1954 cam gear case & cover gasket

[Danl]

Author: Danl

I've got the cam cover off to check for possible oiling probs -- flow, wear, etc. On the rear of the cam cover motor/case surface, near the oil pump, very bottom left corner as you look at it, there are the two cover screw holes and a small thru & thru hole (galley?) between them which seems to go to the oil pump cavity. There is no corresponding hole in the cover gasket, or in the cover itself. What the heck is this for, and should there be a matching hole in the gasket and in the cover?
I've looked in the manual and it does show the hole, but it does not explain what it is for or if there should be a corresponding "flow" thru to the cover, or in the gasket.
I'm not certain if the cover is the exact match for the bike -- and if it should have a matchup to the hole -- since the little dogear on top of the cover (and rearward) does not match up precisely with the case.

Anybody...?

[King]

Danl

I think I may have the same hole in my 51FL. I looked at the pictures I took when I disassembled the motor last winter and see two holes in the rear of the case. If you think of a clock with the pinion shaft at the center and the motor in the frame one is at about 8 o'clock and the other at 10. Or counting clockwise from the lower locating dowel there are two case screw holes the first drilled thru hole one case screw hole and then the second drilled through hole. The upper (10 o'clock) one feeds galleys in the case cover for lubrication of the bushings but the bottom one doesn't seem to have any corresponding hole or channel in the case cover. I can't remember about the gasket but suspect that it is solid in the area of that bottom hole.
I wouldn't worry about the "ear" mine doesn't fit exactly also. If the case fits over the dowels and the screw holes line up it should be right.
But that bottom hole is a mystery. I hope some of the more knowledgeable can shed some light.

King

[Danl]

Thanks King... saw that my post had been read plenty of times, but no responses until yours'.
I got to diggin' into the brainpan of a ol', local wrench who asked, "You runnin' external oilers?". "Nope", I told him. "Well, that's what that little hole is for... external oilers", he replied, "Don't worry 'bout it".
That, combined with your info (and the lack of reply to the original post from other folks) sounds about right... not too many folks know about it 'cuz it's not a very common application. Unless someone else knows more about it, I'll just go with the ol' wrench's reply.

Thanks again for response!

[King]

Danl

Mystery solved. I wasn't too concerned about it as I have been running my pan for almost 35 years with that hole blocked. But it's good to know the reason for it

King