appear, no matter whose camshaft is being used.
Joe/Andover Norton
After looking at photos of the Fanfan engine our Ashley comments:
1. The oil way from the inlet side of the head to the timing cover side is either blocked, or valve stem oil seal is off – you can see where oil has been drawn down the inlet valve guide on the right hand valve and ran down the back of the valve stem and rose.
2. Tappets around the wrong way, no great deal as this, as this has been seen before on engines that have not failed, but it does show incompetence on the engine builder – he should have queried the difference!
3. Looks like something has passed through the right hand chamber, scores in the piston covered by carbon, any decent engine builder would have polished the scratches out the best they could to prevent carbon adhering and causing hot spots prior to re-assembly.
4. None standard push rods – length of rods? – where are ball ends? The rods are also parallel for their entire length to the reduction to get the ball end on – not ours.
Another fault I have seen is the length of the guides for the tappets are a fraction too long for sports camshafts on some barrels and have to be ground away in that area. If not they wear on the cam and, further, the cam then "closes" their mouth which gives resistance to movement of the tappets. In one case I expereinced in a friend's engine the pushrod jumped out when the camfollower overcame that resistance and closed rather rapidly. Had he gone on no doubt the cam would have started to wear. In his case no damage was done (PW3 cam in 750 engine).
So, if that engine is re-assembled with the same parts in the same manner it is most likely the cam wear problem will re-appear, no matter whose camshaft is being used.
Joe/Andover Norton
Matchless
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The thing to remember is most camshaft wear occurs the first time a rebuilt engine is started, even if carefully assembled. The engine should NOT be allowed to idle for the first twenty minutes or so. Best to run at 2000rpm as the cam runs at half this speed. Also the cam & followers should be coated with a suitable assembly compound such as Lubriplate or similar.
Martyn.
Martyn.
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Hello Joe,
Thank you very much for your answer.
Not easy for me, french, to translate your explanation.(point 1 and 2)
I do not question your camshaft, I try especially to understand how it was able to arrive.
I use only parts Andover Norton for 40 years.
This engine was redone by a mechanic and I have just opened it to 7000 km now, pistons were new so that the camshaft, the tappets, oil pumps , small cushions of connecting rod, rotation brace, guides and valves etc...
Here is before changing the camshaft and the buttons I have sure to find the origin of this wear.
Can you give me more details to points 1 and 2 by e-mail ?
Thank you very much for your answer.
Not easy for me, french, to translate your explanation.(point 1 and 2)
I do not question your camshaft, I try especially to understand how it was able to arrive.
I use only parts Andover Norton for 40 years.
This engine was redone by a mechanic and I have just opened it to 7000 km now, pistons were new so that the camshaft, the tappets, oil pumps , small cushions of connecting rod, rotation brace, guides and valves etc...
Here is before changing the camshaft and the buttons I have sure to find the origin of this wear.
Can you give me more details to points 1 and 2 by e-mail ?
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Good points and usually overlooked if known . Cam wear was not an issue when Norton had the use of the Thruxton circuit. Every new Norton was taken for a test thrash and so the motors did not idle.
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