Valve Lifter Concerns:

Hal the Elder

Member
Local time
8:15 AM
Joined
Oct 20, 2008
Messages
638
Hey guys...

Since I began driving (legally) over 57 years ago (illegally for 3 years before that!), I've owned 24 cars, 7 motorcycles, and now a Whizzer Motorbike.

My Whizzer is the first motor vehicle I've owned where I had to be concerned about the life of the valve lifters! Why wasn't I warned about the lifters on my other cars and bikes, which represented a variety of manufacturers, both foreign and domestic?

Why only the Whizzer lifters?

Anyway, I now have a pair of Mushrooms I'll be installing as soon as I get over this cold!

Cheers! (.006 intake, .008 exhaust...got it!)
And Thanks, Quenton!

BTW...I've been noticing on other posts that a famous quote I introduced recently is being repeated more frequently:

"It's Crackers to Slip a Rozzer the Dropsy in Snide."
 
Last edited:
Just bad engine design, plain and simple. And the designers had a workable design that was only 60 years old to build upon!!! Thanks to Quenton for fixing one weak link.

- My 3.5 hp Briggs and Stratton motor on my 1968 Cooper Cyclo-Vac mower continues to run strong cutting grass year after year.
- My 10 hp Honda motor on my (abused) Troybilt chipper/shredder has started on the first pull for the past 7 years with only a yearly oil change as maintenance.
- My 1972 International Cub Cadet garden tractor has never had an internal engine problem.

Just bad design.
 
I would go even farther and say it was design changes that have created the bulk of the problems.

A change in cam lift and profile for more power caused the lifter mismatch problem.

Going from a manual clutch to a centrifugal clutch for broader appeal caused the clutch design issues.

Changing the breather pocket design (not too sure why) created the oil loss through the breather problem.

The story goes on. Much to my surprise most changes once reworked or refined have been very beneficial for the NE5 in the long run.

Thankfully Quenton and others have developed fixes for the most common issues. Lets face it Whizzer does not have the deep pockets needed to design and test the way Honda does. I just wish they would employ and listen more to Quenton. Seems to me he has done the refinement and testing already and they just need to implement the fixes into their product line. Only after giving recognition, compensation and lets not forget getting permission first.

I'm befuddled by the common sense items that anyone should be able to look at and say that ain't going to work!

Items like...
1) A hardened surface for the one way clutch bearing to ride on.
2) Proper spark plug depth in the head.
3) multiple washers on the head bolts allowing it to loosen with time and vibration
3) Using two roll pins to hold a pulley on the side of the clutch drum.
4) No hardened spacer between the small bearings in the clutch.
These and others are inexcusable design flaws that IMHO should have been readily apparent and never should have been allowed to be produced as designed.

Now there is a new boy in town, the NE-R and it too will have refinement issues I'm sure. I just hope there won't be too many as the tinkering gets old after a while. There comes a time that you just want to ride.

Kep1a
 
I would go even farther and say it was design changes that have created the bulk of the problems.

A change in cam lift and profile for more power caused the lifter mismatch problem.

Going from a manual clutch to a centrifugal clutch for broader appeal caused the clutch design issues.

Changing the breather pocket design (not too sure why) created the oil loss through the breather problem.

The story goes on. Much to my surprise most changes once reworked or refined have been very beneficial for the NE5 in the long run.

Thankfully Quenton and others have developed fixes for the most common issues. Lets face it Whizzer does not have the deep pockets needed to design and test the way Honda does. I just wish they would employ and listen more to Quenton. Seems to me he has done the refinement and testing already and they just need to implement the fixes into their product line. Only after giving recognition, compensation and lets not forget getting permission first.

I'm befuddled by the common sense items that anyone should be able to look at and say that ain't going to work!

Items like...
1) A hardened surface for the one way clutch bearing to ride on.
2) Proper spark plug depth in the head.
3) multiple washers on the head bolts allowing it to loosen with time and vibration
3) Using two roll pins to hold a pulley on the side of the clutch drum.
4) No hardened spacer between the small bearings in the clutch.
These and others are inexcusable design flaws that IMHO should have been readily apparent and never should have been allowed to be produced as designed.

Now there is a new boy in town, the NE-R and it too will have refinement issues I'm sure. I just hope there won't be too many as the tinkering gets old after a while. There comes a time that you just want to ride.

Kep1a

Bingo! Absolutely correct on all points, you hit the nail right on the head and for that you get the Kewpie doll! I couldn't have said it better myself. :2thumbsup:
 
over my head

Hey guys...

Since I began driving (legally) over 57 years ago (illegally for 3 years before that!), I've owned 24 cars, 7 motorcycles, and now a Whizzer Motorbike.

My Whizzer is the first motor vehicle I've owned where I had to be concerned about the life of the valve lifters! Why wasn't I warned about the lifters on my other cars and bikes, which represented a variety of manufacturers, both foreign and domestic?

Why only the Whizzer lifters?

Anyway, I now have a pair of Mushrooms I'll be installing as soon as I get over this cold!

Cheers! (.006 intake, .008 exhaust...got it!)
And Thanks, Quenton!

BTW...I've been noticing on other posts that a famous quote I introduced recently is being repeated more frequently:

"It's Crackers to Slip a Rozzer the Dropsy in Snide."

Could you please explain what the devil in means ? It sounds English maybe
 
Back
Top