Swinging arm oiler

Ian,

There will be people moreknowledgable than me on here, butyou'll find this device has been added by a PO rather thanit being original equipment.Most people recommend 140oil for the swinging arm even though in standard guise the swing arm has a gease nipple. Sorry I can't help on how your particular device works.

Ian Emerson

Previously wrote:

I've just bought a 1974 850 Mk IIA Commando which has an oiler attached to the swinging arm. This is a small pipe connected to the end of the swinging arm spindle and which goes up behind the battery to a small reservoir. Can anybody tell me (a) what oil to use in it and (b) how does it work, ie. is it gravity fed or do I need to apply any pressure, such as air pressure? Can anybody help?

It will work by gravity/capillary action, so probably a 20/50 oil would be preferable to the ep140 reccomended by norton.

Suggest oil will only go in under gravity if there is a hole for the air to get out too. !

If ep140 is recommended by Norton, Norvil (who build new bikes), and all the experts, might I enquire - why do you think you know better ?

Previously wrote:

Suggest oil will only go in under gravity if there is a hole for the air to get out too. !

If ep140 is recommended by Norton, Norvil (who build new bikes), and all the experts, might I enquire - why do you think you know better ?

If this is in reply to my advice to use 20/50 then my justifications are as follows. I have used 20/50 to lubricate my modified swinging arm spindle for the last 30,000 miles with out any play developing so far. The bike, Mk3 Commando,covers on average 5,000 miles/year, is used in all weathers andregularly revved to 6,000 rpm.The mod. involved throwing away all of the felt pads, drilling and tapping one end cap to accept a grease nipple and drilling a vent in same capand thensecuring end caps with araldite.The assembly was then filled via the grease nipple until oil issued from the vent, thus creating an oil bath.

I suspect Nortons thinking was thicker oil for high pressure applications, but it isn't really necessary when you consider that modern engines use 0w/30 grade engine oil and last approx. 200,000 miles with no problems. You also have to considerhydrodynamic pressure which is produced by rotation of a shaft within a bearing eg big end, and this pressure stopsthe two surfaces coming together, not oil pump pressure, and as there is reciprocating rotation between the spindle and bushes then there must be some hydrodynamic pressure produced. The fact my swinging arm has developed no wear between spindle andbushes is good enough for me, and it is definitelyan improvement on thefactory assembly,which on removal was found to be lubricated by rusty water due to the oil leaking out then water being absorbed by the felt washers. As forNorvil I suspectLes Emery travels more miles by steam train thanmotorcycle.