best Idle speed?
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Chuck Sea/Tac
Well-known member
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You bring up an interesting point, about "can you idle so slow, you damage bearings". Maybe if your bearings were bad to start with? Anyone ever hear of damage done from too low an idle? In my humble, and "unexperienced" opinion, it seems like a myth. Interested in hearing comments. Chuck
I would not worry too much about bearings at low idle speeds, the rod dippers will work immediately and the pump will take oil up to the valve chamber to drain down to the mains. I would worry about the camshaft lobes which are dependent entirely on splashed oil, as well as cylinder walls, particularly at start up. I idle at about 7-800.
Larry Seemann
Senior Member
Point of clarification. Did you ever notice that the lifters are hollow and they have a horizontal hole in the side? Each time the lifter rises above the lifter boss in the valve galley some oil goes into that hole and down the middle of the lifter and onto the cam lobe. That's how the cam lobes get oiled. Don't mean to be argumentative.
MrTube
Well-known member
Oh I don't know. I would say in my opinion, a Duesenberg straight 8 sounds better at all RPM's then the A.
I think many radial plane engines also sound better.
I also love the sound of the 1960s Kohler K series single cylinder engines but they may be on-par with the A.
OK So I got side tracked. I think the A idles good at 400-450.
Tom Wesenberg
Well-known member
Man, my thoughts exactly. If fact I just picked up a Kohler K-90 to use for a motorbike because they run and sound so nice.
The only engine that might sound better than an old airplane radial engine is a steam engine.
Bob-A
Well-known member
As long as I can get a nice idle "tock-a, tock-a, tock-a" sound out of my "A's" that is even and not choppy. I hate the sound of an improperly timed "A"!
Nothing, but nothing beats the idle sound of a Panhead Harley with straight pipes, period.
AMF/Drive, Ride & Shoot Safe,
Bob-A
Nothing, but nothing beats the idle sound of a Panhead Harley with straight pipes, period. AMF/Drive, Ride & Shoot Safe,
Bob-A
Kurt in NJ
Well-known member
Oiling at idle speed ---at 400 rpm the dipper is traveling at more than 400 feet per min speed --more than 8 feet per second ----think of sitting in front of a bowl of soup, about the position of the cam to the dipper tray ,move the handle of the spoon in a arc mimicing the movement of the rod ---as fast as you can flick it --which is probably less than 8 feet per second speed ---do you think your face will get wet??
I have a Kohler light plant --with a K330, it has worked many hours on construction sites, outlasted several contracters screaming hondas, it has 2kw listed on the plate yet it outperformed the 6 kw hondas, made a much different noise than the honda, some of the contracters complained of the "thump" as they rushed to plug in their saws ( the saws kicked off faster and ran stronger --3 saws would strangle the honda, the kohler just thumped louder)
As for the Harley I like the motion of the JD rocker arms, and the 42 knuckle that I have been working on for a friend sounds just fine stock --and looks much better than a Pan (my opinion)
I have a Kohler light plant --with a K330, it has worked many hours on construction sites, outlasted several contracters screaming hondas, it has 2kw listed on the plate yet it outperformed the 6 kw hondas, made a much different noise than the honda, some of the contracters complained of the "thump" as they rushed to plug in their saws ( the saws kicked off faster and ran stronger --3 saws would strangle the honda, the kohler just thumped louder)
As for the Harley I like the motion of the JD rocker arms, and the 42 knuckle that I have been working on for a friend sounds just fine stock --and looks much better than a Pan (my opinion)