Product Description
Triumph Spitfire Rocker Feed Kit
Excessive rocker shaft wear is a classic complaint about the Triumph push rod engines. The external rocker feed kit is an effective and easy to fit solution to the problem. It works by piping oil from a plug hole in the cylinder block main oil gallery up to the cylinder head, thereby maintaining a higher oil flow installation. The kit is so good, it looks as though it should always have been there!
The Rocker Feed Kit and Oil Consumption
When the supplementary oil feed to the rocker gear is fitted, an increase in oil consumption is often encountered. This is attributed to oil being drawn down worn valve guides. The extra amount of lubricating oil flowing through the valve and rocker chamber, as supplied by the feed kit, exaggerates any tendency for oil to be sucked down worn valve guides past worn valve stems. The best solution is to fit new valves and guides, but this is not always on the top of the repair priority list. To assist in the reduction of oil being sucked down the guides a method of valve stem oil seal is required. We offer the simple do-nut rubber ring that is used so successfully on MG sports cars. Its part number is AEK113, one per valve stem. Now the clever bit... How to fit them without removing the cylinder head from the car?
Each seal needs to be fitted to the valve stem above the valve guide but below the valve spring upper retaining cap(s). Remove the rocker cover, rocker gear and the spark plugs. Cover the holes that the push rods come up through so nothing can be dropped down into the engine. Turn the crankshaft so that number one piston is at bottom dead centre (BDC). Feed a length of clean, pliable rope down the spark plug hole of number one cylinder, leaving a bit hanging out so you can retrieve it. Now, slowly and carefully turn the crankshaft clockwise by hand, a resistance will be felt as the rising piston in that bore compresses the rope against the combustion faces of the two valves in that cylinder, holding them against their seats. The valve collets and spring caps of that cylinder can now be removed without the fear of losing the valves down the bore. The valve stem oil seals can be fitted to these two valve stems and perhaps a new set of valve springs. Be honest, this tip has saved the cost of a decoke set! Once the valve stem oil seals and other parts have been refitted to this first pair of valves satisfactory, simply turn the crank anticlockwise to BDC, withdraw the rope and repeat the process on the remaining cylinders and pairs of valves. To be sure that the rope has compressed sufficiently against the faces of the valves, attempt to push the valves by hands, as if being acted on by the rockers before removing the spring caps or collets, this is the fail safe check. This method can be adopted anywhere as it does not require the use of compressed air, special tools or luck.