No oil to twin rockers - should oil way be clear?

[bailequaile]

Hey there guys,

I have just rebuilt a 1961 AJS Model 31 and fired it up for the first time after three decades in a shed. She runs like a top but there doesn't appear to be any oil reaching the rockers.
I have tken the rocker boxes off and run the engine for a few minutes. There is a good oil return to the oil tank and it will pulse out of the filter nut if I undo it just below the exhaust cam so I am guessing that the oil flow is as expected.
I have a 1962 Model 31 in New Zealand and recall that when I took the rocker boxes off while running the bike oil would spray everywhere so it is a worry that I see none on the '61.

I took the heads off this afternoon to look for blockages and attempted to push a wire through the rocker oil channel. I found that the wire will not push through the small holes in the underside of the head just next to the push rod tubes.
I've searched a few previous posts and have seen mention of plugs in the oil feed. Would these plugs be in the heads where they sit against the oil way through the barrels? If so how does oil reach the rockers though the plugs? Should there be a hole in them?
I have a set of 500 heads here and the holes in the bottom of the heads are open enough to push a length of wire through them.

Can anyone advise me on whether or not the oil channels in the heads should be clear all the way through. If so should I just drill out the brass inserts in the base of the head until I break through to the oil channel?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Cheers

Adam

[Don Madden]

Do a search for the topic as it has been discussed recently. They made many changes to the oiling sysem of the twins. Early had no oil restrictors in the head, then had jets with holes & finally plugs with a flat on the side to allow a little oil, so I don't know what you have after half century. You can push out the restrictor, if any, by feeding bearing balls down from the top & tapping the topmost with a drift. The oil holes in the rocker bush that take oil in do not line up with those that feet the shaft, so you cannot poke through with wire. Cheers, Don.

[laxy]

Hi Adam, please accept my apologies if Im teaching my grandma how to suck eggs here but is the oil distributer fitted? is it the correct one ?is it in good condition. a member recently had this same problem on a newly aquired bike and found the camshafts had been fitted a**e about face so the oil distributer was not being driven by the exhaust camshaft.

[1608]

Hi Adam, I've recently looked into this in some detail.The heads were fitted with small brass restrictor plugs which had 1/32" hole, this was desigend to prevent over-oiling of the rocker and valve area. The restrictors were not factory fitted for a couple of years but, then they were re-intro
duced. Can't remember exact dates that they were withdrawn and then re-intrduced. Some restrictors were drilled and some had a flat instead, Don't see as it makes much difference, flats are probably cheaper to mass produce. Anyway, the fact that the factory decided to re-fit them after a couple of years absence would seem to indicate that they are needed. I recently acquired a G12 and the top end was swimming in oil and burning quite a bit so I fitted the restrictors and its made a difference. It probably takes a little longer than you would expect for the oil to reach the top end.