POINT OIL SEAL

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hi all
managed to find another leak !
when its been sitting for a few weeks the oil is leaking out of the points cover
do i need any special tools to change this seal , ive not taken the cover off yet to have a look
 
Don't know why it would leak worse while sitting. That seal points to the inside so when you reinstall the timing cover you need to be careful not the damage it as it passes over the end of cam. You can but a slick bullet shaped plug to go on the end of the cam or, as a lot of folks do, find a socket that slightly larger the cam and put it through the seal from the outside. Use the socket to guide the seal over end of the cam during installation.
 
MATTT said:
hi all
managed to find another leak !
when its been sitting for a few weeks the oil is leaking out of the points cover
do i need any special tools to change this seal , ive not taken the cover off yet to have a look

To answer you question, yes, you need to pull the timing cover to get to the seal and a tool that screws into the cam. It is tapered so the seal is not damaged by the sharp edge of the cam when the timing cover is installed over the seal. People have done many differant things to accomplish this rather then purchasing this tool which is available from many vendors. I have a small lathe in my basement so I made my own. Others will chime in, I am sure.

That being said, why o why is the oil so high in the timing case after sitting for a few weeks. While you are in there, check out the oil pump and start another thread asking about referbishing the oil pump.
Oil appears to be seeping by the sealpoints in the oil pump. If I am correct, you have to take it apart and check the gap from the gears to the casing. Just to be clear, we're talking about the oil pump. This may require removing a .001 or .002 or more from the sides of the case by honing the side on a piece of glass or suitable flat surface and fine emery. Don't over do it. Make sure you get a fresh oil pump seal while you're at it. Not a big job either, it's just that the thread on the nut retaining the worm gear is left handed.

I look for your oil pump thread.
 
Not to distract this Point Oil Seal question. Mine question is similar and I regret the answer. My point seal was leaking and replaced it using all the tools required. After replacing seal and installed cover & timed, it still leaked. I noticed the camshaft was not dead center in the timing cover when put on. Using a clock as a reference, the position of offset was about 8:00 O-clock. Camshaft bushing wore? Had the proper tension on camshaft chain. (did not take timing chain off to check for play)

1. Hole on the timing cover off?
2. Try another cover to compare?

I put another seal in and it leaked but not as bad. Ok Forum readers, give me the dreaded news.

Thanks for any input or experience with this situation. Jerry
 
travelerjerry said:
Not to distract this Point Oil Seal question. Mine question is similar and I regret the answer. My point seal was leaking and replaced it using all the tools required. After replacing seal and installed cover & timed, it still leaked. I noticed the camshaft was not dead center in the timing cover when put on. Using a clock as a reference, the position of offset was about 8:00 O-clock. Camshaft bushing wore? Had the proper tension on camshaft chain. (did not take timing chain off to check for play)

1. Hole on the timing cover off?
2. Try another cover to compare?

I put another seal in and it leaked but not as bad. Ok Forum readers, give me the dreaded news.

Thanks for any input or experience with this situation. Jerry

I have to ask if the idler spindler is firmly fitted into the crankcase. The reason for the question is that they get messed up some time, usually when someone tries to remove the camshaft nut without support. With the cover off there is nothing to support it. When people adjust the cam chain they don't take in effect the pull from the chain on this suseptable point. Mine is bad and that's how I know. I use a sacrificial cover to adjust the cam chain. If the chain is adjusted and the spindle is comprimised, when the cover is replaced the cam chain tightens and pulls the cam into the bushing to about the 8 oclock position. You might want to apply some pressure to the end of the cam to see if it tightens the cam chain and then you may know your answer concerning the cam bushing.
 
im thinking i might just start the bike every so often as im really wanting to get it on the road after the gearbox rebuild as ive not actually had a chance to ride it yet :cry: and see to the pump and seal later on

although ive stupidly managed to move the timing off as i took the plate out with the magnets (its fitted with a boyer system)
wheres best setting for the static timing before i strobe light it? as ive got it to the compression and set it at 28 on the dial and it wont start.I moved it a little each way and was rewarded by a nice dose of kickback !

thanks again
matt
 
MATTT said:
although ive stupidly managed to move the timing off as i took the plate out with the magnets (its fitted with a boyer system)
wheres best setting for the static timing before i strobe light it? as ive got it to the compression and set it at 28 on the dial and it wont start.I moved it a little each way and was rewarded by a nice dose of kickback !

thanks again
matt

http://www.britcycle.com/Manuals/33101inst.pdf

Put the white dot on the rotor in the hole on the stator marked counter-clockwise. Moving the stator clock-wise advances the timing. How's the battery?
 
pvisseriii said:
travelerjerry said:
Not to distract this Point Oil Seal question. Mine question is similar and I regret the answer. My point seal was leaking and replaced it using all the tools required. After replacing seal and installed cover & timed, it still leaked. I noticed the camshaft was not dead center in the timing cover when put on. Using a clock as a reference, the position of offset was about 8:00 O-clock. Camshaft bushing wore? Had the proper tension on camshaft chain. (did not take timing chain off to check for play)

1. Hole on the timing cover off?
2. Try another cover to compare?

I put another seal in and it leaked but not as bad. Ok Forum readers, give me the dreaded news.

Thanks for any input or experience with this situation. Jerry

I have to ask if the idler spindler is firmly fitted into the crankcase. The reason for the question is that they get messed up some time, usually when someone tries to remove the camshaft nut without support. With the cover off there is nothing to support it. When people adjust the cam chain they don't take in effect the pull from the chain on this suseptable point. Mine is bad and that's how I know. I use a sacrificial cover to adjust the cam chain. If the chain is adjusted and the spindle is comprimised, when the cover is replaced the cam chain tightens and pulls the cam into the bushing to about the 8 oclock position. You might want to apply some pressure to the end of the cam to see if it tightens the cam chain and then you may know your answer concerning the cam bushing.

Thanks pvisseriii for the input. Guess I need to get a sacrificial cover and cut the top portion out and do this procedure the next time I pop it off. My leak is not that bad, perhaps a few drops every 50 miles. For now I packed a piece of blue Shop Towel at the bottom to absorb the oil for now. However, I noticed the idler spindler (Tensioner Slipper) showing wear from the chain when I had the timing cover off. Have over 32,000 miles on the bike and believe all these parts are original. Jerry
 
If you have a persistent oil leak into the points and the seal is O.K. there are two other possible causes (at least). There have been timing covers which were porous (how unusual, I hear you say) but-porous between the inside and the points lead hole. This can be cared by enlarging the hole if necessary to 5/16in (0.3125in=7.938mm, say 8.00mm) and inserting a thin sleeve of your own manufacture, or of Norton manufacture if you can get one. Stick the sleeve in with plastic gasket or the afore-mentioned sticky substance.

http://archives.jampot.dk/Book/Workshop ... _Notes.pdf

Interesting. Not unheard of to have mysterious oil leaks due to porous castings...
 
thanks for the link to the boyer setup
i had the magnets in the wrong place and its now running fine,i just need to get the timing adjusted with a strobe light
thanks
matt
 
I am still curious about the oil level after sitting for a few week. If your bike sits for any length of time, check the oil level in the tank before starting. If it is low, your sump has the oil in it. You should drain it and pour it back in the tank. There will alway be some oil in the sump (100cc to 200cc). This is normal.
Too much oil in the crankcase can raise havoc with other oil seals, gaskets and bolt holes and can also cause difficulty in starting. I do not know what year your bike is, but if it is a 72, it will blow the oil up the breather also.

I guess I am not really sure if you just have a general drip out the cam seal or a drainage issue from sitting.
 
hi there
ive been away for just over a week and the oil tank was full so i will be checking how much has drained out tomorrow
 
checked the oil tank level today after 2 weeks and its still full up

theres no leak from teh points oil seal at the moment
i will maybe leave it another week and recheck it

how long should it take to drain down into the sump?
 
MATTT said:
how long should it take to drain down into the sump?

Assuming there's no anti-drain valve fitted ,then for some Commandos it can be a matter of a few hours (overnight?) while others can take several months, obviously the longer the oil takes to drain down, the better.
 
1. DO NOT TRUST the factory timing scale until verified and marked by a degree wheel. Can be off 8-10'.

2. ONLY set timing by starting ease w/o back fire and no detonation
ONLY then should you use time light to see what shows up and mark
for future reference. Time light needs its own 12 v not bike battery
just to be sure of v supply accuracy, unless topped off big battery installed
and not idled over a few minutes.

3. 8 degrees static is good initial start setting. OR as I do now,
begin too far off one way or another and creep up on it.
I use knife edge to mark final setting w or w/o paint highlight.

4. Some just put tape on rim edge to slip seal over but nicer
to buy the bullet screw in or make one.

hobot
 
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