Hi all, I am new to the group having recently bought a 1950 ES2. I expect I will have loads of questions as I bought it as a non runner! It was restored over a period of 23 years by the previous owner, who had owned the bike for some 35 years.
I checked for a spark when i viewed the bike and it had compression, plus i had heard it running a few years back at a show, so kind of knew it would be OK. I got the bike home and started fettling, checking the bike over etc. I could see no real reason why it should not start, so after a few cursory checks and a good carb clean out I gave it a go. It wouldn't have it, not even a sign of life or sputter, so i decided to get serious and add some fuel to the bore directly. This time it fired, but didn't run at all well. On playing with the adv/ret lever i noticed something odd, full advance is on a tight cable, not as with most of the brit bikes of that era I've known on a slack cable? Odd I thought, but now knowing that I set the lever to just off full adv and she started and ran straight away! Sounded good, although i am no Norton expert it sounded like a typical long stroke thumper.
So i checked the oil return almost straight away and noticed there was none? left the bike running for around a minute, and still nothing?
So, any thoughts on the oil return/Adv/Retard wrong way round would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks,
Steve.
As I know they were tight…
- Log in to post comments
Hi Jon, Thanks for your…
Hi Jon,
Thanks for your reply.
My cable is sat on the rear side of the mag closest to the rear wheel, so I have tight line advance, not an issue for me, but is this correct?
In answer to your questions. One of the first things I did was drain the crank cases. I'll be honest very little came out considering the bike has been stood for a few years since rebuild. This led me to believe there was some sort of anti sumping device fitted. Closer inspection revealed there was. Its a ball type and after i had removed it to check i was happy it was working OK.
The oil tank is full. I have drained it and checked for blockages, all OK. Earlier I checked the feed by rigging up a pipe and small funnel and kicking the bike over with the plug out. It is definitely pulling oil down. I then removed the return and added oil to this line. After a few minutes I kicked the bike over and it is definitely 'pushing' oil up the pipe, so from this I can assume the pump is OK?
I think you're diagnosis is correct, Its been dry for so long that it cant get oil up?
I am going to remove the top rocker boxes and check but looking through the tappet oval cover it looks fairly dry.
I was going to remove the timing cover and check inside as I read somewhere on the site of a screw gear pump drive nut coming off, have you ever heard of that?
I am near Bath, In Wiltshire.
Thanks again Jon.
Steve.
- Log in to post comments
Oil circulation
Sounds like you have followed a logical path. Not had any issue with the nut but have heard of pumps failing after a long layup. It's a pity the sump is empty. With the inspection cover off the tappets squirt some oil about. The pick up may have gathered a little more oil around it since your latest attempts so I would disconnect the return to tank and start it with a container under to catch oil. Rev it a little harder, but don't get it hot. if it's a no show then whip the pump out and see what's gone wrong.
- Log in to post comments
Tight wire?
I would check by taking the points cover off and observing which way the spindle rotates rather than relying on whether the cable enters at the front or rear. If tight wire is in the opposite direction to the cam rotation then it's tight wire advance, otherwise slack wire advance - which is normally
preferable as that's where you do most of the running.
I seem to remember that around this time the inlet and exhaust cam wheels were a gear train ie one drove the other hence they contra-rotated rather than both being driven by the half time pinion.
- Log in to post comments
Hi all, Many thanks for the…
Hi all,
Many thanks for the replies.
I back fed the return and oiled everything, started the bike and after a few seconds I have an oil return! It sounds good, ran the bike for about 10 minutes, oil flow seemed good and constant, I am much happier now!
A question though....
I noticed oil coming out of what i am sure is the crank case breather pipe, at the bottom of the magneto chain case pointing towards the back of the bike? Is this normal? The pipe I have is very short/stubby, others ive seen are long, not taken the cover off to see inside but does that sound right?
- Log in to post comments
That pipe is the Mag chain…
That pipe is the Mag chain case breather. If oil is dripping from this it means that oil is getting past the cam/magneto bush and into the mag chaincase. If just a drip or two, fit a longer pipe and route it to something like a catch bottle. If it is dripping constantly it might be time to investigate and remedy, new bush time....
- Log in to post comments
Thanks Peter. I have seen…
Thanks Peter. I have seen some with a bottle/old castrol tin slung under the frame at the rear, I will monitor it and see how it goes!
- Log in to post comments
As I know they were tight line advance. Check which side of the mag the cable sits on, closest to the cylinder would give you slack line adv.
Oil flow, some questions:
if the pump is worn and it had drained dry it may have difficulty lifting from a dry sump, especially at low revs. Make sure you have oil to the pump, wet the top end with an oil can and inject some oil into the return line either from the head feed or the tank connector.
Then go again, but don't run at tickover for a minute, pick the revs up for a short time and feel for any blow from the open return pipe you just injected the oil into. if it's there, shut down, connect up and go again.
Where are you located? Someone may be able to guide/help.