SWING ARM SPINDLE

Hi,

Question re: 72 Commando - SWING ARM SPINDLE

Is this meant to be packed with grease? I understand that the center bolt is to 'lock' up the spindle, and I've seen the mod's for adding locking clamps (interesting, may be a future upgrade)... but should the spindle (hollow) be packed with grease? Should it be greased prior to insertion into the frame? When I removed it during disassembly I think it was, but that was long ago...

Thanks,

-kjo

Never grease to a swingarm spindle. Common boo boo. Thick oil. Grease clogs up lubrication holes.

I recall the specifications for the spindle lubrication were something like gearbox oil (140W viscosity?)

OK, Thanks guys - Got it -

Do I use the center bolt hole to lubricate? If so, is it a 'add as much as seems right', or 'until it leaks', or 'once in a while' ?

Thanks!

bostonkevino said:

Do I use the center bolt hole to lubricate?

Click to expand...

http://www.classicbike.biz/Norton/Repai ... mmando.pdf
Section K10.

bostonkevino said:

If so, is it a 'add as much as seems right', or 'until it leaks', or 'once in a while' ?

Click to expand...

Once 'charged', the porous structure of the sintered bronze 'Oilite' bushes retain oil and remain basically self-lubricating for a long time, so refill the housing occasionally, the service interval for lubrication is 6,000 miles - see Routine Maintenance, section K (or 5,000 - K10) or about once a year.
Some oil is likely to leak out afterwards but there's no need to be concerned when it stops leaking as the porous bushes do not need a constant supply of lubricant.

bostonkevino said:

OK, Thanks guys - Got it -

Do I use the center bolt hole to lubricate? If so, is it a 'add as much as seems right', or 'until it leaks', or 'once in a while' ?

Thanks!

Click to expand...

There is a modification that uses the locating bolt as a lube point, but I think it is overkill. Tale the 'grease fitting' out and use an oil can to fill the shaft with straight 140W oil. It is a slow and messy process but you only have to do it once a year.

Factory service manuals for these bikes are still available. They cover a ton of ground for basic maintenance. I don't know if it is still around, but there was a booklet put out by the English NOC that was loaded with good advice. The IONA has a Tech Manual that is worth having too.

A common improvement is to add a couple clamping collars to the ends of swingarm pivot tube to stiffen the structure.

Don't use gun grease on the swingarm spindle.

Greg

Kevin
We can discuss it in detail if you make it over tomorrow for the NENO tech session.
I have a copy of NOC notes you can review...very dated.
Even the INOA tech digest is getting old but worth having

Dave
Contributing Editor-INOA Tech Digest 3rd edition

I have a designated cartridge type grease gun for this. I cleared the grease gun of any grease throughout the pump mechanism and stem, took an empty cardboard grease cartridge and cleaned it out also.

I simply cock the grease gun back in the loading position, pour some 140w into it, utilizing the clean/empty cardboard grease cartridge, close it up and release the plunger, apply it to the zert and pump the swing arm full.

The key point here is to remove the center spindle locating bolt and "slowly" fill the unit until it starts to ooze out.

Replace the center spindle locating bolt and pour (or pump) the unused 140w back into its container.

No fuss, no muss! JOB DONE!

This gravity feed system makes swingarm oiling easy.
Original reinforcing mod. was done during basket case rebuild circa 1983.
Oiling system added circa 2013.
The tube acts as a reservoir. Just don't add too much oil like I did.

I drilled the guts out of the little grease nipple and fitted a piece of plastic tube taped to the frame tube. As my fastback doesn't have a dipstick, my home made dipstick lives in there and instaed of wiping it dry I just let it drain down into the swinging arm.

gripper said:

I drilled the guts out of the little grease nipple and fitted a piece of plastic tube taped to the frame tube. As my fastback doesn't have a dipstick, my home made dipstick lives in there and instaed of wiping it dry I just let it drain down into the swinging arm.

Click to expand...

I have done the same thing but fill the clear 1/4" bore pipe (very slowly admitted) with EP140. The top of it is next to front mount of oil tank with another grease nipple with inside removed as a plug in the top but allows it to breath. It takes about 4 months to drop 3 or 4 inches an there is plenty left before it would run dry but i top it up as it only needs doing 3 times a year an am normally doing some other more frequent maintenance at the time.

Brilliant stuff - Thanks guys!

-kjo

MFB said:

This gravity feed system makes swingarm oiling easy.
Original reinforcing mod. was done during basket case rebuild circa 1983.
Oiling system added circa 2013.
The tube acts as a reservoir. Just don't add too much oil like I did.

Click to expand...

Can I ask why the reinforcing mod is necessary??

or get these and never have to worry about oiling/leakage again... 3 seasons in and mine are still rock solid, no play, and swingarm moves freely

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/VINTAGE-Norton-C ... pT&vxp=mtr

That's certainly worth considering in the future... the first problem I have to contend with is that some animal (and that's being really unfair to animals)... there is no locating bolt through the tubes and onto the swing arm pivot.... some bit of studding has been welded in :evil:
What is the reason for the reinforcement?
As I have said i's new to the Norton Marque, so I shouldn't criticise.... oiled swing arm pivot!!! because the grease clogs up the holes.... I thought I have heard it all..

Malc

Ideally the sintered bronze bushings would be soaked in oil before being installed. If they are old it is likely their porous structure is clogged up with crud. I don't know how successfully this can be cleared through the use of cleaners. I've used brake cleaner on mine and then placed them into the lube of choice, which is now rocker box oil at the suggestion of Comnoz, here in the forum. This idea makes too much sense not to consider it. (http://www.jewellamberoil.com) Regardless, the hollow in the spindle is "just" a reservoir to top up the bushings, so really it doesn't have to be full, it just has to have enough in it to leak into the bushings. How often it needs topped up is subject to debate. Or more accurately should be consistent with how much your system leaks. I rebuilt a '72 that had been sitting for years and getting the spindle out was a real bitch as the oil had long ago leaked away. Then I ended up with a rust heap '74 that had been literally sitting since 1975 and the spindle was in immaculate condition. The difference in the two is that the '72 had the O-rings and thru-bolt and the '74 had Welch plugs and felt wicks as on the Mk3. This is a small sampling but it made me believe in the Mk3 set up as the felt was still wet with oil after 30 some years.

Russ

olympus said:

MFB said:

This gravity feed system makes swingarm oiling easy.
Original reinforcing mod. was done during basket case rebuild circa 1983.
Oiling system added circa 2013.
The tube acts as a reservoir. Just don't add too much oil like I did.

Click to expand...

Can I ask why the reinforcing mod is necessary??

Click to expand...

The early engine cradle swingarm tubes, had only a single bolt holding the swingarm axle in their swingarm tubes. Swingarm tubes of that design developed play in them and the slop they developed translated into notorious "snake dance" handling. Norton realized this deficiency and changed the design to look like the picture below with the pair of wedge bolts which secure the swingarm axle in the cradle tube.



People with early cradles modify the swingarm tube to duplicate the 2 bolt design to remove the play in the swingarm tube. (I did it to my 70 commando and it cured my handling issues) Some people convert the original center bolt hole to the place to mount a feed tube for axle lube as well since the 2 new bolts do the job of securing the swingarm axle. (pictures below)

Some people use clamped on collars to mount the bolts



Some people may weld a pair of nuts onto the swingarm tube to mount the 2 bolts to do the same job. * unfortunately all the images of the welded nut modification were on photobucket so I couldn't link the image here...

It is becoming clearer... thank you
So I take it the two bolts at 90 degrees to the tube are drill through & the bolts actually contact the swing arm pivot bolt??

Malc

acadian said:

or get these and never have to worry about oiling/leakage again... 3 seasons in and mine are still rock solid, no play, and swingarm moves freely
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/VINTAGE-Norton-C ... pT&vxp=mtr

Click to expand...

Those look interesting, but searching for "PETECOMBAT" is a dead end. Are those still manufactured somewhere? Are those also suitable for a '72 750?

This link is in the technical section... look under upgrades

http://www.doov.com/apps/nortoncompanion/

Malc