The BSA A7-A10 Forum

Technical (Descriptive Topic Titles - Stay on Topic) => Gearbox, Clutch, Primary => Topic started by: Pete Gray on 06.01. 2012 17:01

Title: Another oil leak mystery
Post by: Pete Gray on 06.01. 2012 17:01
Going over old ground but i've just stripped down my A7 primary mainly to check why the adjustment on the tension was at maximum - I found a couple of broken chain rollers !
But at the same time I was soert of hoping to find a clutch centre with the incorrect spiral as the reason for the damned thing slinging ATF over the silencer whenever there's any level in the chaincase. Not the case, the centre throws the right way.
I've taken these photos and ask for any comment which might help, one noticeable issue is due to wet sumping there is engine oil issuing from the bottom 5/16" screw hole. The primary seemd to have more oil that I had expected and I wonder if I'm getting seepage through the crank shaft seal causing the "leak" from the clutch centre. The oil was certainly discoloured from ATF red!
If so is it possible to fit a new seal from the primary side ?

If only I could justify the money for a belt drive.
Title: Re: Another oil leak mystery
Post by: muskrat on 06.01. 2012 19:36
 G'day Pete,
                 looks like the clutch centre could do with a polish at the scroll, the end looks rough.
 The seal can be replaced insitu, but I doubt if that's the prob. If all gaskets and threads are good the only place left is the sliding plate seal or the felt (I see you use cork) behind.
Cheers
Title: Re: Another oil leak mystery
Post by: chaterlea25 on 06.01. 2012 23:04
Hi Pete,
I think Musky needs to go and have his specs rechecked ?? *conf* as I can see a felt seal in your photos???
I prefer to use cork and use a non setting sealer on the sliding plate side
Anyway!!!
Looking at your setup it looks that the sliding plate is a pattern item?? any of these I have looked at have the "hole" pressed through, which is both oval and oversize  *eek* *eek*
I have also found that the felt "seals" supplied seem to act as sponges which soak up the oil and then leak it
onto the ground *sad2*

Solutions???

I have both cut out the middle of the sliding plate and on different occasions (different bikes) turned up a new close fitting centre and re rivited it to the plate or on another I brazed a new bush to the plate and bored it to size
On the latest projects I'm going to make a bush with an oilseal fitted on the inside (clutch side) and a close fit on the shaft at the back, I will either braze this to the plate or rivit in place of the old piece.
Then cut off the scrolled portion of the clutch adaptor

Sealing the clutch with a lip seal requires a breather vent for the primary case, drill a tiny hole in the filler cap or invent your own???

HTH
John O R


Title: Re: Another oil leak mystery
Post by: muskrat on 07.01. 2012 06:02
 Yep I do need new specs. The felt is corkish colour from the ATF.
I think either or both Brien and Orabanda use seals (lipped) in their sliding plates as well.
Gee I luv my dry belt primary. The '51 is next to get one.
Cheers.
Title: Re: Another oil leak mystery
Post by: Hubie on 07.01. 2012 23:16
Musky,

Where do you get your belt drives from?  Am going to do the same for my a10.  I also cut the scroll off the back of  my clutch centre and then fitted an oil seal in the sliding plate which goes directly onto the mainshaft. Works great but I still get a dribble now and then from between the inner and outer cases.

Cheers,
Hubie.
Title: Re: Another oil leak mystery
Post by: muskrat on 08.01. 2012 02:14
 G'day Hubie,
                  A bloke down your way http://www.lytedrive.com.au/index.html
 He can be a bit slow and funny to talk to. Mine is a sNorton Commical type but I see he now does 6 springers. cost $1K. A mate also has one on his Matchy 750 for a few years with no probs.
Cheers
Title: Re: Another oil leak mystery
Post by: wilko on 08.01. 2012 21:49
Yes, Scabber loves to talk the talk! Might be an hour before you get to the point!
Title: Re: Another oil leak mystery
Post by: Pete Gray on 09.01. 2012 09:10
On looking again I've realised that the scrolled boss is only just entering the sliding plate by a couple of milimeteres (that sounds like a kinky sex thing!)
I've also decided to have a new centre boss machined for plate, a closer fit and to increase the depth that the scroll fits into also incorporating a lip seal to the gearbox shaft. There is room to do both and hopefully this will be a double oil barrier.
A question for John :-
Where do you source the cork rings from - I can only see felt ones available ?
Title: Re: Another oil leak mystery
Post by: chaterlea25 on 09.01. 2012 14:30
Hi Pete,
I get some cork sheet from an industerial supplies co.
and cut them from this, I glue it onto the inner case and sand to thickness
in your case maybe the thicker cork will cure the scroll / plate problem
Beware of bending the plate too much and check for clearance behind the clutch chainwheel
HTH
John O R
Title: Re: Another oil leak mystery
Post by: Pete Gray on 21.01. 2012 17:30
I've had the back plate modified, see the photos. Of course nothing is simple and I had quite a struggle with the diameter of the scroll being too good a fit in the new boss centre and binding when the centre bolt was tightened, the back plate doesn't sit perfectly square either giving some interference. So spent the afternoon grinding and fettling and, I hope, have now got a satisfactory fit.
The O ring should take care of any chucked ATF so fingers crossed.
I've got a Paul Goss oil filter kit on it's way so it'll be a while before we're ready to roll.
Title: Re: Another oil leak mystery
Post by: renos-a10 on 07.04. 2013 21:29
hi
it's possible to have the mm of oil seal?
Title: Re: Another oil leak mystery
Post by: muskrat on 08.04. 2013 10:07
It won't be the same in your plunger, Renos. That's for a swingarm type. Or are you secretly building one?
Cheers
Title: Re: Another oil leak mystery
Post by: renos-a10 on 08.04. 2013 10:54
Hi Muskrat ,

 Thanks for your quick reply!! Yes i know that but i will fix my friend A10 swing arm with this problem.So i think that if it's possible to know the mm ( or part no. of oil seal ) is better for me.

Thanks
Renos
Title: Re: Another oil leak mystery
Post by: renos-a10 on 08.04. 2013 10:58
Also i would like to ask if it's possible to have the part number for oil seal and for the plunger because i think if i have time i will to the same and on my plunger.

Thanks in advance for your help!!
Renos
Title: Re: Another oil leak mystery
Post by: muskrat on 08.04. 2013 11:53
Plunger oil seal part # 67-1242
http://www.a7a10.net/forum/index.php?topic=712.0  is one that Richard did.
Hopefully Pete will see this and give details of his s/a mod.
Cheers
Title: Re: Another oil leak mystery
Post by: renos-a10 on 08.04. 2013 12:22
Thanks Muskrat !!!
Title: Re: Another oil leak mystery
Post by: Pete Gray on 03.08. 2014 19:38
Here are pictures of the seal and modified backplate.
However after still getting oil leaks + a diabolical clutch I reached out to Bob Newby for the ultimate solution to this long running pair of irritations, total satisfaction (at a price)
Title: Re: Another oil leak mystery
Post by: Butch (cb) on 04.08. 2014 15:17
Did your chain case come off without disturbing the exhaust, footrest and brake pedal? Or are you now riding an open drive to show it off?
Title: Re: Another oil leak mystery
Post by: Pete Gray on 07.08. 2014 20:21
'Did your chain case come off without disturbing the exhaust, footrest and brake pedal? Or are you now riding an open drive to show it off?'

Good question !
I had to remove said items to do the job but when I t
ook the photo had lashed everything back together without the cover to be able to test the clutch under driving conditions.
Title: Re: Another oil leak mystery
Post by: wilko on 08.08. 2014 00:43
The trouble with the oil seal conversion is every time you pivot the gearbox for chain adjustment the oil seal will be distorted out of round from the sideways movement against it. That's the way I see it anyway.
Title: Re: Another oil leak mystery
Post by: Brian on 08.08. 2014 01:25
I reckon you are right Wilko so when I did the oil seal conversion to mine I made a bronze cup for the seal but with a hole in the outside the same size as the mainshaft. When I adjust the gearbox the shaft pushes the bronze part and not the actual seal that is carried inside of the bronze piece.

Next time I have it apart I will take some pics.
Title: Re: Another oil leak mystery
Post by: muskrat on 08.08. 2014 09:19
That's a neat idea Brian, but with ware of the bronze cup and/or shaft the seal will distort (but a lot less). Without the bronze cup the sliding plate would need to slide very freely causing another oil leak.
I luv my dry belt primary *whistle*.
Cheers
Title: Re: Another oil leak mystery
Post by: trevinoz on 09.08. 2014 00:37
I don't know what you blokes do wrong but my Flash is stock standard and doesn't leak a drop from anywhere.   *whistle*
Title: Re: Another oil leak mystery
Post by: Brian on 09.08. 2014 00:54
I think most of the problem with oil leaks in that area are from the felt ring rather than the scroll.

I had trouble with my A10 leaking so I did the seal conversion. I also have a swingarm B33 and it also leaked so I replaced the felt seal (which was new) with some of that rubber impregnated cork that was slightly thicker than the felt ring and it doesnt leak.

I think all the felt seals that are available are not quite thick enough.
Title: Re: Another oil leak mystery
Post by: trevinoz on 09.08. 2014 00:57
Could be Brian, mine is an original.

Trev.
Title: Re: Another oil leak mystery
Post by: BSA_54A10 on 09.08. 2014 01:50
I don't know what you blokes do wrong but my Flash is stock standard and doesn't leak a drop from anywhere.   *whistle*

not supprising from your avitar I can see it has been sitting on that drive way ever since I have been on this list  *roll*
Title: Re: Another oil leak mystery
Post by: BSA_54A10 on 09.08. 2014 01:56
And just a little word on scrolls which oft gets lost on the modern rubber oil seal generation ( me included )
1) they only work while the engine is spinning . when stationary they actually form a leak path so I found out when I left the Roller parked on a steep drive when picking up the bride, her dad was not impressed.
2) to work, the clearence between the scroll and the case it revolves in is fairly critical and will vary according to the viscosity of the fluid it is supposed to be retaining.
Thus the BSA scroll designed to work with 30 wt engine oil in your primary case will have too much clearence to work properly with ATF ( 5-10 wt) and that is not allowing for wear over the past 50 years.
Title: Re: Another oil leak mystery
Post by: orabanda on 09.08. 2014 03:53
As well as the oil seal conversion, I drill a small hole (6 mm approx) in the (rear) alloy chaincase up high, just below the magneto points cover, and fit a Yamaha DT series breather.

Oil doesn't seem to come out of a breather when located in this area, but the otherwise  inevitable pressurization of the chain case cavity is prevented. The filler / inspection cap is also less likely to drip, because of the breather.

With the original scroll type of sleeve pressurisation could not occur, because of the clearance. Unfortunately, it could be leak free either, which is why we install an oil seal conversion.

Richard