Old Britts – Installing the MK3 Swingarm Lubrication System and Swingarm on the Engine Cradle
Download the complete PDF version using the green download button at the top right of this page for an Old Britts technical article covering installation of the Norton Commando MK3 swingarm lubrication system and swingarm onto the engine cradle. This illustrated guide explains how the later one-time lubrication setup is assembled, including the bushings, oil seals, felt wicks, spindle, cotter pins, washers, rubber plugs and Welch plugs used to retain oil around the swingarm pivot area.
The article begins with an exploded diagram of the MK3 lubrication parts and explains how the felt wicks are soaked in oil and sealed within the swingarm ends. It then shows how the oil seals fit over the bushings, how the bushings are pressed into the swingarm and how the swingarm is mounted onto the engine cradle with the spindle correctly aligned to the cotter pin openings.
Later sections cover fitting the cotter pins, sealing washers and retaining nuts, then installing the soaked oil wicks into the spindle. The final pages show the oil disc wick placement, Welch plug installation and Old Britts’ preferred silicone sealing method, which allows easier future removal than the original factory punch-fit approach.
Contents Include
- MK3 swingarm lubrication system overview
- Exploded parts diagram for spindle, bushings, wicks and seals
- Oil seal orientation and bushing installation
- Mounting the swingarm to the engine cradle
- Aligning the spindle flats with the cotter pin tubes
- Cotter pin, fiber washer and retaining nut installation
- Rubber plug placement over the cotter tubes
- Soaking felt wicks in heavy oil before installation
- Threading the oil wick into the spindle
- Oil disc wick and Welch plug placement
- Silicone sealing alternative for easier Welch plug removal
