Rocker Box Seals

[billpedalino]

I'm re-sealing my '47 heads and am installing James rocker seals. In the past, I 've always installed these seals with the beveled side facing inward, toward the rocker box/right side of the bike and the flat side against the cups and covers. However, I noticed some minor weeping around two of these seals and am now wondering if I've been installing them backwards . Your thoughts?
Thanks....

[Carl Olsen]

Bill,
They go in flat side out the ends of the tins are designed to seal into the soft rubber on the seals, usually I coat the ends of the tins as well as all of the other gasket surfaces with 3M 800.
Good luck and I am proud of you doing it yourself.
Carl

[billpedalino]

IMG_1779.JPEG
Thank you Carl, it looks like I've been doing it correctly all along - but I now doubt myself. But please bear in mind that I've been doing these heads since the late 1960's when I worked for Eastern - before it was Eastern Motorcycle Parts (Gil's Cycle Shop on Long Island, New York). However, I eventually moved on to another profession and in my later years I only do my own motors. Inevitably, memory and some skills diminish proportionately with infrequency of use. Also, things have changed over the years and I'm certainly no longer current. Therefore, I rely upon extremely knowledgeable and current guys like yourself to re-educate me.
You've been a wealth of knowledge to many for a long time, and your humility and willingness to share shows how much of a class guy you are, and attests not only to your personal integrity, but that of your business as well. Thank you so much for that.

[Carl Olsen]

Thank you for the kind words, it is not often we hear the appreciation for our help and mission statement of trying to get as many knuckles dependable and in good working order as our legacy.
Carl

[billpedalino]

Thank you for the kind words, it is not often we hear the appreciation for our help and mission statement of trying to get as many knuckles dependable and in good working order as our legacy.
Carl

Carl,
Upon disassembly of the heads I noticed that the 3M-800 remained pliable beneath the intake cups but was hard and crusted beneath the exhaust cup, obviously from the additional heat. Is this your experience as well? Also, do you use 3M-800 on the gaskets between the cups and cup covers as well? I used a black Permatex silicon and they didn't leak, but if the 3M is well suited for this application, I'll use it there too.
Thanks,
Bill

[billpedalino]

I have a couple of extra sets of valve cups in addition to the set that's on the bike. One set is VTwin, the other two are OEM. I notice that some of the cups have the 1/16" drilled vent hole and some don't. It stands to reason that, if each individual cup/cover assembly achieves its intended seal, than each should have this vent hole. Is there a reason why the factory would install the holes in some cups and not others?

[Rubone]

I have a couple of extra sets of valve cups in addition to the set that's on the bike. One set is VTwin, the other two are OEM. I notice that some of the cups have the 1/16" drilled vent hole and some don't. It stands to reason that, if each individual cup/cover assembly achieves its intended seal, than each should have this vent hole. Is there a reason why the factory would install the holes in some cups and not others?

Intake side cups were vented, exhaust side were not.

[billpedalino]

Thank you Robbie....
Now that I think about it - it makes sense, as each head's two valve cup cavities are common to the rocker box's plenum. Therefore, placing he vent hole at the highest point in the intake cavities would service the entire head.