E: Engine Cometic timing cover gasket and quill clearance

[CoreyL]

I'm replacing the stock paper timing cover gasket with the Cometic gasket (also replacing the rubber oil seals in the timing cover). Do I need to be concerned about or adjust the quill clearance to take into the account the difference in thickness between the stock paper gasket and new Cometic gasket?

 

[ClassicBiker]

No one has ever mentioned issues in that regards. I don't have cometic gaskets but given the design of the quill I shouldn't think it an issue. The oil enters the quill from the radial holes and exits through the end. The radial holes are in the timing cover and the position of the quill is fixed relative to the timing cover, i.e. you screw it in a snug it up. The oil exit is the hole in the end and that is located well down the central drilling of the main shaft and the length of the quill is such that plenty of the external scroll is located with in the main shaft central drilling. If it were a problem I'm sure that it would have surfaced by now. A quick search (top right of the page) of "quill" brought up ten pages of entries. Non appeared to be about the quill being affected by the gasket.
Steven

 

[Vincent Brake]

no you dont i use them a lot, only see to it its really central

 

[Martyn Goodwin]

no you dont i use them a lot, only see to it its really central

I use them as well. No issues - they are one of the best things you can add to your bike!

 

[Marcus Bowden]

I believe the Cometic gaskets are quite thick ! Fit rubber seals one at a time and check that you have pressure against them say 1/16" or 2mm so when the cover is finally fitted the seals are compressed to seal, on my bike I have an extra oil pump for feeding cam rail with no restrictors and feed to cylinders blanked (no hole in rubber) 2 bar / 30 psi to cams at start up and reduces to 1 bar / 15 psi when warm in 10 miles or so. Same cams for over 300,000 miles ! Oil is fed through the cam and "squirts" under cam followers just prior to the lifting of follower. Not all cams produced have that hole in the face, beware. The spindles being fitted with with lube holes upwards then ground with a groove anti clock wise so that oil is allowed to flow earlier. Not all spindles have holes in line with each cam,(a little grind through the case hardening then drill into hollow spindle. The bush on cam end does not reach exhaust cam so push in another bush and drill though bush. this will stop oil being squirted needlessly on the full rotation of cam. Long-levity is the game, but the bloody bike will still be going many years after I've ceased functioning.
bananaman

 

[Martyn Goodwin]

I believe the Cometic gaskets are quite thick ! Fit rubber seals one at a time and check that you have pressure against them say 1/16" or 2mm so when the cover is finally fitted the seals are compressed to seal, on my bike I have an extra oil pump for feeding cam rail with no restrictors and feed to cylinders blanked (no hole in rubber) 2 bar / 30 psi to cams at start up and reduces to 1 bar / 15 psi when warm in 10 miles or so. Same cams for over 300,000 miles ! Oil is fed through the cam and "squirts" under cam followers just prior to the lifting of follower. Not all cams produced have that hole in the face, beware. The spindles being fitted with with lube holes upwards then ground with a groove anti clock wise so that oil is allowed to flow earlier. Not all spindles have holes in line with each cam,(a little grind through the case hardening then drill into hollow spindle. The bush on cam end does not reach exhaust cam so push in another bush and drill though bush. this will stop oil being squirted needlessly on the full rotation of cam. Long-levity is the game, but the bloody bike will still be going many years after I've ceased functioning.
bananaman

Have you actually used Cometic gaskets Old Chap???

I have and do - and find them, once installed no thicker than the unreliable, leak prone, poor fitting thick paper ones they replace.

In my opinion Cometic gaskets are a must have enhancement to any Vincent that actually gets used.

Martyn

 

[Marcus Bowden]

Never used gaskets, all faces lapped, a little bit of compound be it well-seal, silicon, locktite, hylomar, etc etc not a lot of difference, never use condoms either ! Having a bath with ones socks on doesn't appeal to me !
Jointing / gaskets when an apprentice was told because the the joint faces were imperfect, HP steam joints were lapped or scrapped then a fine layer of red lead & varnish used. perfection. Varnish held it in place while red lead protected the steel.
bananaman.

 

[BigEd]

The last seven posts are not really relevant to the thread topic of Cometic Gaskets . They might be more relevant to another topic. If someone (maybe the posters) would like to tell me where they would like me to put them I will try or maybe just delete them and the posters can post again in a more suitable thread if there is one.

 

[ClassicBiker]

Hey Ed, yeah we got a little off topic there, didn't we? Sorry about that. I don't see any reason to keep them hanging about. I vote to delete them and leave the thread open in case someone has something more relevant to say on the subject at a future date.
Steven

 

[Robert Watson]

In my early Vincent days I put a timing chest together and didn't change spindle the oil seals in the cover. This was with the standard thin paper gasket and you all know the result.

Returning from California I adjusted the valves one morning and then discovered it would not start, so I slacked them off some and it ran.

On disassembly I found that the cam bushes were worn right through to the cams in places. I ended up dialing them up and boring the cams and making oversize bushings, and a good cleaning, new spindles, and NEW RUBBER SEALS, and has been good for many years.

The lesson is of course replace the seals especially if you fit a new slightly thicker (Cometic) gasket (which that bike now has)

I'm older now and very marginally wiser - but not much!