Lubing swingarm. What could possibly go wrong?

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Bonzo

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Thought I'd take the opportunity to lube the s/a following the brief detail in the riders handbook.

Filled up my can with heavy oil and squirted slowly into the grease nipple. I'd read here some time ago about undoing the centre bolt to relieve the pressure build up, which I did. Didn't realize it was a rod.

Lubing swingarm. What could possibly go wrong?

You probably know how this went.

Couldn't engage the rod to screw back in and in trying the drive side cap is dislodged and oil has come out of the other side.

I then took a peek in the Norman White book where it advises against taking this route. Now I know why :rolleyes:

Currently have a strip of card rammed down between the primary case and the end cap.

How can I put this right?

Lubing swingarm. What could possibly go wrong?
 
Hopefully your piece of card is holding the cap on the end
You will need to keep trying until you engage the bolt
Once you have done that try filling it up from the bolt on the top of the gearbox cradle
On my bike I remade this bolt with a tube that goes up under the seat to a small master resovoir I just squirt a bit of oil in when I remember
 
I assume the rod/bolt engages into the centre of the end cap?
 
I assume the rod/bolt engages into the centre of the end cap?
Yep there's a small boss in the centre of the cap
You can remove the cap on the timing side to help with movement to pick up on the other end
 
Yep there's a small boss in the centre of the cap
You can remove the cap on the timing side to help with movement to pick up on the other end

Hahh, that's good to know.

If I don't manage to engage it, I'll take that route.

Cheers mate.
 
On my bike I remade this bolt with a tube that goes up under the seat to a small master resovoir I just squirt a bit of oil in when I remember

Just noticed this. Great idea to save this faff.

Said it before & I'll say it again. You am bloody clever ;)
 
Big thanks chaps.

Finally managed to engage the bolt without removing the timing side cap.

Like most things on this bike, limited access meant about a million turns with a 5BA ;)

While I have the mudguard removed, I'll pop the horn out and use the gearbox cradle bolt method baz mentioned.

This forum is magnificent.
 
I’m not sure if this experience helps but I also have always had problems getting oil into the swingarm. Except when the wheel and fender are off and then through the center swingarm bolt. I’ve tried oilers with needles, tried getting grease guns to hold oil, etc. The only way was very primitate and that was getting the bike somewhat on its side then removing the zerk fitting and dribbling oil in that way. Until I saw that someone had machined a hollowed center bolt that had a barbed surface on one end and threads on the other. It acts as a center bolt along with being able to attached a tube. Then a clear piece of tubing attached to the barbed end. That tubing runs up under the seat.
When I want to lube the swingarm, I remove the zerk in the outer cap to let the oil flow in easier, then add oil through the top of the clear tubing. You can watch the oil drop into the swingarm. When topped up, the oil comes out the zerk.
For me it works the best so far.
Shayne
 
I’m not sure if this experience helps but I also have always had problems getting oil into the swingarm. Except when the wheel and fender are off and then through the center swingarm bolt. I’ve tried oilers with needles, tried getting grease guns to hold oil, etc. The only way was very primitate and that was getting the bike somewhat on its side then removing the zerk fitting and dribbling oil in that way. Until I saw that someone had machined a hollowed center bolt that had a barbed surface on one end and threads on the other. It acts as a center bolt along with being able to attached a tube. Then a clear piece of tubing attached to the barbed end. That tubing runs up under the seat.
When I want to lube the swingarm, I remove the zerk in the outer cap to let the oil flow in easier, then add oil through the top of the clear tubing. You can watch the oil drop into the swingarm. When topped up, the oil comes out the zerk.
For me it works the best so far.
Shayne
Yep see above
 
I've had success using the push type grease guns, filled with heavy oil (actually STP oil treatment, like honey) and a few squirts direct into the zerk fitting (as the Norton gods intended).
Have heard some have blown out the drive side cap, stripping the threads off the long thin bolt, when applying too much oil/force from a grease gun. So maybe loosening the skinny bolt to help prevent pressure is wise.
Getting to the top fixing bolt without a lot of disassembly seems impossible.
 
This all sounds so difficult and complicated. I remove the "zerk" fitting; lay the bike over to the left; then using an empty
plastic squeeze enema bottle with a nozzle from the grocery or pharmacy, half filled with heavy oil, squeeze it slowly in
the zerk opening until it is full, then replace the zerk fitting. The point is to saturate the sintered bronze bushings, not provide a
high speed bearing type of lubrication. Most likely the oil will leak out from the o-rings over a month or two and soil the rear wheel.
Repeat once a year.
 
This all sounds so difficult and complicated. I remove the "zerk" fitting; lay the bike over to the left; then using an empty
plastic squeeze enema bottle with a nozzle from the grocery or pharmacy, half filled with heavy oil, squeeze it slowly in
the zerk opening until it is full, then replace the zerk fitting. The point is to saturate the sintered bronze bushings, not provide a
high speed bearing type of lubrication. Most likely the oil will leak out from the o-rings over a month or two and soil the rear wheel.
Repeat once a year.
Don't know about difficult and complicated it's only a bolt with a hole in
All I do is take off the seat put a squirt of oil in the revovoir
Replace the seat
 
I’m not sure if this experience helps but I also have always had problems getting oil into the swingarm. Except when the wheel and fender are off and then through the center swingarm bolt. I’ve tried oilers with needles, tried getting grease guns to hold oil, etc. The only way was very primitate and that was getting the bike somewhat on its side then removing the zerk fitting and dribbling oil in that way. Until I saw that someone had machined a hollowed center bolt that had a barbed surface on one end and threads on the other. It acts as a center bolt along with being able to attached a tube. Then a clear piece of tubing attached to the barbed end. That tubing runs up under the seat.
When I want to lube the swingarm, I remove the zerk in the outer cap to let the oil flow in easier, then add oil through the top of the clear tubing. You can watch the oil drop into the swingarm. When topped up, the oil comes out the zerk.
For me it works the best so far.
Shayne
I should clarify…. The “hollowed out bolt with barbed end” is the 1/4 swingarm spindle center bolt
 
I should clarify…. The “hollowed out bolt with barbed end” is the 1/4 swingarm spindle center bolt
Yes that's exactly what I did see above
No barb though
I didn't see a need for one and still don't
I just used a shouldered bolt with the head cut off and a hole drilled through the centre
 
Wouldn't mind seeing some pics of the various bolt mods & lube tubes etc. that you good folks have done to ease this maintenance.

Asking for a friend ;)
 
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