Strada Camshaft Oil Ways

[Ventodue]

FWIW Colin, I do the bolts on my SSD up reasonably tight, as in: medium pressure torque on a standard length 13mm spanner. When done, the gap in the clamp is slightly - but visibly - tighter at the top.

Can't say for the Strada, but the plastic end caps are a tight push fit, i.e. they don't just slide in. They need a slight rap to get them in.

HTH

[Duccout]

I tightened them last time has much as I dare, but I've come across a couple of Darmah owners on the Bevel Heaven site with the same problem, which they blamed on worn eccentric blocks, which I just don't see; those blocks are not going to wear. I reckon it is down to poorly formed circular housings in the frame, so that the blocks do not get gripped properly. When it cools down I'll try shimming it out.

[Duccout]

I braved the cooler (otherwise known as my garage) this morning in an attempt to shim out the eccentric blocks, which was partially successful. With the clamps opened out with a screwdriver tapped between the lugs, I managed to get a circle of shim steel in there, but the problem was that shim thin enough to go all the way in was too fragile and just crumpled when hitting a tight spot, but shim thick enough to be able to apply pressure to was too thick to go in. In the end I managed to get some 6 thou shim in for a depth of about an inch. While I was about it I ran a 8 x 1 tap through the threads because they were quite tight when turning the bolt which was reducing the pressure on the clamp.

The correct procedure would have been to strip out the swinging arm and form the shim around the eccentric blocks, but I'm not enthusiastic to do that at the moment. I don't know if this will provide an answer, it will have to wait for a road test. The problem is that the clamp is substantial, to say the least, and just will not close up enough to grip the eccentric block because the clearance is too great. Ideally, new, larger eccentrics need turning up, but it would be quite a task to get the offset hole the same in each one, certainly for my limited engineering skills.

[DBDBrian]

Colin, I am not familiar with the eccentric design so thinking out loud here, I would be inclined if possible to make them as one piece and bore straight through to get perfect alignment, then part off and face them to length.

[Duccout]

Hi Brian,

Yes that makes sense, thanks. A pretty easy job for a toolmaker I would think, but not for me and the eccentrics are pretty large diameter, possibly 60 mm, so the round bar would be hard to get hold of. I think that the best bet would be to strip it all down and push out the eccentrics (towards the inside of the frame as there is a lip on the inside) wrap some shim around them and press back into the frame. I could have tried strips of shim pushed in radially around the eccentrics, but that would have decreased the surface area. Whatever, it will have to wait until the weather cools down!

[DBDBrian]

Just another thought Colin, is there enough material to reduce the O/D, shrink on a sleeve, then machine to the required size.

[Duccout]

Yes, that is a good idea, thanks Brian, that would be a lot easier than making them from scratch.

[Duccout]

At last managed to get out for a run this morning. The good news is that the eccentric adjusters stayed in place and the bike ran beautifully, so I was pleased, until I stopped for petrol. After I filled up I started the bike and was dismayed to see fuel pouring out of the filler cap! Grrrrrrrr, yet another problem to solve!

The old filler cap had been levered off at some point, and the sealing area is well damaged, but I had cleaned up the neck best that I could, and I knew that it would not seal very well, but I was expecting it to seal better than it is. The only option now is to buy a Monza cap and use JB Weld to glue it in place, unless someone has a better solution?

[Ventodue]

Good news! - at least to start with ...

For your fuel gusher, just a thought, don't know whether this would work, but ...

Laverda 750s have a reputation for leaking fuel out of the filler. One solution is a plastic drop-in insert. Coupla models to chose from. One is number 6 on this photo from Wolfgang Haerter (You know him? Columbia Car and Cycle in British Columbia.)

http://laverda.ca/images/Allitalia/fillercover02.JPG

And here both models, part numbers 52 and 52a, from Andy Wagner:

https://www.laverda-paradies.de/shop-1000-52-en.html

[Duccout]

Thanks Craig, I'll investigate.