Hitchcocks Forum

I'm in the process of trying to get a 1953 Model G on the road. I have most of the work done but I am having no success in stopping oil leaking from the front chain cover. I have purchased and fitted a new seal from our hosts. I read on another thread that as long as all surfaces are clean and dry you shouldn't need any silicon sealant so I tried that with no success. I tried again using a small amount of Hylomar but again it still leaked so I have tried once more over the weekend using most of a ton of sealant and it is still leaking from the bottom of the cover. Does anyone have any experience refitting one of these covers and some wise word for me? Thanks.

Sounds like something is warped or not flat.

These tin cases on most makes are all but impossible to seal, some people grease all the bearings, run the clutch dry and just use spray chain lube on the chain, to check this you will need new friction plates if the existing ones have oil on them.

For check, read do.

I'll give it one last go and if that doesn't work i'll head down the chain lube and new clutch route.

Do these chain cases ever leak from behind the main sprocket and clutch plate, behind the inner cover? It would be a shame to finally get the outer cover sealed only for it to leak from behind the inner cover!

Hello Mister Ginger, it's really hard to have those cases oil tight (inner chain case warped, anti-oil weaping system behind the clutch case missing or in bad condition, the rubber joint badly settled, etc.). Long time ago, I decided to live with, and fitted an outside oil can wit a mettered jet and a tap, to give time to time fresh oil to the primary chain. It works well. Hope it will help you. Claude
Here it is in situ, behind the battery housing :


And here is the adjustable jet (made a more "professionnal" one since)

I suppose you could always see if a Scott Oiler could be tucked away somewhere if you want something actually designed to lubricate a m/c chain, you might be able to get it to serve both chains.



Looking at Claude's first actually quite elegant attempt, you could also fit a vintage brass drip feed lubricator which can be regulated as well as turned on and off to suit (new ones still available: http://www.adamslube.com/Oilers_Main/index.htm ).



A.

Hi Guys.

Thanks for the photos and advice they are very much appreciated.

I took the clutch assembly off this afternoon and after seeing the gaping hole in the inner cover I don't think that it is ever going to seal. I'll go down the chain lube route in the short-term. The friction plates need replacing anyway so I'll just give everything a damn good clean before reassembling and look at getting an oil feed fitted long-term.

I don't suppose that you live anywhere near Somerset do you Claude? I'd love to have a look at your bike and get some photos of various parts to get mine back to how it should be. I'm pretty sure that a lot of the parts fitted are the wrong ones!

As the chain is in a fully enclosed environment the amount of lubrication required is quite small and a spray of good chain lube through the oil hole with the engine ticking over will be good for a thousand miles or so. To fit a drip feed is overkill, also with these clutches if they run wet they are good, if they run dry they are good, what they don't like is change. Also don't forget to grease all the clutch bearings etc.

Hi Mr Ginger. I am reasonably familiar with the rigid models and may be able to help. If you post your email address I can contact you off line and see what we can achieve. Cheers.