E: Engine Egli 500 Special

Ben Langton

Active Forum User
Non-VOC Member
Evening all, I'm in need of some advice please.
I'm a new young member and lucky enough to have a Egli Special, it's a 500 bought at auction.
Douglas Bray, Plymouth and Brian Day, Liskeard (and myself) owners. I have very little information and have been muddling along a while now.
I've done a few things as it had been stood for a while, got it running, made a seat, have a period fairing and a few other bits. I've ridden it over my local bypass just a couple miles a few times, practicing starting the thing! Despite being a pain to start (think it's 600cc) it's a joy, however.

I was invited to take it along to a amature hill climb type event, it has good track tyres and a decent brake, I had done it before on my Triton so I thought I'd give it a go. A week before I started it up for a run just to check it over. Went a little further than usual about 2 or 3 miles before I turned around for a bit of higher speed run over the bypass. Pulled well off the roundabout and gave it some up a couple of gears. Got to some cars so eased up, went to drop it down a cog to overtake in the dual carriageway, slipped right off the change several times, looked down loads of oil, rode steadily the 1/2 mile home. The oil had come out of the breather filter (now a pipe on it in pic). I was a little worried but my father thought that maybe the crank cases may have filled with oil (no tap on line) which could explain both the oil and the 20 minutes it too kind ex I start. He also thought there maybe too much oil in it. No dipstick, how do you tell?

Anyway, took it along to the event, sadly I wasn't timed due to a course closure but ran ok, once started. I joined the ride to the lunch stop, about 3 miles in a slipped of the gear change,looked down to the same mess. Cleaned it up and managed to make it carefully (about 40mph) the last few miles to the stop where thankfully my wife and two young boys were waiting with my van.

Once home, cleaned up the mess and checked oil, plenty in (maybe half the depth of the tank by the cap) so left it. Had some new spark plugs on order (bit dark but originals looked OK), popped them in a rigged the pipe to a bottle at the back, started up ok and headed out. Rode it a little quick (never full on hard) for 3 miles stopped, all good, maybe small amount of oil splatter bit up the pipe if anything. I rode it steady about 40/50 as it didn't ride well at that on the run and it was rough. Surging, kind of almost running out of fuel splutters, fast acceleration and spirited riding all good, slow holding speed terrible. Got home, checked bottle about an egg cup full, hmmmm. Pleased I didn't have an oily boot, but poor riding and oil in the bottle not so good. I'm stuck.

So in short.
Doesn't like to run at part throttle held (delloto phbe 34 BS, 160 main jet) run avgas.
Chucks out oil from that pipe after about 4miles.

Help please, desperate to ride and enjoy the bike.
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greg brillus

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
Ben, the bike looks good...........Make a good racer..........the oil loss is not good, especially as its coming from that large breather on the timing chest, and this set up normally cures any breathing issue even on the larger twins. Perhaps empty the sump into a clean container to see how much oil ends up in there after a run, about a half a cup full is more than normal if the bike has sat for a week or so. It has a modern twin spark BTH magneto (actually a CDI unit) with external coils. The ignition timing for a twin plug set up is way less than standard, and even these figures are lower these days due to modern fuel. So for a single plug you would want 34 degrees full advance and a twin plug set up would be say 26 to 28 max. You may or may not notice if the engine is pinging (detonating) whilst riding although I have found it to be quite audible on these bikes being air cooled the noise is usually obvious. If you could hear this then that will not help with the oil loss, The BTH has an electronic advance but is the same as for a single spark ignition, and i know some members who have suffered from hard starting and poor running because the advance is too low at a given engine speed. The easier fix would be to disconnect one plug lead and its coil and run it on a single plug at 34 degrees full advance. We can describe how to do this if you are at a loss. Without knowing the internal condition of the engine, it could have piston/bore issues that will contribute to the oil loss as well. Keep asking questions and we will help as best we can. Cheers................Greg.
 

greg brillus

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
A couple of other points I forgot..........The engines do have a decompressor mechanism to enable you to ease the engine over TDC this is cable operated from a pull type fitting at the rear of the timing chest, just inboard from the top right corner of the gearbox. Also I noticed that your kickstart lever is missing its lower pinch bolt, even though the spline on those AMC boxes is huge, it could strip the spline, so be sure and fit a 3/8 bolt and nut through it to stop this happening. Cheers again................Greg.
 

Bill Thomas

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
Hello Ben, These Bikes do sometimes "wet sump ", But mostly after winter layup, But the oil pump returns more than feeds, So after a a few smokey miles, It should have sorted its self.
Some of us have to take the small sump drain plug out and drain the oil out , As you say, If there is too much oil in there, It's hard to turn over and smokes bad, Which could mess up a plug.
Try and find out if it's a 600 or not.
I think your Carb' is a pumper type ?, So every time you twist the throttle, it squirts petrol down the hole ?,
I have 36mm ones on my Special, And now I am on 9 to 1 pistons, I was on 12 to 1, Years ago, I have had to stop the squirting, You could just take the small lever out, Where it works on the carb' slide, And try it.
Good Luck, Bill.
 

Martyn Goodwin

Well Known and Active Forum User
Non-VOC Member
Ben, Photo is not very clear so I need to ask. Is there a PCV valve in the breather line or is it just a straight thru pipe?

If no PCV valve I suggest you fit one as it will help in controlling the oil situation. Remember PCV valves need to be cleaned from time to time to flush out any gunk that builds up inside them which can prevent correct operation.

Martyn
 

oexing

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
One way valve in the breather hose is important. Wet sumping is a problem when the oil pump is clapped out. The return side has to be a good fit else it sucks air and will not drain the engine !

vic
 

davidd

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
Ben,

Lovely bike!

Do not bother with a PCV valve. If you want to race do a leak down test and find out where the problem is. This most likely means new rings and lapping in the valves and seats at a minimum. It might mean a new piston. With good clearances you will not have oil going up the breather and that problem will be solved. You just can't race with that amount of blow by.

It is possible that the BTH is fixed ignition. It seems unlikely with the kicker, but I have the twin plug and use a fixed ignition.

I think Bill may be right on the Dellorto. The pumpers are often hard to start because the squit puts the fire out. 34 mm is quite small for a 600 cc.

Your engine sprocket looks big. I use a 36T engine sprocket with my Newby for road racing. (The number should be stamped on it.) You also need to take a stab at finding out what ratios your gearbox has so you can decide what gearing you need to run at various events.

Do you plan to race with an organization? It is important because you have to figure out what rules to live by.

David
 

Bill Thomas

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
Morning Ben, What oil have you put in it, I hope not some of this very thin stuff, I would put 40 summer / 30 winter. If like me ?, You want to keep riding a knackered Comet !, I am on 50 !!, She still goes well, So I don't want to spend money at this time, If it's a 600, A piston is not cheap !. Cheers Bill.
 

Martyn Goodwin

Well Known and Active Forum User
Non-VOC Member
Morning Ben, .........., If it's a 600, A piston is not cheap !. Cheers Bill.
Check out Neal Videan at V3 products (advert in the back of MPH) who can supply 500 and 600 cc pistons at fair prices. You can also check out Terry Prince - both listed in the back of OVR as well.

Martyn
 

vibrac

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
I am afraid I will give you conflicting information our egli twin we raced sucessfully for years had just two breathers front one (like a comet) on the exhaust valve cap and the rear one on the inlet valve the pipe had just a slight upward sweep a small pcv vavle and down to a catch tank.
tests have shown that with a good pcv valve gas flow through the valve is at a minimum a short time after start up and a slight vacuum is created in the crankcase
While after a season there was a tea spoon of oil in the catch tank the reason is that our engine was an efficient pump the pistons and bore were tip top nothing will keep the oil in if gas pressure is reaching the crankcase
 
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