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Oil bath chaincase

Submitted by andy_marks on Mon, 09/12/2013
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I know that my oil bath is likely to leak a bit, but I'd like to make an effort to limit it! Is there any sort of seal behind the clutch. There is a slot in the case for the gearbox shaft to come through with no way of stoping the oil pouring out. I have seen cases before with what is effectively a large washer that can slide back and forth with the shaft. But this case has nothing in it. Can anyone tell me what I am missing, or is this just the way it is?

Submitted by john_shorter on Mon, 09/12/2013

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I assume the chaincase is the same as fitted on a Dominator. Mine has a felt washer behind the clutch, but, not sure if this was original.

Submitted by gordon_johnston on Tue, 10/12/2013

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There is a sliding two part disc washer which moves with the gearbox shaft when you move the gearbox to adjust the primary chain. They are available from the main spares suppliers and should come with 3 rivets to rivet the two parts together. They are not listed as separate items in the Norton parts book.

Submitted by john_shorter on Tue, 10/12/2013

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Hi Gordon, I forgot to mention the sliding bit. Does the, two part, sliding washer kit have a felt washer as standard, or has a clever previous owner modified mine?

Submitted by neil_wyatt on Tue, 10/12/2013

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Andy,

With everything clean, you couldtry a thin smear of sealant between the rubber band and the chain case. The main trick is not to tighten the centre nut too much. This will just squash the rubber band and distort the chaincase.

None of my tin chaincases leak anything much, if at all.

Submitted by gordon_johnston on Tue, 10/12/2013

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No felt washer originally - but I can see why a previous owner would puttry putting one there. A common problem was fitting a 3/8" instead of a 5/16" rear chain. The clearance at the back of the primary chaincase is minimal and the wider chain could wear through the sliding plates.Often a feature of used inner chaincases.

Submitted by david_cooper on Tue, 10/12/2013

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There is no oil seal (or means of arranging one) at the gearbox input/output, is there? There is no way I can see that one could put a seal between main shaft and sleeve. So isn't some gearbox leakage inevitable?

Submitted by richard_payne on Tue, 10/12/2013

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There are several (numerous ?) types of inner case. On the late 1930s / 1940s models, there is a sort of 'eyebrow' shaped fiting which retains the two welded together discs and allows them to move in relation to the case when the gearbox position is altered. There is no seal incorporated in the plates but many retailers sell later Commando discs which are shaped to hold a felt ring.

The system is however different as the Commando has a longer sleeve gear which extends into the chaincase and the earlier boxes have a short gear which ends just behind the inner case. Some parts books appear to show a thick felt ring on the gearbox mainshaft, compressed between the end face of the sleeve gear and the rear of the inner chaincase. It stops gravel getting in the chaincase, at least but there will always be some oiliness in this area.

Submitted by andy_marks on Fri, 13/12/2013

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I have ordered some discs and they turned up with a felt seel. I suspect they are the commando ones as the felt seel has to large an inner diameter. No worries cutting out a new bit of felt, but how do the fit on the cases? Is the slot in the case the same size on the ES2 and the commando? It looks to me like these washers are too large.

Submitted by andy_marks on Tue, 17/12/2013

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Previously richard_payne wrote:

'many retailers sell later Commando discs which are shaped to hold a felt ring.

The system is however different as the Commando has a longer sleeve gear which extends into the chaincase and the earlier boxes have a short gear which ends just behind the inner case.'

Am I reading you correctly here that the Commando ones won't fit? It looks like that is what I have been sent. Does anyone know where I can get the correct single cylinder one?

Submitted by andy_marks on Tue, 17/12/2013

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Norvil list a pair as pre MK3, but the part number is the same as the set I already have. Am reluctant to jump in and buy more when there is a good chance they are the same as what I already have.

 


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