Oil Gun

Status
Not open for further replies.
olympus

olympus

Joined
Aug 5, 2017
Messages
1,497
Country flag
Hi Gents, can i ask what type of gun other folk use to get oil into the swing arm (Early type with through bolt)??... i have a old style pom pom grease gun which i thought would do the trick... but sadly not.
As I'll need to buy one, your thoughts would be appreciated

Regards
 
Oil and grease guns are a royal PITA, IMHO. I found a suitable nipple with a 90º turn, took the ball and spring out of it so it was open, fitted it, clamped on a length of hose using a bit of locking wire, routed the hose up under the seat and over the spine of the frame so the open end hangs down, and put a bit of sponge in the end as an air/muck filter. Then once in a blue moon I syringe a bit of oil into the hose and let it drain down. Some oil always leaks out of my swinging arm pivot, hence the 'once in a blue moon'. HTH
 
I oil mine via the central fixing bolt on the spindle. A standard squeeze trigger oil can or a syringe and piece of tubing. Have to go slowly as it doesn't flow readily.
Then it all leaks out the rubber "seals" anyway. Good thing the MKII has felt wicks.
 
I put the bike on the side stand so it leans to the left, unscrew the nipple and then using a small oil can loaded with EP140 feed the cavity until its full.
 
140W in a small pump trigger oil can with rag over tip. Remove grease fitting. Remove center bolt to relieve pressure. Squirt in until it comes out the top. If you don't relieve the pressure you might blow out the far end cap. Messy - DAMHIK.
Russ
 
Perhaps I am missing something, not being a Commando owner, but why don't you guys grease the swingarm pivots?

I drilled a small hole thru my front brake actuator cams, another hole intersecting this at 90 degrees in the bearing area, put a cone shaped bevel on the outside end, then with a chain saw grease syringe, pump in a squirt or two once a year. Under the cone shaped bevel the hole is tapped 6-32, and a pan head screw provides a dust/grit cover. It seems to me, one could do the same with your swingarm pivot bolts.

Slick
 
texasSlick said:
Perhaps I am missing something, not being a Commando owner, but why don't you guys grease the swingarm pivots?

I drilled a small hole thru my front brake actuator cams, another hole intersecting this at 90 degrees in the bearing area, put a cone shaped bevel on the outside end, then with a chain saw grease syringe, pump in a squirt or two once a year. Under the cone shaped bevel the hole is tapped 6-32, and a pan head screw provides a dust/grit cover. It seems to me, one could do the same with your swingarm pivot bolts.

Slick
Click to expand...


Strictly forbidden by Norton. Per the workshop manual:

REBUSHING THE SWINGING FORK
Click to expand...
After long useage, where lubrication has been neglected or where grease has been used instead of the recommended SAE 140 oil, the two flanged bushes working on the spindle may wear.
Click to expand...
 
Oil guns are kind of hard to find. I found this one in the UK area which is very similar to the one I own. You fill that thing up with gear oil and that will probably be a lifetime supply of oil for you. When using this type of oil gun makes servicing the swing arm really easy. You want to pump the oil in slowly so that you won't blow the end caps off your swing arm.

https://shop.hle.co.uk/side-lever-oil-gun.html

On my bike I vented the 1/4-28 spindle bolt and soldered a fitting for a vent tube on top. That way I can service the swing arm spindle without having to remove the spindle bolt. Also venting the bolt will help prevent pressure building up within the spindle which could cause oil leaking.

Peter Joe
 
Surely a pump oil can is available anywhere, no?

Oil Gun
 
texasSlick said:
Perhaps I am missing something, not being a Commando owner, but why don't you guys grease the swingarm pivots?

I drilled a small hole thru my front brake actuator cams, another hole intersecting this at 90 degrees in the bearing area, put a cone shaped bevel on the outside end, then with a chain saw grease syringe, pump in a squirt or two once a year. Under the cone shaped bevel the hole is tapped 6-32, and a pan head screw provides a dust/grit cover. It seems to me, one could do the same with your swingarm pivot bolts.

Slick
Click to expand...
Much previous discussion....
Short answer, oilite bushes, whose pores can be clogged with grease.
140 gear oil is the required lube.
 
I was fortunate to live very near to and to have Heinz Kegler as a friend in the years prior to his death.
Heinz told me that the decision the factory made to advocate the use of 140 oil in the swing arm spindle
was purely an effort to mitigate, slow down the irritating leaking of oil from the spindle end caps.
Heinz personally felt that 140 was too heavy of a lubricating oil to use because it was too thick to properly
find its way down the two quite small holes in the spindle and then lubricate the bushings from there.
He told me to use the same oil as in the motor as it would flow better and concentrate more on trying
to get the end caps to seal better to stop leakage.
 
1up3down said:
Heinz personally felt that 140 was too heavy of a lubricating oil to use because it was too thick to properly find its way down the two quite small holes in the spindle and then lubricate the bushings from there.
Click to expand...

The oil doesn't need to travel through the holes to get to the bushes as the ends of the bushes come into contact with the oil (sealed or otherwise).
https://www.oldbritts.com/mk3_sa_lube.html
Oil Gun
 
I'm using STP oil additive as the sole lube here. It's like a thin honey and seems not to leak out too much. I've rebuilt the SA with fresh bushings (DPO had packed grease in the previous ones) and given her new seals either end. No felts on my early '74 MKII. Then did the Kiegler clamps upgrade. Good times ensued.
 
Popped the oil nipple out this afternoon & topped up the oil reservoir with a suitably modified syringe. filled the inner section of the nipple with silicone as even though i have a new one fitted it has always weeped oil
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Edfury828
Unusual (to me) Oil Pressure Gauge Line
Replies
10
Views
567
Edfury828
Edfury828
G
Oil or grease clutch centre bearing?
Replies
17
Views
648
MikeG
MikeG
H
Mk3 massive oil spill
2
Replies
36
Views
2,784
Onder
Onder
C
Quality oil pressure gauge
Replies
18
Views
1,773
YING
YING
Yorkie
Cylinder oil leak
2
Replies
28
Views
2,124
Stephen Hill
S
Back
Top