Is wet sumping a Communicable Disease?

I dragged home a new to me automatic stroke hydraulic surface grinder today and needed to fire up the 1946 Clark forklift to do the unload. The Clark has been sitting unused for a year or so with the Norton 650SS and Commando sitting beside it. The 650SS is a bad 2 week wet sumper, the Commando a not so bad two month wet sumper, but now the forklift has picked up the same affliction. All of the hydraulic oil in the tank had drained into the engine sump via the hydraulic pump. I think I might fit a shutoff valve on the hydraulic supply line if JimC will let me

The surface grinder needs a bit of fixing, the half nut on the vertical rise lead screw is damaged. Once fixed, this machine will come in very handy for motorcycle work. It is a universal head type so it can also be used for sharpening cutters or, with centres mounted, for grinding shafts. The main usage on motorcycles would be making precision length bushings and spacers.



Glen

If you check the "1946 Clark Forklift Forum" you will probably find a fix for the wet sumping.

Perfect!!!

worntorn said:

I dragged home a new to me automatic stroke hydraulic surface grinder today and needed to fire up the 1946 Clark forklift to do the unload. The Clark has been sitting unused for a year or so with the Norton 650SS and Commando sitting beside it. The 650SS is a bad 2 week wet sumper, the Commando a not so bad two month wet sumper, but now the forklift has picked up the same affliction. All of the hydraulic oil in the tank had drained into the engine sump via the hydraulic pump. I think I might fit a shutoff valve on the hydraulic supply line if JimC will let me


Glen

Click to expand...

Hey, come on now. I'm all for anti-wet-sump valves -of the manual type.

Merry Christmas too all. Jim

Gidday Worny
I certainly hope it is not communicable. being in such close proximity for so long, be thankful they did not breed. could give a whole new context to the term "extended forks". the mind boggles.
best wishes Bradley

+1 for the manual shut-off valve, ( I do have ignition interlock on mine!)
Merry Xmas to all,

Dave.

You could fix the pump seals as sooner or later the pump wont build up enough to lift forks under load.

You could try to contact the manufacturer an see if it is still under warranty :lol:

Maybe the hydraulics will quit in a century or so, but I think they will keep working long enough for my needs.
The old machine only gets used now for a few hours per decade, but I wouldn't want to be without it.
It always surprises me by starting right up and running like a watch, no warm up required. The engine is a 4 cylinder flat head Continental. Everything on the machine works the same as it did 25 years ago when I brought it home, thinking it might do for a few years of use.

Glen

comnoz said:

worntorn said:

I dragged home a new to me automatic stroke hydraulic surface grinder today and needed to fire up the 1946 Clark forklift to do the unload. The Clark has been sitting unused for a year or so with the Norton 650SS and Commando sitting beside it. The 650SS is a bad 2 week wet sumper, the Commando a not so bad two month wet sumper, but now the forklift has picked up the same affliction. All of the hydraulic oil in the tank had drained into the engine sump via the hydraulic pump. I think I might fit a shutoff valve on the hydraulic supply line if JimC will let me


Glen

Click to expand...

Hey, come on now. I'm all for anti-wet-sump valves -of the manual type.

Merry Christmas too all. Jim

Click to expand...

I was thinking of the Floridian JimC, he gets pretty worked up at the sight of the various shutoffs some of us utilize.

Glen

Not a communicable disease but a innate genetic trait passed on in Norton and other close relatives like Harley's, similar to some of us born with tails, over concerned parent try tp pull off before letting out of the house.

I've recently found out that the BSA Lightning A65 has the same problem! I have recently re-assembled one from several boxes of bits, didn't have to strip the engine and it's running ok but I started it up after leaving it standing for a couple of months and then found I was standing in a puddle of oil!

I think it is spreading.
My Harley Fatboy right now shows no oil on the dipstick.
Sigh. There is no drain plug for the sump.

Duh Dave if one tops off oil tank w/o draining sump or just starting first like comnoz then excess oil will be pumped to ground. This was my very first experience with my very 1st Combat, the son of the owner of the shop that sold this Combat out of their show room took me to store to buy 2 qts oil to put in the empty oil tank, started up nice with big grins - for about a min then had to step back form the many feet wide oil puddle and comment that hey I get a free oil change to boot. So that is how I got trained for no tool oil changes in Commandos, just top off and let the used oil pump out first. I've improved on the method with a pan under, sheeze.