Taps & anti-sumping valves

Previously wrote:

Hi Les,

here is a page from Norvil you might like:

Wet Sumping Solved

www.norvilmotorcycle.co.uk

Your Norton Does Not Need To Wet Sump

Many people are turned away from owning and riding classic bikes, especially Nortons, because of the problem of oil leaks and wet sumping. Well, I can tell you here, no word of a lie, my 650SS does neither. Wet sumping is an issue many riders have found with their classics. There are four simple steps that have been followed to eliminate that potential problem on my 650SS. When all are used together, your problem should be solved forever, meaning more time can be spent riding your bike rather than emptying the sump and refilling the oil tank.

1}Firstly, you need to use the correct Monograde oil (SAE 50 in summer and SAE 40 in winter).

2}Secondly, you need to leave your pistons on compression, to do this, slowly press down on your kickstart about an inch or so, until it reaches the top of the effective swing. This has the effect of raising your pistons and the big end journals to the top of the barrel and so oil has further to go before it can drain out.

3}Thirdly, some Norton's can have an anti-drain valve fitted inside the timing cover, (AFTER the oil pump), this prevents the seeping of oil down onto the bottom of the crankcases. On Dominators & Commandos Pre 131257, a modification can be made to your timing cover, if you send it to us, (see workshop services code WB12). On Commandos with engine number 131257 onward, a new timing cover, (066161A), can be fitted to solve the problem - see picture below.** PLEASE NOTE **This is NOT the dangerous type of anti-drain valve, which is fitted by some people into the oil feed line above the crankcases. Anti-drain valves fitted into oil feeds, always cause oil starvation to the big ends for a brief time when starting the bike. If you use a tap instead and forget to turn it on, it will totally blow up your engine).4}If the above three steps have failed to solve your problem, then you probably have a faulty oil pump. Oil can flow backwards through the oil pump if it is in need of attention, most oil pumps can be repaired and restored quite simply â mine was. The fourth step, is to have o-rings fitted to your oil pump shafts to stop oil draining from the feed to the scavenge side.

Hope this helps! Skip

hello I think Les is geting mixed up with the Commando witch the later models had ant- sumping valves fitted And How meney engines as he blowen up well there a long list of them ? and as I have have said a pint or half pint of oil in the sump of a Dominator you do to not need to worrie about it as it all goes through the breather back in the 60s a70s we did not think about such thinks And the Best Oil is a Good 20/50 and you can run it on that all year round with 1000 mile oil changes or every 6 months or witch comes the soonest , I have run My 650 Manxman On Millers 20/50 Classic for the past 3 years now and have had no problems ? and in the primary chaincase I use ATF By millers

Previously wrote:

There ARE no arguments about what types of oil to use in old engines. No matter how many thousands of miles you've ridden on your old nail from 1952 or whatever! Read this and inwardly digest - it's from "The Horse's Mouth" - Andover Norton :-

"What oil for a Commando? One should have thought this is answered by workshop manuals and Riders Handbooks.

Unfortunately, this is not the case, as the oils recommended in these are not really suitable.

In production times Norton's first and foremost aim was to sell motorcycles. To do that they recommended not the oils that were technically best, but oils that could be bought at any garage.

This is the only reason why Multigrades were recommended. Friends from within the Lubricant industry, as well as Richard Negus, ex-Norton Motors "Chief of Motorcycles, and ex-owner & tuner of the most successful long distance racing Commandos, both confirm that, with the high temperatures combined with the high pressures in a roller-bearing engine, multigrade additives give up quickly and leave you with the base oil within as little as 600 miles- which means you 20W50 becomes 20 oil, which is not up to the job in a Commando engine used properly!"

I'm old enough to remember when the first multigrades came out and I still have my Duckham's sticker somewhere! They were absolutely magic and made your engine more powerful, go faster and, what was even MORE important - helped you pull more birds!! Anyone who thinks I'm joking didn't live through the 60's! That was in the days when many advertising claims didn't have to be justified and when out-and-out lies were the norm. E.g Smoking is good for you!!!

Sorry everyone - "Monogrades-R-us" when it comes to pre 1970s bikes with no oil filter - oreven Commandos WITH them.

Cheers, Lionel

PS. Anna - your postings are easier to read when you've put them through the spellchecker!

Hello lionel A spellchecker is not in operation on this thred And the Multigrade I stated was Miller Oils And there have been tested for years I have been using milliers 20/50 Classic, And I have Had No problems that all, The 650cc Manxman Loves It ? it does not like monograde oils, As it will not start with this monograde oil in it ?And the Norton Motors Ltd Manual for the Norton Manxman 650cc Twin ,it states use a Good 20/50 oil like BP or Shell or Havoline ,or Castrol Lx 20/50 . Milliers oils are better than all these other oils ,millers oil have been Endorsed By The Federation of British Historical Vehicle Clubs. if you want millersoils then go too www.millersoils.co.uk ( est 1887 ) yours anna j dixon

Previously wrote:

Hi Anna, right click on the word in question & a menu will show up, select spell checker options, then select english. Thats how mine works anyway. Hope that helps. hello no it does not help as theres no spellchecker even when I right click and no option comes up ether ? not on My computer away ?