Author Topic: New cam followers  (Read 4482 times)

Online trevinoz

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New cam followers
« on: 22.02. 2019 23:21 »
Have a look at these new followers which have only done 500 miles in a newly rebuilt engine.
They are supposedly made in England and carry a brand on the packaging of a well known firm. Not "W" but "M".
The owner had been complaining about the engine being a bit rattly! Eventually the power dropped off markedly when the one of the followers was so badly worn that it hardly reached the camshaft.
He said that the cam appears to be OK.
I advised him to give the engine and oil tank a thorough clean. Probably the engine should be stripped down again but he said that the pistons seem to be OK and not badly scored.
I haven't seen the engine as the bike lives about 70 miles from me.
I can't imagine that there won't be a lot of damage done to the rest of the engine from the circulating steel slurry.
Bike is a 1951 Flash.
Apparently the followers failed the file test, soft as butter.
What do you think?

Online RichardL

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Re: New cam followers
« Reply #1 on: 23.02. 2019 00:52 »
Well, as long as you have the barrels off you might as well replace the followers.  *whistle* *smile*

Richard L.

Online Peter in Aus

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Re: New cam followers
« Reply #2 on: 23.02. 2019 01:01 »
Not good *pull hair out*

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58 A10  SA

Offline metalflake11

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Re: New cam followers
« Reply #3 on: 23.02. 2019 01:11 »
Dear me! *eek*
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England

Offline RayC10

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Re: New cam followers
« Reply #4 on: 23.02. 2019 08:04 »
Message i'm getting from this is to keep all those old followers and get them Stellited and reground! Can't think who the 'M'' supplier is but has this been raised before on this forum?

Online Swarfcut

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Re: New cam followers
« Reply #5 on: 23.02. 2019 08:19 »
Well said, Ray. I am racking my brains....The only M I can think of is MCA of Aston, Birmingham, who, back in the day, were a well respected supplier. But, like Hepolite, a brand completely unrelated nowadays to their previous reputation, at least in the eyes of us oldies.

  Snag here is that getting any sort of satisfaction will be difficult.  For my money, Newman Cams in Farnborough, Kent is the place to get your bits. They are camshaft manufacturers and well versed in the foibles of vintage machinery. They can also reface, grind and harden  your old worn genuine followers and work miracles on worn cams.

 Trev...Very strange wear profiles. I would expect them all to be worn in the same way, or in pairs. The far edges are concave, as if the cam has been slopping  sideways, allowing adjacent cams to contact both pairs of followers, then the major wear in one place, more to the foreground. Not as straightforward as it first appears.

 Swarfy.

Offline Servodyne

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Re: New cam followers
« Reply #6 on: 23.02. 2019 08:33 »
They are supposedly made in England and carry a brand on the packaging of a well known firm. Not "W" but "M".

That's diabolical.

To protect the innocent and save the rest of us guessing, i think you should name and shame.
1957 BSA A10 Spitfire
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Offline BSA_54A10

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Re: New cam followers
« Reply #7 on: 23.02. 2019 10:44 »
More important that who made them is who sold them.
There is a lot of stuff on the web that was most likely rescued from the scrap bin ( do it myself ) .
Then I fall off my perch & they get sod into the market as NOS parts but not defective NOS parts.
Also another reason to test everything before fitting.

The folloers on the work SR 500 would go like that in about a week of riding once the paper thin hardening wore through.
Bike Beesa
Trevor

Offline kiwipom

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Re: New cam followers
« Reply #8 on: 23.02. 2019 11:02 »
Hi guys, this is the M company that was with the pics, cheers
A10.G.Flash(cafe racer)Honda 250 vtr. Yamaha Virago XV920.

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Offline beesa71

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Re: New cam followers
« Reply #9 on: 23.02. 2019 12:06 »
Please do correct me if wrong but; my view is that the packaging isn't anything current ie it's an old box. Also, the writting and general condition suggests, at this distance from it, that the contents may not actually be related to it.

To add evidence of provenance, can we see the receipt etc for the purchase of them in this package?

There were followers available some years ago that were deemd to be rubbish and unsuitable but I'd be carefull reading too much into the context in which we see them now.

We've had a customer recently give us grief over a piston he bought from us. Having recently seen said piston...... we've never seen one like it nor stocked that brand! Mistakes do happen - says he from experience!

Paul.

Offline Greybeard

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Re: New cam followers
« Reply #10 on: 23.02. 2019 12:07 »
Here is a picture of my SRM supplied followers. I haven't sorted out the problem yet.
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Offline Greybeard

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Re: New cam followers
« Reply #11 on: 23.02. 2019 12:09 »
We've had a customer recently give us grief over a piston he bought from us. Having recently seen said piston...... we've never seen one like it nor stocked that brand! Mistakes do happen - says he from experience!
Paul.
Are you a supplier of parts Paul?
Greybeard (Neil)
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Offline duTch

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Re: New cam followers
« Reply #12 on: 23.02. 2019 12:17 »
 
Quote
.....Trev...Very strange wear profiles. I would expect them all to be worn in the same way, or in pairs. The far edges are concave, as if the cam has been slopping  sideways, allowing adjacent cams to contact both pairs of followers, then the major wear in one place, more to the foreground. Not as straightforward as it first appears....

 Yes- very strange- maybe something to do with the order they engage/up& down  *conf2*, but I'm inclined to think that the cam is not moving sideways, otherwise those bits at the edge of adjacent pairs would be all mashed too...when I rebuilt mine, I made a point of looking down the tunnel with the barrels on the cases and no lifters and the thrust flange hard up to the bush flange, just to ensure all is 'symmetrical' and the lifters don't clip adjacent lobes...all was well and with about the same spacing as in the pic
       
   Can't explain the profiles at all *dunno*
         
               
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Online Swarfcut

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Re: New cam followers
« Reply #13 on: 23.02. 2019 12:33 »
That MCA box and logo are the company that I mentioned.  They are active now, with a nice website and contact details. Mr Google will find them easy. They are strictly wholesale, and have agents in NSW and Queensland.

  That box and style look rather old.  A phone number should start with the area code 0121, for Birmingham, England. If it starts 021, then the pack must be at least 25 years old, as the code changed.  Are the followers originally from that SEALED box?  Yes, the paperwork trail is all important.

 GB... No progress, or just not got round to sorting?  A closer look indicates only one inlet is wearing as if it was unhardened. The others are by no means as worn. Also the surface finish on the sides may be a clue to their source...looks speckled rather than a ground OEM finish.

 duTch  Looked as if they had started to wear on the far,raised edges, then the cam moved across to machine a deeper cut, with thecam located in place by the less worn raised edge.  All very strange, different wear patterns on each.

 Swarfy.

Offline Greybeard

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Re: New cam followers
« Reply #14 on: 23.02. 2019 14:07 »
GB... No progress, or just not got round to sorting?  A closer look indicates only one inlet is wearing as if it was unhardened. The others are by no means as worn. Also the surface finish on the sides may be a clue to their source...looks speckled rather than a ground OEM finish.
No time, or drive, when I do have some time :(

They are SRM followers. SRM say they have seen this before and they feel sure the problem has been caused by bottoming. I'm beginning to suspect that I've fitted the wrong collets. I really must make the effort to sort the old girl; the weather is great for riding at the moment; 16° C with a clear blue sky!
Greybeard (Neil)
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