GB is not OK, again!

[duTch]

 Not sure what  you mean there bergs... I can see unusual gaps there, but  ... come on fess up-spit it out

[berger]

on it,, shit parts and a worn barrel{highly unlikely[ or just shit fowollers{SEE TOLD YA I WENT TO PUB}

[KiwiGF]

OK, how about this theory: One of those dodgy followers got stuck. I cannot see any damage on the piston crowns. I'd better check the valves.

Good idea, a bent valve can cause a big tappet clearance (and rattle) as it does not return fully to closed position.

[WozzA]

Sorry to hear GB...  I hope it's a easy fix..
I had much the same problem just after a rebuild..
When the exhaust valve heated it nipped in the guide & the piston just kissed the valve..
A new valve & re ream the guide fixed my problem.
Check the valves have plenty of clearance in the guides..
Good luck with it mate...

[Topdad]

Hi GB have the SRM followers arrived yet ? I don't know about diamond coating but theones I got nearly 10 yrs ago are still superb ,well worth the money ,hope it sorts it ,Bob

[Greybeard]

Hi GB have the SRM followers arrived yet ? I don't know about diamond coating but theones I got nearly 10 yrs ago are still superb ,well worth the money ,hope it sorts it ,Bob

They have not arrived yet, Bob and there is no email update from SRM, so I hope they winging their way to me ATM.

[Greybeard]

I've just dropped out the new but knackered cam followers. One shows clear signs of a pushrod bearing on the lip. (looks like similar on another but not so pronounced). I'm sure that this caused the latest noise problem. I guess I  must have left it like that and the rod freed while I was riding . I've just filled the head combustion chambers with petrol and it didn't leak so I'm happy that the valves didn't take a hit.

Why have the followers worn so rapidly? I can only assume they are crap. I bought them from Feked. I'll be asking for a refund.

The SRM steel pushrods are all straight, thank goodness.

Look at those sexy SRM followers!

[duTch]

 With all the care you (thought you) took, it's a bad blue- but kinda lucky really as it enabled you to find such bad wear early....and it seemed to fall into place instead of out of place, could've been hazardous.

 In the first photo, the right rear lifter looks to have a mis-location mark on it too, but maybe the rod was sitting on them both for a short time (could also have been hazardous)

 Are they a good fit in their housing slots with regard to bergers previous observation, or was that (hopefully) just an optical thing...?

 Hoping that's the total 'damage' and the replacements arrive before too many (more) 'stiffies'.....    

[Greybeard]

 With all the care you (thought you) took, it's a bad blue- but kinda lucky really as it enabled you to find such bad wear early....and it seemed to fall into place instead of out of place, could've been hazardous.

 In the first photo, the right rear lifter looks to have a mis-location mark on it too, but maybe the rod was sitting on them both for a short time (could also have been hazardous)

 Are they a good fit in their housing slots with regard to bergers previous observation, or was that (hopefully) just an optical thing...?

 Hoping that's the total 'damage' and the replacements arrive before too many (more) 'stiffies'.....    

Yes indeed, rather lucky that I found those followers. I want to blame the followers for the pushrod misplacement but I have to admit it might have been me. (So much for my foolproof tappet location method. I'll have to add a further note to that post to advise applying pressure on the rocker arm to make sure the pushrod stays in place while the wires are pulled off.

The followers seemed to fit in the block ok.

[berger]

i recon morris has got it. they are made from cheese, it reminds me of soft cams in ducatis made in spain years ago,i notice holes in your push rods grey beard maybe you can't feel the sucky motion when they are sat in the follower cups with a bit of oil in them  . and as was pointed out its not a nice thing to find in one way but it is in another, you will be well pleased with the srm jobbies I got some last year for an engine I WILL get round to doing, even though they are pricey

[duTch]

 

.........I'm wondering if the noise that I heard was a sudden massive increase in valve clearance. I'm trying to convince myself that that is what it was. ......

GB that's the only mention you make of that, I was wondering if you happened to check or notice any extra valve clearance when you started your forensics.....I guess if the offending one was on the up at the time of unbolting, would be hard to notice without doing a dedicated lap of 'em all...?
 all in all, we all (I'm sure) keeping fingas crossed that's the only thing wrong....

[Greybeard]

i notice holes in your push rods grey beard maybe you can't feel the sucky motion when they are sat in the follower cups with a bit of oil in them...

Yes, you are right! I was wondering why the oil was not acting on them! There was a little piece of cam follower inside one of the pushrods before I cleaned them today.

[metalflake11]

Personally, I think you have got to the bottom of what has happened, saying the pushrod was sat 'on' rather than 'in' the follower cup.

Two weeks ago I had my cam 'faced up' and fitted new followers (all S.R.M.) in mine. After fitting the rods, I nip the rocker box up and leaving a big tappet gap start fiddling with them. Spin them, lift them, and see if I can feel them trying to leave the follower cups, and then centralise as they fall down again.

Anyway, on to you........This time, as I spun the engine there was an almighty clank, and it was indeed a pushrod finding its own way off the edge and into the cup while under pressure. The noise was a valve slamming shut. I've clocked up a few hundred miles since, and all is well after checking everything three or four times on assembly.

Amongst all the advice, Muskrats is as good as any.....DON'T RUSH!.....Get on with it by all means, but reaching a point like tightening the rocker box for the last time calls for a brew, a ciggie and several checks to see all is well beforehand.

As for the followers themselves!.........What a disgrace!....In the past I've gone without food to buy S.R.M parts rather than go cheap, and I'd do it again if I had to in a heartbeat.

[metalflake11]

i notice holes in your push rods grey beard maybe you can't feel the sucky motion when they are sat in the follower cups with a bit of oil in them...

Yes, you are right! I was wondering why the oil was not acting on them! There was a little piece of cam follower inside one of the pushrods before I cleaned them.

And that confirms it!

As we say in England, take your time, and hurry up!

Yorkshire beckons.

[RichardL]

When I've landed a pushrod on the lip of a follower, the giveaway was the adjuster screw being much further out than the others.

Ricard L.