clutch pushrod seal

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bmwbob

bmwbob

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I have a dilemma understanding if I really need a clutch pushrod seal! I must admit I already have one installed, but do I really need one even though it's cheap insurance. I've been told by a well known Norton mechanic that there's no way 90 weight oil at the bottom of the transmission can jump up and travel down the clutch rod tunnel and muck up the clutch plates. When I see folks running belt drive and they're not saturated with oil and clutch plates are clean, I tend to agree with him which leads me to believe either the main seal is blown or existing oil in the primary is fouling clutch plates. Just a though! :idea:
 
Most the belt drives to stay dry have a seal installed and/or the
clutch rod dimpled-necked, oil rings installed or cut in half and a ball
bearing in space for oil to drip off - mostly before creeping
to end of rod and clutch plates.
No one needs any of this, just nicer less maintenance when works right.

hobot
 
Pretty simple, someone with a dry primary with evidence of oil in the clutch area. Right?
 
I'd like to hear from some one who's got a belt drive, a good main seal and fouled clutch plates! Just curious :?:
 
bmwbob said:
I'd like to hear from some one who's got a belt drive, a good main seal and fouled clutch plates! Just curious :?:
Click to expand...

I have a belt drive and yes I do get a small amount of oil on the plates I have a pushrod seal to fit but need the overall length reduced by 3-5mm before it is fitted.
 
I was given one of the very first DynoDave seals.
I eventually got Peel first re-build reliable and found
like on an oil tight engine, the fasteners begin to rust,
well the friction plates will too.
Its entirely possible to have long term dry plates.
Best wishes attaining it.

hobot
 
bmwbob said:
I've been told by a well known Norton mechanic that there's no way 90 weight oil at the bottom of the transmission can jump up and travel down the clutch rod tunnel and muck up the clutch plates.
Click to expand...

Just curious who is that 'well known Norton mechanic'? Because he should know better!
 
Without getting into any debate, the clutch rod seal I put in a few years ago is working for me...no more slicking clutch and no more need to clean the plates all the time. By the way the lube in the gearbox only sits at the bottom when the engine isn't running. With the gear clusters turning, it's a constant spray inside the cases.
 
Same for me.Really improved the plate problem.I have not taken the plates out in 2 seasons now. At least once a season before. Just my observations on my bike. Yours may vary.
Bruce
 
Same here. Installed pushrod seal 3 years ago. Sure is nice not getting gear oil in the chaincase. Seal was worth every dollar.
 
Well, the very fact that a guy makes and has sold for years a clutch rod seal to stop gearbox migration in to the clutch hub area is strong proof that
your mechanic is just flat wrong.

People don't buy something, and then say it works, unless there is a problem in the first place.

I have a belt primary for the past 10 years now, and I have had the o ring seal both installed and not four times just to verify it's effectiveness.

It works very well.

90 weight oil does not just "jump" up on the rod and magically slide down it to the primary side.
Your mechanic should realize that oil of any weight gets hot and gets slopped around while riding, it does indeed get on the rod, and it does slide in to the hub.
Over time, the o ring wears, and I started to get clutch slip, removed the plated to find them gummed up with red gearbox oil
Installed a new o ring, cleaned the plates, and have been dry in there now for the past two years.

None of us are imagining this happening, it is real, and the seal stops the oil.
 
IMO the oil is thrown through the mainshaft ball race into the clutch actuation lever top hat and the ball does the rest when the clutch lever is pulled pumping a small amount of oil down the pushrod.

Yes the pushrod needs a seal there's no argument.

Cash
 
highdesert said:
Your mechanic should realize that oil of any weight gets hot and gets slopped around while riding,
Click to expand...

"Slopped" would be something of an understatement, I think!

As the layshaft assembly, with its four gears running semi-submersed within the gearbox oil-even taking into account the primary drive reduction of 2.192:1 that still means speeds of between several hundred, and several thousand RPM (depending on engine speed), result = oil and/or oil mist flung everywhere within the gearbox-even at the lower end of the layshaft's speed range, in fact the splash lubrication thrown up by the layshaft assembly is vital, as the sleeve gear, mainshaft bushes and bearings as well as parts of the gear selector mechanism and clutch thrust mechanism rely on that splash-fed lubrication.

I can also attest to the fact that gear oil does migrate into the primary, and does contaminate the plates, but the amount of gear oil is usually quite small, but then again, it doesn't take much to contaminate the plates.
 
I have been told that keeping the clutch rod well greased helps with the migrating of oil. Anyone agree with that or not? It's sure easy to try.

Dave
69S
 
Makes sense better than sea water to hold back the Gulf blow out.
Only issue and a small one, if grease gets dry thick enough to
restrain free rod motion. May try grease on my plain jane Combat
as I ain't doing much to her that the factory didn't. Thanks.

hobot
 
Once a year to seal hot gear box oil? hehe,
haha,
hohoho
LOL
ROFOL, catching breath, whew, Ok,
let us know how that optimistic schedule works out.
hehe
hohobot.
 
You're cruel. I counting on a lightly driven bike. Just my option.

Dave
69S
 
DogT said:
I have been told that keeping the clutch rod well greased helps with the migrating of oil. Anyone agree with that or not? It's sure easy to try.

Dave
69S
Click to expand...

Yep, I've done this on every Pommie bike I've owned. The Commando mainshaft does migrate gear oil, no question about that. What I suspect happens is the actuator mechanism get pretty wet and when the bike is parked on the side stand, which most of seem to be fairly steep the oil gradually weeps down the shaft centre, hence for long term parking I use a 3" chunk of wood to keep it a bit more upright and the oil more or less level in the various compartments. Parking the bike up on the centre stand for a long period is not good either as it pre-loads the Isos.

Jap riders don't do this sort of stuff do they? Some dude asked me the other day why I was turning off my fuel taps? I said, so the carbs don't leak and cause a fire. Should have seen the look on his face.

Mick
 
Every time I've pulled the clutch rod out it's been covered in trans fluid. One sure test to tell if the trans fluid is getting into the clutch is to just smell the clutch. If you're using a hypoid trans fluid and it's getting on the plates you can easily smell the sulfur. In fact, if you just pull the inspection cap off the primary you could probably smell it.
 
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