Single cylinder timing chain drain

The timing chain lubrication arrangement seems a little mad to me.
Oil can work it's way through the camshaft bush to lubricate the chain, OK, but then drips out through a pipe into the ground.
Has anyone tried drilling a small hole through the back of the chain cavity into the camshaft/timing gear cavity so the oil can drain back into the engine instead of onto the floor?

I have had an ES2 and a 16H and neither had any significant oil come out of that drain, at least compared to other sources.
It is above my pay grade to know what would happen with the drilling but you would need to be sure that you weren't making things worse rather than better.

I have an ES 2 and have not had any problems with oil coming out of the drain.

I have recently had the cover off my '57 ES2 and there was an oil stain below the drain pipe as if there is an oil bath effect and the drain pipe controls the level, so there is just a spot after a ride. on my friends '55 ES2 someone had modified the cam bush and that poored oil out that drain!

If the bush is in good order, the scroll arrangement will ensure that very little will escape. Drilling a hole back to the crankcase may well result in pressurising the timing chain chamber. I do not think that this is advisable. Be aware that the timing bushes were originally line bored using a jig which is one reason the crankcase halves and timing cover all have a common factory stamped number. This ensures that not only the cams run on a common axis, but the gear mesh is correct.