Years ago, I happened to mention that I had aquired an older High Compression Saito 80GK...(an old flying buddy gave it to me because it had a broken valve spring, and bad bearings)
Bill Robison kindly offered to do a machining operation for me which entailed opening the spring pockets in the head, because the new springs are a bit larger O.D. than the old (and no longer available) version.
Anyway...long story I will attempt to shorten...he and I had a rather long phone conversation about seeing dry valvetrain components on certain Saito engines, especially when mounted w/ cylinder upright. ("Inverted" , w/ cyl. hanging straight down, seems better for rocker and valve tip, pushrod end(s) lubrication)
I don't remember now if Bill actually did the modification, I think he did, but I tried one method...it was to block off the backplate vent, and the oil and case venting would have to go up the pushrod tubes and out the rocker covers. I used a Dremel cut-off wheel (the thin, rather fragile dk. brown ones) and cut a shallow groove in each lifter...about .015" deep, approx. and that let the case gasses get past the lifters, and up the tubes...then a small hole in each rocker cover, at the rear for venting out a small nipple for fuel line drain...
It worked...but I don't know as it was absolutely necessary....(I like to tinker, and since Bill also had seen dry top ends like I have, we figured why not try it)
Back then, I was a "mister fixit" for a couple of LHS's and had worked on many different brands and sizes of engines...but I haven't done that since '08...
Last edited by proptop; 03-23-2014 at 08:28 PM.