rocker cover

[bazzer]

Hi i own a 1958 a7 which developed a oil leak from the rocker cover which was only slight and intended to do over winter unfortunately a oil pipe spit so decided to do both I have tried for three days with bits of wire and a mirror on a stick and i have got no wear i live brighton and have ask all my local garages if they can help me which if your bike is nearly 70 years a nostarter if anybody knows of someone who works on them a would be very very grateful my contact email is putfidge@msn.com of 07926115703 i now have go and ask my next door neighbour if I can have two of my spanners back as some how they ended up in his on the 3rd day of trying
regards Barry

[DAVE BRADY]

Hi Bazzer,

As you are talking about the rocker box I assume that you are trying to get the pushrods back in place or is it something else?

Dave.
 

[rhyatt]

you need a thing called a "comb" which holds the pushrods in the right place

[Bee-Za]

Is it the banjo pipe

[DAVE BRADY]

Hi,

The banjo pipe that feeds the rockers comes from the back of the oil tank.  Where did yours split?

Dave.

[bazzer]

thanks for getting back i have a comb tried  with no success the banjo bolts have been removed from the rocker cover and they spit just above the oil tank

[Bee-Za]

Is it the small copper pipe which comes from the oil tank to the rocker box. If so a normal plumber could try and replace the small bore copper pipe. I've also seen a piece of reinforced plastic pipe with 2 jubilee clips do the job. Also if the small copper pipe has cracked/ split as it comes out of banjo then you can remove the pipe off the   bike and heat the banjo with a blow torch and remove and discard the the broken bit. Now clean the end of the small bore pipe. Then put a small bit of soldering flux into the banjo hole where the broken piece came out. Heat the banjo, insert it into the hole then heating both gently add solder and allow to cool naturally. Maybe I'm wrong but others can add....

[Dean Southall]

Pre-unit twin rocker box replacement....the most hateful task in all of BSA ownership

I bent the comb so the 'handle' section would lay flat on the top fin of the cylinder head and then carefully used vice grips to hold it in place while fitting the rocker box.

[TTJOHN]

Pre-unit twin rocker box replacement....the most hateful task in all of BSA ownership

I bent the comb so the 'handle' section would lay flat on the top fin of the cylinder head and then carefully used vice grips to hold it in place while fitting the rocker box.

Yes Dean , That's the way to do it, I did put a post with photo's to show the best way to get them in, not sure if the post is still available, the other bit about this was to turn the engine over so that all the push rods are as close to level as possible first.

[bazzer]

Hi all sorry thanks for all the advice but after many hours of trying and i mean many hours i found the best way for me was
a mirror on a stick a piece of wire and two rubber bands could not get the comb in the right place even when clamped

[limeyrob]

I too found you have to use bands to keep the comb in place and also the combs now sold are not a good fit and need a fair bit of filing.

[DAVE BRADY]

Hi,

In more years than care to remember,I have never used the comb. I found that it interfered with the gasket/goo.  I use elastic bands to hold the rockers up and turn the engine so that the push rods are all in their lowest, off cam position.
Usually two or three and occasionally all four push rods find their proper place. Otherwise a bit of a prod with a screwdriver finishes the job.

Dave.

[bazzer]

Hi
after managing to re fit my rocker cover took it for a test run only to find it still leaked so decided
to try copper ones and after two test runs and a run out last weekend came back as dry as a bone thank you
Ebor Bikes