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Difficulty in removing Oil Filler cap on 2018 Mk2 Commando

Hi All,

Can anybody help with the above?

The cap is absolutely solid and all I want to do is check the oil level.

I have found a German Company - Thiel Motorsport - who make a polyamide socket that fits over the standard 4 lug cap - has anybody ever dealt with them? This item along with a number of other bespoke Norton 961 accessories are listed with prices on their website but no apparent ordering system.

Is anything equivalent available from the UK?

 

much appreciated,

Barry.

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Hi Barry,

I came across the same issue with my MK2 961 and it is a real pain and too be honest is a design flaw in my eyes. Why would you design something that is very important for maintenance so poorly, i tried lubricating the O ring and thread but to no avail.

Searched the web for a tool as i can only imagine Norton have their own service tool for use by them to avoid damaging the very nicely designed cap, found as you do the Thiel Motorsport item.

Ordered one and it was duly delivered, it fit over the cap perfectly but to my disappointment i still couldnt undo the cap, however Thiel had thought about this and incorporated a 36mm hex into the tool. So a deep 36mm socket can be used over the tool body, the biggest surprise is just how little force is needed with a 3/8" drive ratchet to undo the cap, yet you can go red in the face using several expletives when doing it with your hand only.

Will send you a picture later when im at home.

Kind regards,

Ian

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My Mk 1 Sport is just the same. Had to shift it a few times with a rag to protect and a big pair of pliers. From experience you only need to do it up very lightly hand tight and then you’ll be able to undo every time with your hand , as it should be.

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I had the same problem with my 2015 Sport, the problem is there is no torque setting in the manual so people assume they need to tighten it with a five foot extension bar to be on the safe side.It has an 'O' ring so only a little 'nip' is needed to secure it, I  tightened it with finger pressure only at one time as an experiment and it never came loose over the course of a days riding, obviously no one in their right mind would do this every time, but it was just an experiment you see.

Here is a pic of the tool I made out of a piece of "2x1" timber I had lying around, cost me nowt and has never failed to 'Open Sesamee'. It's painted yellow because I kept loosing the damn thig.!

As promised Barry,

Pictures of my Theil Motorsport Oil Filler cap tool and socket. The Socket was a Sealey SX114 36mm Low Profile Oil Filter Socket and i had to bore it slightly deeper to go over the tool, if you bought a standard depth socket i guess it would fit without machining.

Kind regards,

Ian

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Unbelievable! Having to resort to Stone Age technology just to check the oil on a twentyfirst century motorcycle. The designer should be made to whittle one of these tools to be supplied with each bike.

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I also made a wooden one, cutting a cross groove into end of a piece of scrap oak. Works very well. Thiel... note the CORRECT spelling, also make some vg silencers/ exhausts  and other parts for the 961. Good firm.

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I read elsewhere that using the handle end of a pair of pliers would work. After finding no other way of undoing the filler on mine, I gave that method a go. It worked with ease, and as the handles are usually plastic coated there was minimal risk of damaging paint etc. I didn't even need to use any other tool to turn the pliers, the mechanical advantage provided by the pliers handle was sufficient.

 


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