I don't really know if this is a low ZDDP issue, a low idle speed issue, or a combination of those.  I have never seen a set of rockers in this bad of condition.  I bought this engine from a fellow who was going to use it in another bike project that he abandoned.....I have no history on the engine.  The inside of the engine is clean and it appears the oil was changed regularly, the piston/cylinder is in good shape and the cross hatch is still visible in the cylinder wall, the cam had a small amount of wear, and the bearing surfaces in the head have a small amount of scratches that is associated with low idle speed and the resulting low oil pressure to the cam.  The burnt oil/carbon on the rockers shows the friction was getting the ends of the rockers hot enough to burn the oil.

The cam had a small amount of wear on the exhaust rocker - but it wasn't horrible and a photo wouldn't have shown anything.  I sent it to Lancer for use as a core for welding/grinding a performance cam.

Dave ,I don't know if we seem to mention this often , but what if the brass oil jet were missing(lost) from the oil galley  or it's O-ring was damaged ,wouldn't that send more oil to the trans but less to the top end? It might be something to check on when dealing with a used motor.

batman wrote on 04/25/18 at 12:39:42:


Sounds logical.

DBM good question!

DragBikeMike wrote on 05/05/18 at 20:13:39:


I found a picture of the cam that came with those rockers.  It was a Savage cam - the intake rocker didn't look bad.....the exhaust side does.