HI Dave Andover Norton have magnetic crankcase filter unit part No 067281 £24 +vat & P&P. They have a new phone No 01264 359565. You can see a picture on the accessories page,

Regards Peter

hi all

Interesting picture of David's oil tank magnetic plug and the crap it picked up, personally i'd want to know where this debris originated from.

when i first rebuilt my commando back in 1998 I found one of the camshaft lobes had basically worn away giving no lift (if I can find it i'll try and post a picture) this quarter of an inch or so of missing lobe ,went through the engine and caused it to be garaged for fifteen odd years before I purchased it, Also had to rebuild a mate's triumph when an AERO nut lost the locking part at the top where the split is and wrecked his mains

I wouldn't bother with an inline magplug, possible blockage waiting to happen, You could consider fixing a magnet into a non ferrous( brass or aluminium) oil tank drain plug with araldite or whatever to isolate the magnet from the tank or easier still glue a magnet to your oil filler cap dipstick to catch any muck as it returns to the tank , you could then check whats returning to the oil tank after each run without the need to drain it down

good luck

STEVE

That is indeed a heck of a lot of ferrous bits stuck to the magnet. Even when a cam lobe disappeared I didn't find as much on the engine strip down. A cause for concern indeed. Is the debris old as in pre-rebuild or new as in post-rebuild? If it was lurking in the sludge, one can hope it was the former. Gordon.

Gordon,

Would this Commando have an oil filter and if so wouldn't the filter catch the debris as it passes through?

Tony

or easier still glue a magnet to your oil filler cap dipstick to catch any muck as it returns to the tank, you could then check what's returning to the oil tank after each run without the need to drain it down .

Just found some strong magnets on E-bay the same width as the tank dipstick for £5, so I think that wee modification is on the cards, simple Ideas are often the best.

But the oil draining all over the bike is what stops it from rusting!

I usually put a small axle stand under the foot rest so the bike leans towards you and the side stand down with a block of wood under it to hold it firm. All the oil in the tank then can flow towards the drain plug. I then put an old oil can with a funnel under the oil tank and the garage floor stays oil free (most of the time).

As the big nut filter is on the scavenge side of the pump,thecanister filter kit prevents any crap going back into the tank, but does not protect the pump. I suppose putting a finer filter in the sump plug might cause scavenge problems so what is the ANIL item please.

I was not actually very happy (bits in thetank filter)with the internal condition of my 68' Commando oil tank with all of its crevices and tight cornersetc so I lined the tank as per you would a steel petrol tank and no more problems were encountered since.

Changing the oil is a messy business as we all agree, butthe problemcan be eased by buying a large steel syringe (complete with tubing)from 'Clarkes Machine Mart' and sucking out most of the tank contents before removing the drain plug.

Previously wrote:

I'm going to modify the big sump nut as per the ANIL item to avoid any ferrous stuff going through the pump. The sump nut needs to be removed at oil change time because there is a lot of oil that drains down from the crank that would not get changed if you just drain and replenish the oiltank.

Previously wrote:

Just in the process of cleaning out the Fastback oiltank as part of my rebuild. I had fitted a magnet to the tank drain plug and was always quite smug about what wasn't showing at oil change time. I swilled the tank out several times with petrol and removed the mag plug. It was completely covered in debris, moved on to hot water and washing up liquid and again the mag plug was covered. (Looked like a small christmas tree) Seems that the sludge in the bottom of the oil tank was trapping the debris and thinking about it, maybe I was magnetising the whole tank. I'm now going to consider an inline magplug to trap particles on their way back from the pump. Problem is, by that time it's been through the pump. Need one in the middle of the big sump plug ideally. Thoughts?

most ofus must have had a" moment" when changing the oil.What about syphoning ,with a clear tube so you can see it comming?It might also give you an idea of the sludge quotiant when" getting down and dirty"Just a thought.

Previously wrote:

... 2 hours of bliss piddling about in the garage, life doesn't get any better...

Dave, with those few words you have unlocked the mystery of life and, at last, answered the question, 'Why are we here?' If you ever decide to run for high office you can surely rely on my vote.

Previously wrote:

Just in the process of cleaning out the Fastback oiltank as part of my rebuild. I had fitted a magnet to the tank drain plug and was always quite smug about what wasn't showing at oil change time. I swilled the tank out several times with petrol and removed the mag plug. It was completely covered in debris, moved on to hot water and washing up liquid and again the mag plug was covered. (Looked like a small christmas tree) Seems that the sludge in the bottom of the oil tank was trapping the debris and thinking about it, maybe I was magnetising the whole tank. I'm now going to consider an inline magplug to trap particles on their way back from the pump. Problem is, by that time it's been through the pump. Need one in the middle of the big sump plug ideally. Thoughts?

I took the oil tank off and put nuts in with Gunk and gave it a good shake. got all the sludge out andI found the dip stick from the filler cap in there, must have been there for years before Ibought the bike.

or easier still glue a magnet to your oil filler cap dipstick to catch any muck as it returns to the tank, you could then check what's returning to the oil tank after each run without the need to drain it down .

Just found some strong magnets on E-bay the same width as the tank dipstick for £5, so I think that wee modification is on the cards, simple Ideas are often the best.

The magnets on the dipstick work a treat, they're actually the same width as the dipstick and I've fitted one either side so no need to glue them on as they stay put on their own. They make the whole length become magnetic so catch any debris in the oil as it comes out of the return line.

A 150 mile run out and they never moved so I think they'll be a permanent fixture.

Previously wrote:

or easier still glue a magnet to your oil filler cap dipstick to catch any muck as it returns to the tank, you could then check what's returning to the oil tank after each run without the need to drain it down .

Just found some strong magnets on E-bay the same width as the tank dipstick for £5, so I think that wee modification is on the cards, simple Ideas are often the best.

The magnets on the dipstick work a treat, they're actually the same width as the dipstick and I've fitted one either side so no need to glue them on as they stay put on their own. They make the whole length become magnetic so catch any debris in the oil as it comes out of the return line.

A 150 mile run out and they never moved so I think they'll be a permanent fixture.

Mac,

Do you have an ebay number for the magnets you used ?

By the way, on your other post, fitting adjustable float tangs is precisely what Burlen (Amal) have done with their latest "stay up floats" Of course you do have to pay for the privelage !

thanks

sam

Mac,

Do you have an ebay number for the magnets you used ?

By the way, on your other post, fitting adjustable float tangs is precisely what Burlen (Amal) have done with their latest "stay up floats" Of course you do have to pay for the privelage !

thanks

sam

Here you go Sam, maybe I'll get one of those with stay up floats when this one gets past it!

5 Very Strong Neodymium Block Magnets 25x8x2 mm N52 Strongest Grade craft models

Item Number 160949268645

Thanks for info Mac, have ordered some myself

Previously wrote:

I've had the bike since 1975 and this is the second engine strip that I've done, the last one was in 1984. Neither previous strips revealed anything untoward. I fitted a cartridge filter in 85 and I'm inclined to think that the debris has been there since before I owned the bike. Maybe I didn't make a very good job of cleaning the tank out last time. During normal oil changes there was only ever a fine fur on the mag plug. The early Fastback tanks are a pretty awkward shape and there is a seam along the bottom edge. I think that getting a long thin paintbrush on the cleaning job has lifted some 40 year old crud that has been lying happily (for me anyway) dormant.

I bought the bike in 75 from a guy in Barry S Wales. He had another Commando that was for sale (an early silver Fastback) but that had gone when I went to view it. Some weeks later he contacted me to offer me the second bike and I bought it for £350

Speaking to a chap at the Thames Valley track day on the military test track a good few years ago, it turned out that he had bought the first machine. He had guessed that the seller was an amateur racer as his bike, as mine, had a liberal dose of wire locking holes. (Is that member still around? Tony .......) Bikes thrashed to death and flogged on to poor unsuspecting punters like me

Dave

If you still have the cartridge filter fitted, then you can either add "engine sentry" magnets to the inside of the filter, (these are two small ball bearing magnets that hold metal particles in the filter, or you can purchase the e bay magnets 6mm X1mm and attach say 20 of these on the outside of the cartridge filter. these do the same job, but can be removed and re used at every filter change, whilst the sentry magnets are thrown away with the filter.

I have used both these to great effect on my other bikes. Fitting the magnets in or to the filter ensures that the oil has to pass over them and therefore has the best chance of catching any particles.

If you still have the cartridge filter fitted, then you can either add "engine sentry" magnets to the inside of the filter, (these are two small ball bearing magnets that hold metal particles in the filter

I'm interested in the logic behind adding magnets inside the cartridge filter? Surely the filter element itself will retain any unwanted particles, the only other place I could think that they'd be of any real use would be inside the scavenge filter of the sump plug.

Previously wrote:

If you still have the cartridge filter fitted, then you can either add "engine sentry" magnets to the inside of the filter, (these are two small ball bearing magnets that hold metal particles in the filter

I'm interested in the logic behind adding magnets inside the cartridge filter? Surely the filter element itself will retain any unwanted particles, the only other place I could think that they'd be of any real use would be inside the scavenge filter of the sump plug.

Itâs the same logic as fitting a magnetic scavenge filter sump plug. Filters are not absolute, and therefore Ferro-magnetic particles as big as 30 to 40 microns can pass through them. A good magnetic filter system has been found to remove out particle sizes even down to 1 micron (absolute).

My BMW's have magnetic sump plugs, but as only a small percentage of the oil passes near the plug, it is better to have the magnets in the filter, where a very large percentage of the oil has to pass through it. I have fitted an Andover magnetic scavenge filter sump plug, but as the magnets are so cheap, I have also fitted them to the filter. I think this is better than gluing them to dip sticks and hoping the oil passes over them?