Swingarm - missing parts ? - lubing

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Niagara850

Niagara850

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Spring is here, going over the bike. I haven't lubed the swingarm since acquiring the bike. When I looked at it, it appear to be missing some parts, end cap grease nipple etc. Not standard anyway. What am I looking at here? The parts diagram in the manual isn't to revealing. I would like to put it right. The centre is some kind of felt. There is always oil seeping out and before last riding season I had the swingarm free from the shocks and it moved freely without play. Before I tear into it, any opinions, advice from the learned members?


[ATTACH=full]88442[/ATTACH] [url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/52577093@N03/8634132749/]IMG_6405 by niagaraz, on Flickr[/url]
 
Aha! that it does. Interesting, my spindle pivot is the same as the MkII parts diagram. I'll have to pull the Z plate etc. on the other side to see its state. Sealed for life is a oxymoron as this machine has had a few lives. How do you lube? Pull the wick fill the spindle with 140W, replace the wick and order up a new disk and Welch plate?
 
Tear it all apart, remove the rust from the spindle, replace the bushes, seals. The spindle may need replacing due to rust. Great time to do the Kegler mod.
 
Thanks for the info! I'll pull and resoak the wicks, get the missing parts. I have 90W gear oil for my outboard motor lower units kicking around and reseal the works.
 
Niagara850 said:
Aha! that it does. Interesting, my spindle pivot is the same as the MkII parts diagram. I'll have to pull the Z plate etc. on the other side to see its state. Sealed for life is a oxymoron as this machine has had a few lives. How do you lube? Pull the wick fill the spindle with 140W, replace the wick and order up a new disk and Welch plate?
Click to expand...

A MkIIA spindle is shorter than the early style, but retains the 1/4-28 central fixing bolt. Make sure that bolt is there so the spindle does not rotate with the swingarm.

Soak the wicks/felts in clean 140 wt oil and insert them into the spindle and against the end, then put new welch plugs in the end.
 
The fixing bolt is in place. At first I thought that was were the oil went in, but not even Norton would it that inaccessable
 
Niagara850 said:
The fixing bolt is in place. At first I thought that was were the oil went in, but not even Norton would it that inaccessable
Click to expand...
Nope. They beat that with " sealed for life" :lol:
 
Went to check the left side, not too easy to get at or see tucked in tight to the Primary. Had to search thru my pics from last spring when I had it off. The welch plug was in place so this side will remain "Sealed for Life" until I have the Primary off again ...
 
Niagara850 said:
I'll pull and resoak the wicks,


Went to check the left side, not too easy to get at or see tucked in tight to the Primary. Had to search thru my pics from last spring when I had it off. The welch plug was in place so this side will remain "Sealed for Life" until I have the Primary off again ...
Click to expand...

The spindle should be hollow? If you pull out the felt plug on the open side and fill the spindle with oil (bike on its side stand) that oil should soak into the L/H wicks.
 
I love the shade tree advice to lay bike on side for lubing and engine install, maybe only Stragthroupe needs similar servicing practice. The spindle is lubed by the oil impregnated in bronze bushes pores, so the excess beyond that [which tends to return to ground] is only to keep spindle from rusting and swelling and trapping so those after you can remove it now and then. The Hienz Kugler mod are the 2 spindle fixing collars, as the center bolt can still allow spindle ends to wiggle on the center bolt as bushes wear. Its about impossible to even scratch the hardened spindle surface to drill it, so only oxidation surface corrosion weakness causes spindle wear with motion. Btw the absolute thickest oil you can source is engine assembly oil that is so thick it looks like grease and will not drip a drop off a knife blade in summer for like 24 hr a drop. Ugh still all leaked out on me over a winter with 750 spindle hanging still form sky hook, ugh.
 
I have modified my later Mark 2/2A swingarm in accordance to the Norton Owners Club Service Notes and had very good results. What you do is:

  • 1. With the right hand Welsh plug (freeze plug) removed, drill and tap the center of the Welsh plug for a 1/4-28 screw
  • 2. Drill a hole through the center of the right hand lubricating wicks so that oil can flow (7/32 should work fine)
  • 3. To protect the threads in the Welsh plug, temporarily install a short phillister head (cheesehead) screw in the Welsh plug
  • 4. Reinstall the Welsh plug, and give it a good smack with a hammer using a suitable drift (a drift with a hole in the center of it that would clear the phillister head screw would work best)
  • 5. Remove the phillister head screw
  • 6. Now you can lubricate the swingarm spindle like an earlier Norton Commando. To do this first remove the spindle locating bolt , then squirt oil through the hole in the center of the Welsh plug. Continue squirting until oil squirts out through the spindle locating bolt hole (then you know it is full of oil). Reinstall the short phillister head screw using a fiber sealing washer, then reinstall the spindle locating bolt.

In place of a phillister head screw, a grease fitting that has a 1/4-28 thread should work fine.
 
Some good thoughts here. Setting her on the side stand and filling the spindle had crossed my mind. PeterJoe did you leave out the felt disk or drill it also? If one line things up properly a syringe could be used for future lubing.
 
Duh don't forget to empty oil tank first if its not already it will be out the vent hose.
 
I drilled out a grease zerc to remove the check ball inside it, removed the locking bolt and put in 140wt oil. Also cross drilled the bolt so I would not need to remove it again, as it is a real BITC$H to get started. I swear, nothing is easy to get to between the tire and engine! BTW, put the factory zerc back in obviously.
 
Niagara850 said:
Some good thoughts here. Setting her on the side stand and filling the spindle had crossed my mind. PeterJoe did you leave out the felt disk or drill it also? If one line things up properly a syringe could be used for future lubing.
Click to expand...

I left the felt disk in and drilled it as well. A regular oil squirt gun will also work fine for future lubing.

Removing and replacing the spindle bolt is sure difficult. It is probably easiest to remove the whole rear wheel assembly to get to the spindle bolt. I have recently fabricated a new battery tray on my bike so that the battery tray simple to remove making it easier to get access to the spindle bolt. This also allows access to the horn and other areas for cleaning. Not only that, I can remove the front cross support that gives me access to the left hand isolastic shims and the plastic washer.

I like the idea of cross drilling the spindle bolt which helps in servicing the bike.
 
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