Well finally got the GF fired up this evening and running fine. SRM pump fitted and oil filter in the return. Took her out for a run and once warm the oil pressure sits at a good 20 to 30 psi which is double that prior to the new pump. Considering the timing side main bearing is very worn, this is for me is a good result and I can get a few gentle miles in before stripping to replace the main.
I am sure you know how its is, hours of work wasted and feeling rotten about unfinished work and problems, well thats how it was at lunch time. It took me ages to get the filter pipework sorted out and to make a suitable bracket to mount the filter on. With this done, I then went to do the enjoyable bit ? fit my new oil pump! Well unpacked a very nice looking pump, grabed the new worm, lockwasher and new locknut (did not want to reuse the old ones looked a bit worn). Primed all the oil ways, offered up the new pump and worm and bingo, found that the new worm wound not start on the thread properly too tight. Took it off, and tried the new lock nut, the same, both where too tight on the crank threads. Having screwed up many good threads in this manor I immediately, put the new ones to one side and refitted the old ones (not happy about this, another half fix). O well, lets finish this off now, I thought, put it all back together, kicked her over several times without the plugs in to make sure oil came through to the release valve, fine. Ready to fire her up, now the real fun started, along with the engine!
While I was listening to the wonderful exhaust note and dreaming of the open road, as I waited for the oil to return to the oil tank, I suddenly heard what was a sort of soft "pop" and oil went everywhere. The sealing rubber ring at the top of the filter had blown out the side and what a mess, all over the drive. Well, clean up and try again, but tighten the filter properly this time. With a lovely clean bike, soiled drive and tight oil filter, I fired her up again and yuup "pop" it went again, even more oil on me the bike and the drive! Well time to scratch my head and wipe the oil off my face. Well perhaps SAE 50 is too thick for the filter and the new oil pump too good, hate to think what the pressure in the return pipe must have been! O well, try swapping the oil out for lower viscosity oil ? even more mess. All back together again and sure, you guessed it "pop" ? all over me, the bike and the drive again. I am now ready to hang up my boots
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Well after a cup of tea and tranquilisers and a good clean, I decided to check through for blockages, oil filter off, filter pressure relief in the filter working ok, blew through all the pipes with air ? no blockages there seems to be nothing wrong? Well last thing to check for a blockage is the filter head can't be anything here I thought this is new! You would not believe it but they had not drilled the return oil way completely through, no wonder the oil filter popped its gasket! Everything off again, drill out the filter head clean and put back togeter AGAIN and yuup, all working fine. Typical, even though I had immersed the filter head in cleaner and throughly blown it off before fitting, I simply forgot to check that the holes went all the way through!
I shall contact Draganfly on monday so they can perhaps look at the other filter heads they have in stock before there is another victim. A bit ***** about the worm, and lock nut as I wanted to replace these with the pump, poor quality control or perhaps non? Perhaps the ones from SRM are better?
All's well that ends well
Nigel