Can I eliminate my oil tank breather and chain oiler?

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Droolin68bird

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I have a 74 Commando 850 with a single Mikuni and a K&N filter. With new technology I am fairly confident that there are chain sprays or wakes that will allow me to eliminate my chain oiler but can I eliminate the oil tank breather as well? The single Mikuni and K&N do not allow me to route it back to the original air box location. If I cannot eliminate the oil tank breather what are some suggestions of where I can route the tank breather line so it will not be visible or what can be done with new technology to not let it dump on the ground behind the back tire?
 
I re routed my vent hose to the K&N air filter after I made a hole in the end cap of the filter and found a suitable brass 90' elbow from the hardware store to make the connection.
I have no experience with chain oilers.
Ride On
Dave
 
I haven't had a chain oiler on any of my Commandos since I took one off my first one in 1972. Regular chain lubrication with any of the good chain lubes works just fine.

On the breather, you can't just close it off, or you will start blowing oil out of gaskets and seals. If you don't want to run it out the back, or fit it to the K&N, find someplace unobtrusive to fit a catch bottle, run the breather hose into it, and empty it as necessary.

Ken
 
You might just have the only chain oiler left on a Norton. Definitely get rid of it. As for the breather yes you need it. As Buckeyerider said you can route it into the K&N. I've been using the catch bottle method since '73. put a small clear bottle in front of the battery. Ever since I installed a Mike's XS reed valve crankcase breather the amount of oil in my catch bottle is minimal.
 
Droolin68bird said:
I have a 74 Commando 850 with a single Mikuni and a K&N filter. With new technology I am fairly confident that there are chain sprays or wakes that will allow me to eliminate my chain oiler but can I eliminate the oil tank breather as well? The single Mikuni and K&N do not allow me to route it back to the original air box location. If I cannot eliminate the oil tank breather what are some suggestions of where I can route the tank breather line so it will not be visible or what can be done with new technology to not let it dump on the ground behind the back tire?
Click to expand...

I route my breather line down to just below and zipp tied to my lower frame tube behind the gearbox and to the side so not in line with rear tire. An occasional oil drip down on the road not something I worry about.
 
rx7171 said:
I route my breather line down to just below and zipp tied to my lower frame tube behind the gearbox and to the side so not in line with rear tire. An occasional oil drip down on the road not something I worry about.
Click to expand...

I do the same with my 850. Runs down under the battery box strap, inside the clutch cable, behind the gearbox and then down between the frame and the swingarm to the side of the wheel. It's not invisible, but not obtrusive either. As far as I can tell, it's just venting vapor. Although it probably happens, I've never actually seen a drip come out of there. I imagine you cd find out how much oil is really moving that way by temporarily fitting a clear plastic hose?
 
I got a little filter to go on the end of the hose , I think it may have been from CNW [ not sure ] any single entry small filter would do .
I just clean it occasionally .
 
Ahem. I have the chain oiler, and wouldn't be without it. The chain likes it, I like it, and I haven't bought a can of chain lube in longer than I can remember. Besides, chain lube makes as much mess, and plain old engine oil is much easier to wash off.
 
+1 - I still have my chain oiler and like it. I modified it by adding a brass fish tank air valve next to the battery so I can regulate the flow easily. This "mod" was in one of the first Norton News in the '70's.
 
batrider said:
I modified it by adding a brass fish tank air valve next to the battery so I can regulate the flow easily. This "mod" was in one of the first Norton News in the '70's.
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Interesting, you mean it's easier to regulate using that valve rather than the standard fitting?

That question makes me wonder, after all these years, is dislike of the chain oiler down to dislike of the regulator, or what? It's just that I don't understand it.
 
I believe the issue back in the day was the oil tank vent pressure in the hose over-oiling the chain resulting in a small oil puddle on the ground when the bike was parked.
 
Ok thanks! Maybe people didn't pay attention to the regulator. Seems a strange thing to worry about though, when back in the day most British bikes were leakers! Frequently because they weren't set up right, of course. My bike only marks its spot that way when parked overnight, although I'd say it leaves a patch rather than a puddle. I parked it at my mum and stepdad's for several hours on Sunday, a severe test(!), and not a drop.
 
I have one of these mounted on the right side frame in front of the side cover. Line from the oil tank goes in the top. The side is a vent. The bottom is a release. After a while and while warm, put a small disposal bottle underneath it and open the bottom valve. It slowly empties, mostly water and some oil vapor condensate. When I am doing an oil change, I will put low pressure air on the inlet to clean it out good.

http://palmettospeedshop.com/CATCH-CAN-ALUMINUM-CC-100/
 
the factory chain oiler is a pitiful example of bad planning and execution, in my younger days when my 74 850 was new, i naively relied on it to oil my chain, the chain was worn out a 10,000mi. I am smarter now, that turd goes straight to the junk pile. plug the line .
as for the breather, it needs to breath, but open to direct atmosphere may not be the best solution. even here a filter medium should be considered.
 
I'd agree that a chain life of 10,000 miles is pretty poor – after I fitted a Scottoiler to a chain-chewing GS550MX in the 1980s its chain life doubled from about 7,000 miles! I kid you not, and new sprockets front and rear were needed every time, too. So from your experience a Scottoiler might've been better than the standard chain oiler. Or maybe it was the type of oil ... I fitted a new Iwis chain from Andy the chain man this summer, but I don't do the same mileage as I did on the old GS, so it'll take a few years for it to wear out – I'll try to remember to report back about its longevity!
 
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the tank breather is routed to discharge over gearbox sprocket... the chain oiler can get enthusiastic when cruising at 90mph ..my solution was to fit a tap so it can be turned on and off whilst riding..
 
I think the chain oiler probably got a bad reputation because it was common for bikes to have so much oil and road grime in the swingarm area that you couldn't tell where it was coming from. And here we are forty years later still plugging oilers and trying to seal swingarms! And yes, it is the main reason Nortons are often black! I still like one of the early CNW builds that was painted white. Frame, fenders, tank. I thought then and now, "Gee these guys are confident!"

Can I eliminate my oil tank breather and chain oiler?
 
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man that white is hard on the eyes...:D

i am now going with a small catch bottle with a foam sponge and clear hose goes through the sponge and any drippins stay in the bottle to assess the amount loss
 
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