"Notchy" Alton

TouringGodet

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That was part of the 'other work' that got me into the timing chest, to replace a timed breather that broke way back in 1987 while I was over for the International Rally. I had been running without it all this time, without any ill effects.
 

clevtrev

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Thanks for all the comments. They've really been food for thought or cause for concern. The Comet in question is only ridden gently, as far as I know, so it's likely to be down in the "notchy zone" for a high proportion of the time.



H
Once the engine is running a idle speed plus a bit, all noise from the gear will disappear, the magnets will be floating, as Professor Laithewaite demonstrated years ago.
 

Ken Tidswell

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If you look at the PDF drawing of the Comet Alton , the shaft is now a parallel fit on a polyamide gear. the newest Alton has done away with the epicyclic
drive. Ken T
 

Tom Gaynor

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Breathers - you can't escape them

This may be the first unavoidable (but not unarguable - this is after all VOC) proof that a breather that is open all the time is just as good as a timed one. That would be like the D breather then?
Someone (a Mr P.E. Dantic?) has pointed out to me that what makes the Neffalump's Trunk so effective is that it is designed less as a breather, more as an oil-gas separator. The low velocity in the large bore tube encourages the oil to, well, separate. The ball-valve means that it has any advantages of a timed breather (in theory pulls a vacuum as the pistons ascend) too.

That was part of the 'other work' that got me into the timing chest, to replace a timed breather that broke way back in 1987 while I was over for the International Rally. I had been running without it all this time, without any ill effects.
 

TouringGodet

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Running with only the timed breather on my Shadow made a big difference over an open breather. My father fitted an Indian breather to the mag cover way back in the '50s. When we put the Shadow back together in the '80s, I had enough oil going out the valve lifter hole that on cross country rides, I would replace about a quart of oil over a 500 mile day. Eventually, the tubing kept falling out of the cast Indian right angle fitting, and I ran it for awhile with no tubing. Not much oil came out of there onto the timing chest cover. One day when I had the mag cover off, I noticed the hole in the Indian fitting was pretty darn small. By this time the elephant trunk was well known, and I figured that tiny little hole wasn't doing any good, so I blocked it off. Now that I'm back to just the standard breather, the Shadow is almost completely oil tight, I'll get one or two drops directly under the motor when I park. Haven't really traced it, but maybe it might just be coming from the end of the timed breather hose.
 

Howard

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Once the engine is running a idle speed plus a bit, all noise from the gear will disappear, the magnets will be floating, as Professor Laithewaite demonstrated years ago.

Thanks Trev, that seems to be the case - can't hear the Alton noise when travelling, with help from a noisy timing chest and a full faced helmet. :)

H
 

Alan J

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Sometimes, the more "non standard" fittings you fit to Vincent, the more problems you create! not that I know anything!
 
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