I bought a 1960 99 to restore and decided to start it to get an idea of what didn't work or might need doing before stripping. It started fairly easily and there were no nasty noises. However, after a couple of minutes smoke started coming out of the exhausts and oil was coming out of the Crankcase Breather at the rate of about a drip a second.
I stripped the engine expecting to find something big like broken/siezed rings but found nothing obvious. I did discover that a 6 Start Oil Pump Worm was fitted and it also has a pressure feed to the Rockers.
It is a 1960 Engine and it has the "Scrolled" type Rocker spindles so should not have either of the above. In the past I have read on the Forum that these modifications can cause the problem I am experiencing.
I can change the Rocker feed back to "mist" feed but am unsure about what I need to do about the Oil Pump. Can I just change the Worn Drive back to a 3 Start or do I also need to change the Pump?
You problem is the scrolle…
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You problem is the scrolled rocker spindles whichare lettingthe pressurised feed fill the head with too much oil. Which is then probably being sucked down the valve guides into the combustion chamber.Result - loads of smoke after a minute or two of engine running. Surplus oil is also probably flooding down the camshaft tunnels and onto the camshaft breather holes.
The quick cure is to change the spindles for a set of plain ones. You are looking at a cost of around £50 and a few hours of work on the cylinder head. The only drawback tomaking this change is possibly going to be wear in the rockers. The old scrolled type of spindles tended to act like a drill bit and after quite a few miles of use they will be well wornand letting oil easily past even plain spindles.
Personally I would leave the head alone and go back to a return side, mist feed. But.......I would check-out the oil pump to see if it is the original small capacity type or the later higher capacity one which is usually marked with a 'S' on the timing cover side.
If it is the lower capacity version I would leave the 6 speed gears and let the pressure release valve cope with the higher oilpressure. If the pump turned out to be the higher capacity type I wouldchange the gear back to the 3 start.
If you do change the spindles, remember to fit them with the flats facing the rocker covers.