Not so funny oil

Status
Not open for further replies.
I found something in the oil pan I didn't see before. Ironically it may not have been the bronze in the oil. Like most failures it was a link in the chain.
 
Swoosh,

Just curious about the history of this engine build. Was it stock or modified, and if modified, what was done to it? What length of service (mileage/hr/year) did you get out of the engine? Thanks.
 
Engines always run their best just before they blow up I find. Thats a bummer but luckily you got off the road and safe without anybody getting hurt. How many miles on the motor?
 
Dude, I just have to say that it hurts my eyes to look at that photo. And if there is any consolation in this, you are safe and sound. Sorry to see that.
 
It's not good for you Dave but it can happen to anyone, mechanical, failures happen all the time without warning and they always happens in places you don't want it, usually in places far from home, it happened to me just a few weeks ago with my Land Rover while on holidays, 3 major mechanical failures in 6 weeks without warning, so I feel for your pain and I hope your luck changes and you win that big lottery.

Ashley
 
Dave, I think you are definitely in the "better" of two groups:

Group 1: Commando engine explodes, rear wheel locks up, rider spit onto the pavement at speed ending up in hospital

and

Group 2" Commando engine explodes, rider coasts to a stop, sad but un-hurt.

You're young, you've got more life ahead of you than behind you (according to the actuarial tables). Keep a stiff upper lip, lad.
 
Last weekend I pulled the timing cover to see if I could find anything untowards in there in regards to the funny colored oil. I was in a bit of a rush and got it buttoned up and rode it a bit on our club garage crawl. Ran like a top, as per usual. I rode it again yesterday, and not too gently.

This morning I looked again in the oil pan and out fell what looks like the oil pump seal. :shock:

Is so that starved the left big end and it finally popped.

Ironically if I hadn't done anything about the oil and hadn't taken the timing side off it may have never happened.

Even more ironically my brother did the same thing to his 850, but he was going slow and just cracked a rod. While he was rebuilding the 850 he used the 750 in his bike. This was obviously well before I put the 750 back together.

So I'm not sure how many miles on this engine. Put no engine is going to last long with no oil pressure.
 
"If it ain't BROKE, don't FIX it"

Since that old saying doesn't quite grasp the entirety of life, I've modified it:

"If IT ain't broke, fix it till YOU are"
 
WZ507 said:
Swoosh,

Just curious about the history of this engine build. Was it stock or modified, and if modified, what was done to it? What length of service (mileage/hr/year) did you get out of the engine? Thanks.
Click to expand...

Start here: new-forum-member-might-well-polite-and-all-t3738.html

It should be stock. Many years ago I had Kenny Dreer open it up, check for any issues and button it back up. Then it sat for many years until my brother put it in his bike, then it went back to my bike and I've been riding it for a few years.
 
grandpaul said:
"If it ain't BROKE, don't FIX it"

Since that old saying doesn't quite grasp the entirety of life, I've modified it:

"If IT ain't broke, fix it till YOU are"
Click to expand...

Well, either you were right it was the was something bad in the oil or you freaked me out so that I opened up the timing side and made it worse.

I blame you either way. :mrgreen:
 
O that's sad,, your bike always sounded a bit clattery in your videos, check your lifter bore clearances when you rebuild it, it sounds very much like mine and my lifter bodies are worn
Atleast you are big enough to man up to your mistake, knowledge learned the hard way
 
splatt said:
O that's sad,, your bike always sounded a bit clattery in your videos, check your lifter bore clearances when you rebuild it, it sounds very much like mine and my lifter bodies are worn
Atleast you are big enough to man up to your mistake, knowledge learned the hard way
Click to expand...

If you can't share your mistakes then you can't say I told you so when someone else makes them. :mrgreen:
 
Personally, I've learned most everything in life by doing it wrong the first time. How my commando has not blown up yet is a mystery since I rebuilt it entirely by myself. (the machinst did the machine work of course) I think I guessed on half the torque values on the crankshaft nuts and connecting rods.... so my explosion is lonnnnnnnng overdue..

The best thing about this incident is that you didn't eat any pavement... I crashed a bike when I was young. I broke my hip socket, broke my clavicle, and had 100 stitches in my back from landing impaled on a cut off sign post... A passerby dressed my wounds or I would have bled to death right there. I still ride my commando in the repaired leather jacket I had on that day complete with blood stained liner...

Glad you're ok...
 
Here's a thought, put the Norton away until the winter when you will have time to do it up right. In the meantime, one of these could be a perfect distraction.

Not so funny oil


Seriously, very sorry that you've had these troubles.

Glen
 
o0norton0o said:
Personally, I've learned most everything in life by doing it wrong the first time. How my commando has not blown up yet is a mystery since I rebuilt it entirely by myself. (the machinst did the machine work of course) I think I guessed on half the torque values on the crankshaft nuts and connecting rods.... so my explosion is lonnnnnnnng overdue..

The best thing about this incident is that you didn't eat any pavement... I crashed a bike when I was young. I broke my hip socket, broke my clavicle, and had 100 stitches in my back from landing impaled on a cut off sign post... A passerby dressed my wounds or I would have bled to death right there. I still ride my commando in the repaired leather jacket I had on that day complete with blood stained liner...

Glad you're ok...
Click to expand...


Yeah, yeah. Pictures please.
 
The dealer got their Rs in yesterday. There's an unsold red one just sitting there. I stopped by to just have them fire it up.

Can't swing it right this second but some day soon.
 
lazyeye6 said:
o0norton0o said:
Personally, I've learned most everything in life by doing it wrong the first time. How my commando has not blown up yet is a mystery since I rebuilt it entirely by myself. (the machinst did the machine work of course) I think I guessed on half the torque values on the crankshaft nuts and connecting rods.... so my explosion is lonnnnnnnng overdue..

The best thing about this incident is that you didn't eat any pavement... I crashed a bike when I was young. I broke my hip socket, broke my clavicle, and had 100 stitches in my back from landing impaled on a cut off sign post... A passerby dressed my wounds or I would have bled to death right there. I still ride my commando in the repaired leather jacket I had on that day complete with blood stained liner...

Glad you're ok...
Click to expand...


Yeah, yeah. Pictures please.
Click to expand...

What exactly do you want to see pictures of? the scars on my ass and back, the honda 750F that I crashed 27 years ago, or the commando I rebuilt that I bought from a friend who couldn't fix it 38 years ago ??
 
That's even more of a bugger Dave, I feel for you.

Its mildly spooky too, I am currently getting mine back together and yesterday I looked at the old oil seal still sitting on the pump and thought how easy it would be to loose / forget / damage it and wondered how many engines had suffered such...
 
It's written somewhere that the oil pump conical seal should be replaced every time the cover comes, it came about the time the the seal was changed to conical as it compresses to take up the difference in dimensions of of the machined castings in that area - a bit late now, but for what they cost and the time to replace when the cover is off it makes sense.
 
a question about the conical oil seal...how much compression is ideal? Normally it holds the timing cover off quite a bit in the lower left corner, usually I think it will be compressed way more than it ought to be and I have seen a lot of them very mashed with a sliver of rubber being cut off. But I am nervous about shaving them down with out knowing exactly how much. so I usually crank in the cover screws and hope for the best. Does anyone adjust the thickness of the conical washer?

One time with my Atlas, the oil pressure relief valve stuck in the closed position. Too much pressure occurred and the crank oil seal was completely inverted when I pulled off the timing cover. Lucky no disaster .
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

olympus
Primary Oil Leak found
2
Replies
22
Views
1,567
olympus
olympus
elefantrider
Removing the MK3 air filter element and K&N filter oil
Replies
14
Views
645
worntorn
W
olympus
Alton Primary Oil Leak... Finally found
Replies
5
Views
875
olympus
olympus
G
Why studs and not bolts for footrests?
2
Replies
31
Views
1,281
MikeG
MikeG
H
Mk3 massive oil spill
2
Replies
36
Views
2,727
Onder
Onder
Back
Top