Author Topic: K2F Magneto Cam Ring Lubrication  (Read 1103 times)

Offline RichardL

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K2F Magneto Cam Ring Lubrication
« on: 08.04. 2018 19:58 »
Anyone care to risk a technical explanation of how an unrefillable strip of felt effectively delivers light oil through an 1/8"-long bit of wick passing through the ring, then, neither contacts the felt nor the point's bumper in an effective (or, maybe, any) way?

Richard L.

Offline muskrat

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Re: K2F Magneto Cam Ring Lubrication
« Reply #1 on: 08.04. 2018 20:29 »
Ahhh, you've discovered the eighth wonder of the world grasshopper (spoken with a Chinese accent).  *dunno*
Cheers
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Offline Greybeard

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Re: K2F Magneto Cam Ring Lubrication
« Reply #2 on: 08.04. 2018 21:31 »
Capillary action (sometimes capillarity, capillary motion, capillary effect, or wicking) is the ability of a liquid to flow in narrow spaces without the assistance of, or even in opposition to, external forces like gravity.

Capillary action - Wikipedia
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Offline RichardL

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Re: K2F Magneto Cam Ring Lubrication
« Reply #3 on: 08.04. 2018 21:58 »
Capillary action requires contact, as far as I know, and contact with a wick nub against the point's bumper is nonexistent, as far as I can tell. Regardless, capillary action can't happen  from a dry reservoir. I think the system may have been designed to assure mag survival through the warranty period. (I'm assuming there WAS a warranty period.)

Richard L.

Offline bsa-bill

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Re: K2F Magneto Cam Ring Lubrication
« Reply #4 on: 08.04. 2018 22:12 »
Quote
I think the system may have been designed to assure mag survival through the warranty period. (I'm assuming there WAS a warranty period.)

well to turn this around a bit, has anyone had said cam and heel seize,  - yes the cam will wear bit when new then settle down to a life of service with small occasional adjustments, little oil is required possibly due to the materials used and the small area of contact.
All the best - Bill
1961 Flash - stock, reliable, steady, fantastic for shopping
1959 Rocket Gold Flash - blinged and tarted up  would have seizure if taken to  Tesco

Offline groily

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Re: K2F Magneto Cam Ring Lubrication
« Reply #5 on: 09.04. 2018 08:06 »
On cams seizing . . . it happens now and then to the ring in salty winters. I've had it happen twice over the years and they can be sods to get out. Last time it happened was after 4 days in clouds and rain in the Spanish mountains on the Atlantic coast, at the end of which I left the bike, wet and filthy, for about a week. Had to do a lot of defurring of alloy parts and unseizing of ferrous things.
Whether a bit more attention to the felt strip and the pip would make any difference, I dunno. I tend to fit the strip well-greased plus smear the ring all round on the outside, but as Richard ponders, so do I! (Maybe we're meant to have an oil leak somewhere handy to keep things working  . . . !)
The points heel will wear a bit over time, and maybe the capillary thing helps - but having loads of slime in there has its own downside too. I think the best thing is to pull the ring from time to time just to give it a wipe with some lightish grease. (I should do it more often obviously.) But I know a chap who favours that very sticky marine grease which repels water and keeps propeller shafts lubed in salt water!
The pivot post for the point will also wear (but very rarely seize I think) - a thin smear on that has to be good from time to time.
Bill

Offline Rex

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Re: K2F Magneto Cam Ring Lubrication
« Reply #6 on: 09.04. 2018 10:48 »
Maybe the OP's wick has shortened due to wear? I'm sure the old owner's handbooks used to say to add a drop of oil to the wick at maintenance time.

Offline duTch

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Re: K2F Magneto Cam Ring Lubrication
« Reply #7 on: 09.04. 2018 11:10 »

 This is waaaaaaaaaaaaaay out of my league, as when I had my Road Rocket with Man Adv. many things went unaddressed or even thought of, but as I'm unfamiliar with the workings, I have to wonder if something *like* cable-lube or Chain lube down the cable abutment would work... it would flow down, but any advance movement would effectively 'wick' some back up each time and after a while lube the whole perimeter (obviously the whole ring would be lubed for starters )

 Just a thought  *dunno*
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Offline cotterpinkid

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Re: K2F Magneto Cam Ring Lubrication
« Reply #8 on: 09.04. 2018 13:49 »

 This is waaaaaaaaaaaaaay out of my league, as when I had my Road Rocket with Man Adv. many things went unaddressed or even thought of, but as I'm unfamiliar with the workings, I have to wonder if something *like* cable-lube or Chain lube down the cable abutment would work... it would flow down, but any advance movement would effectively 'wick' some back up each time and after a while lube the whole perimeter (obviously the whole ring would be lubed for starters )

 Just a thought  *dunno*

I lubricated the A/R cable on the Velo' a couple of years back. I let the excess oil drain off before I refitted it, but over a period of a couple of months it became harder and harder to start....until it didn't...no spark. The problem was that although I'd 'drained' the cable there was still enough left in it to run inside the mag., where it was whipped up into a grease and filled the 'indents' of the cam ring so that the points wouldn't open! A quick 'degrease' of the cam  ring and off it went. Every day's a school day.
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Offline RichardL

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Re: K2F Magneto Cam Ring Lubrication
« Reply #9 on: 09.04. 2018 14:12 »
In the recent work, I made a felt strip to replace the one that didn't exist, oiled that strip and stuffed the cam hole with felt to act as a would-be wick. Nevertheless, I see no possibility for efficiency in that system, so I put a very small dab of white lithium-based grease on the inside of the ring. It won't be thrown onto the points, due to centrifugal force.

Richard L.

Offline berger

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Re: K2F Magneto Cam Ring Lubrication
« Reply #10 on: 09.04. 2018 14:29 »
I have not been to the pub, my maggy has felt pad and wick but these were not needed one day when I started her up and she chucked oil out of the breather all over the floor *pull hair out*, I looked down and oil was dripping from the points cover so I took it off to have a look and oil had blown past the seal and filled maggy. maggy had to come off *work* and get cleaned out, luckily maybe? the armature had recently been rewound and covered in modern day stuff and the oil cleaned off easily. this has not happened since she got treated to srm pump[ I do not work for srm *good3*]

Offline bsa-bill

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Re: K2F Magneto Cam Ring Lubrication
« Reply #11 on: 09.04. 2018 17:11 »
Quote
Maybe the OP's wick has shortened due to wear?

so that's why that happens *shh*
All the best - Bill
1961 Flash - stock, reliable, steady, fantastic for shopping
1959 Rocket Gold Flash - blinged and tarted up  would have seizure if taken to  Tesco

Offline RichardL

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Re: K2F Magneto Cam Ring Lubrication
« Reply #12 on: 10.04. 2018 04:28 »
I haven't tried this or even thought about it until just now. For manually adjusted advance, is the eccentric locating pin that holds the ring in place for ATD advance removed or just rotated clear of the notch.

Did I say that correctly?

Richard L.

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Re: K2F Magneto Cam Ring Lubrication
« Reply #13 on: 10.04. 2018 09:51 »
The eccentric pin remains in place and acts as a stop to prevent over-advancing or over-retarding. The manual cam ring has an extended slot which allows rotation of the cam ring but also stops against the eccentric pin at rest in the fully advanced position, then when retarded at the other end of the slot.

Offline RichardL

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Re: K2F Magneto Cam Ring Lubrication
« Reply #14 on: 10.04. 2018 12:47 »
Aaah! Very clever, those servants to the Prince of Darkness. 

Thanks, Andrew. Clear as day. By the way, no intention to change to manual advance, right now, at least.

Richard L.