Rocker covers felt pads

Top End (cylinders pushrods etc.)
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mtnspan
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Rocker covers felt pads

#1

Post by mtnspan »

Description: why felt pads were in there in the first place

Soon I will be pulling the heads to install felt pads in the rocker covers.
Being in a hurry and not sure why they were in there in the first place I left them out when I had it apart several years ago. ??? Now I understand that they are there for a reason, noise, a ringing noise, like the ringing of a bell. Very annoying. Besides the noise issue, do the pads serve any other purpose? I ask because I'm also thinking of haveing the inside sprayed with Line-X instead of the felt pads. I think it would cover the noise issue and it's indestructable.
Is this a bad idea? MTN
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Re: Rocker covers

#2

Post by Cotten »

MTN!

The felts were supposed to be oil reservoirs that not only re-distributed oil from splash, they provided some for for initial start-up.
(Nobody cared about noise back then!)
This was not a new or novel idea. Indian's Inline Fours depended upon them almost entirely for rocker, lift, and pushrod lubrication. (On the intakes, anyway.)
Beware of cheap modern ones that disintegrate, blocking return passages. Stick with an independent brandname. like James.

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Re: Rocker covers

#3

Post by panfreak »

Finally had enough hey Bob
mtnspan
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Re: Rocker covers

#4

Post by mtnspan »

Yep, I have enough ringing in my head!! Too bad cuz it's running soooo good, I hate to mess with it.
Thanks, Cotten, I'll go with James!
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Re: Rocker covers

#5

Post by Moose »

I remember the last pan I did I actually put the felts in a pan of oil for a few days before putting them in just to get them totally soaked. They were originally glued to the rocker top when I put them back they were not. Not even sure now what kind of glue held them on

Moose
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Re: Rocker covers

#6

Post by Panacea »

Do the James pads come with adhesive? Mike
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Re: Rocker covers

#7

Post by Cotten »

Pan felt adhesive is a sticky wicket.
James puts a dressing on conventional gaskets, but it is not practical on a felt.
In the late '80s, I called the Factory for tech help as to what adhesive would be most proper. The original was a brushfull of something than resembles thick "weatherstrip adhesive".
But they suggested their current case sealer at the time: 3m #800 Industrial Adhesive. It resembles a red silicone (which would be a guaranteed disaster!) but has a MEK solvent base.
(Great stuff for cases! Outlasts Yamabond4 without a doubt.)

I cannot report any failures with this, but then Gasgascinch from the bottom of the can hasn't failed either. And it looks like weatherstrip adhesive!
If the felts do not disintegrate, and they are pinched between the pans and the rockerblocks anyway (as nearly all repop pans will), then adhesive seems pointless. If you choose a sealer that becomes a problem in itself, such as silicones, then the sealer is a real liability.

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Re: Rocker covers

#8

Post by VPH-D »

3m weatherstrip adhesive works well for Pan felts. It used to come in a tube, and was much like gasgacinch, but thicker.
VPH-D
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Re: Rocker covers

#9

Post by Rammy »

I agree , the 3M weatherstrip adhesive worked for me too, the felt is still well stuck after 20.000 mile.
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Re: Rocker covers

#10

Post by Fixman »

My local Panhead Doctor uses Indian Head Gasket Shellac Compound by Permatex.

Kent
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Re: Rocker covers

#11

Post by Cotten »

Food for thought:

Overhead valve HDs have their carbs aimed in the air when parked upon the jiffy stand. And the tank shut-offs are only marginally better than earlier designs.
Put those two together, and you can get gasoline into your oil.
That used to be no real big deal.
Now we often must deal with very digestive fuels.
It may be prudent to test any goober in summertime blend for a month before you commit a top end assembly.
(Indian Head failed my test.)

If your covers trap the felts upon the rockers quite firmly, then the best option might be no goober at all.

....Cotten
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Re: Rocker covers felt pads

#12

Post by Panhead randy64 »

Anyone know if its ok to use threebond 1184 to adhere those felts?
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