[iansoady]

I'd suggest the cable is incorrect. I seem to remember that your bike has a post-war valve lifter lever (little trigger affair) whereas the original should, I believe, be a bar-end type (mirror image of the front brake). This would pull the inner cable more when operated, and also is likely to have a different distance between the cable abutment and nipple. So a cable which is correct for the "proper" handlebar lever may well not work with yours.

There was a recent discussion here about making control cables, and as all yours probably needs is one of the nipple moving furtehr along the cable I'd check that out. Even if you make a hash of it, a non-working valve lifter is not going to be catastrophic........

[Andy Cubin]

I now have a question about the routing of the valve lifter cable.

Essentially, whatever length adjustment I choose, the valve lifter handle is not actually lifting the valve as it should.   The lever feels loose and although I can observe the spring being compressed and the little lever moving on the rocker box head, its not moving far enough to do the job its supposed to.

Does the routing of the cable matter i.e, under the tank or round the  outside, or am I missing something really simple?

Cheers

Andy

[iansoady]

The valve lifter has 2 "user" functions:

- it allows compression to be released so that the engine can be rotated over TDC when using the time-honoured starting technique

- it stops the engine by releasing compression so that there's not enough to allow it to keep running.

For both these functions it only needs to lift the valve a small amount - 1/16" would be plenty. But of course it also needs clearance from the rocker (if that's where yours operates) so that it doesn't lift the valve when you want it to. There should also be a spring to hold it clear of the rocker.

So your idea of how it works is correct!

BTW I'm waiting patiently for the next episode in the soap opera........

[Andy Cubin]

Morning Folks,

My 33 Model 8 is up and running and I am now going over the bike in finer detail in order to tidy up loose ends.

The kickstart is still problematic and "misses" on occasion so I'll need to strip that down completely, but my question is about the amount of travel of the lever on the rocker box when the valve lifting handle is pulled.

Having looked at the innards, the cable is length adjustable, but (and I know this might sound dumb!) does pulling the lifting handle transfer into depressing the valve against the spring allow the exhaust side air to evacuate?

Cheers

Andy