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Oil Return to tank

Submitted by steve_marshall1 on Sun, 17/01/2021
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Heavy Twins

I just started my 1961 99SS engine up for the first time in 45 years-ish. It started pretty easily and is mechanically really quiet. The Armours small bore siamese pipes and silencer are pretty efficient too. 

I only ran it for 45 seconds or so, but I didn't see any oil returning to the tank.

When I looked in the tank I expected to see an open ended curved return tube at the top, like in inferior marques.

But it looks like a straight tube running all of the way to the top, fanning out towards the inner tank wall.

Should I give it a bit more time to pump more oil into the sump through the big-ends?

I did remember the rubber cone on the oil pump, and I photographed it!

Steve

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Submitted by john_holmes on Sun, 17/01/2021

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It will take more than 45 secs unless you have pre primed the oil pipes and the crank, you could take the OPRV valve cover off and kick with the ignition off and plugs out and check for oil and it may already be there as its just after the pump.

Submitted by david_cooper on Sun, 17/01/2021

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My upright pipe just has a hole on the front face. You won't see it but you should be able to feel it with your finger tip.

Submitted by michael_sullivan on Sun, 17/01/2021

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Are you sure that the tank and engine fittings are the right way around?

Submitted by steve_marshall1 on Mon, 18/01/2021

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Thanks David I can see that hole now with my led head torch, now that I know what I am looking for.

Michael

Not really sure TBH. It used to be modified for a Combat Commando engine, with large bore pipes.

Now it has two parallel pipes, the outer (the supply I have always assumed) goes direct to the crankcase junction block.

The inner (return) has a banjo adjacent to the tank, with the rocker feed teeing off from that. It doesn't look like they would "want" to be crossed, but I have never really considered the possibility.

 

 

 

 

 

Submitted by tony_ripley on Mon, 18/01/2021

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Hi Steve,

Pour a good mugful of oil in the head and allow to drain down into the 'sump', once it has all gone down, start up again, if you do not see any oil after 45 seconds this time then you do have a problem on the pump / pipes side of things.

Tony

 

Submitted by ian_soady on Wed, 20/01/2021

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... do this anyway if starting up a freshly rebuilt engine or one that's stood for a while. Of course Norton made this an automatic feature (AKA wet sumping).

Submitted by robert_tuck on Wed, 20/01/2021

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I have been through the whole gambit of worrying about  poor rocker oiling  ,fitting 6 speed gears etc. Trying to then cope with excess oil .  Pretty much gone back to std now.  A finger over the return hole for a few seconds on start up seems to be enough now.  Just as God told us.

Submitted by steve_marshall1 on Sun, 24/01/2021

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I probably overdid priming the sump with oil because I got an impressive continuous stream back to the oil tank. And out of the breather too unfortunately.

After a while it became just spurts of oil, so all good.

And the smoothest tickover of any British bike I have ever owned.

New lesson. Life is too short to use knackered old Amals. New ones are great.

 

 

Submitted by paul_goodwin on Mon, 22/02/2021

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I have a question about oil. I have no history on this bike, other than it came from Investment Bikes. It came by sea to the NW. U.S.A. not relevant but I thought a little info. could be of interest. I see a shut off valve has been installed on the supply line from the oil tank; for what reason I ask?Also, both pet-cocks are leaking after I put some petrol in the tank ; any easy fixes ? Where can I get a workshop manual for my 1954 Dominator ?

Submitted by robert_tuck on Mon, 22/02/2021

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 Old bikes often have cork seals in taps . They can sometimes  be improved by putting them in hot water and then  rubbed with bar soap. Sounds like you have a good motor. treasure it, Fit an air filter, keep an eye on carburation and ignition timing . Getting these old motors back to health can be expensive and frustrating .  Stay lucky.

Yes, thanks Robert. I do remember from the many English bikes I have owned about the cork drying out and leaking. I had not heard of this fix, so I will try this. If you have any knowledge about fitting an air filter ; I would be very interested in this. Maybe I should start a new thread on that subject. 

Submitted by john_holmes on Mon, 22/02/2021

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I see a shut off valve has been installed on the supply line from the oil tank; for what reason I ask?

 

Its to stop wet sumping when the engine is not running and parked in the garage, if you forget to turn the tap on before starting the engine then its goodbye to the engine. Remove it and then either drain the sump each time you start the bike after a layup, ride it every day or start and idle until the sump clears. Starting and letting it idle comes with some risks, ie smoky exhaust until the sump clears, oil out the breather and other leak points such as the primary crank seal.

Thank you John. I had guessed that that was the reason. This motorcycle has been in storage in Europe for many years. An investment bike as this is and was bought knowing it's history, makes sense that this addition was done with sound reason. It will detract from," originality", in a show but I can live with mechanical good sense over ," that valve doesn't belong there ! ".

 



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