Hi, looking to recommission my 650 twin in time for the spring months. For oil choice, would you all recommend a 20/50 oil for engine, EP 80/90 gear oil and a SAE 20 for the primary chain case? Might as well check the fork oil too so any recommendations on that too?
Also, any recommendations on someone decent to refurbish my k2F magneto?
Thanks all.
Oil is a contentious subject for Brit Bikes!! Do you have the BSA recommendation for the oils as mentioned? Personally I would use a single grade engine oil (which meets criteria for season bike used), plus your gearbox (if bushed only) would be suited to a single grade oil too due to some EP's having additives that may attack the bush material, but I have been lead to believe that some EP oils are suitable. Research on the latter highly recommended!! Please see attached which I hope helps..
Regarding the magneto overhaul, I have used Tony Cooper to overhaul 2 of mine and I highly recommend him.
All I can do is tell you what my regime is as regards oils, I have a 1956 A7 and a 1963 A65. In the past if the bike did not have an inline oil flter I would use Straight grade oil in the engine, but since both my bikes are fitted with an inline cartridge filter in the return pipe from the pump I use Halfords Classic 20/50 multigrade oil I have been using this oil for about 10 years now with no adverse effects. In the gearbox I use Halfords EP 80/90 GL4 oil not the GL5 oil as I believe this has additives that can effect bronze bushes. In the primary I use Silkolene 20 grade fork oil I have used this for over 20 years without problems. I change the engine oil every year and the filters every 2 years I should add that I only do no more than 2000 miles a year on each bike sometimes less, the gearbox oil I change every 2 years also the primary. This is my way of doing things I am not saying you should do the same that is entirely up to you others may differ from my way.
Happy new year to all,
It is interesting that especially towards the end, 1970/71, BSA did have some multi-grade oils in their specifications depending on location and manufacturer but also that a specific gear oil was not specified even though they were available.
Considering that the the A10 and A65 engines are internally pretty much the same the oils recommendations remained pretty much the same.
Why not a specific gear oil? It is my understanding that gear oils are designed to cope with the shearing forces that exist in a gear box in that the molecules are long and can reform after being 'chopped' by the gears whereas engine oils do not have this capability so why use them in a gear box? Perhaps it is to do with the use of bushes to support the shafts gears and engine oil designed to work with plain bushes must be better at getting in to them especially when the oil is cold but what about the reduced protection for the gears as the engine oil gets 'worn'?
I suppose that BSA new a thing or two so are there recommendations still the best?
I use a 20/50 engine oil and 80/90 gear oil.
Dave.
Hi,
This might be of interest:
It looks like BSA could not make their minds up. Rummaging through various handbooks I came across a "BSA Maintenance Handbook" for RoyalStar to Lightening. It is labelled as a reprint from 1969 thus implying that the information was in previous print runs.
20W/50 engine oils and EP90 gearbox oils recommended as alternatives to oils specially blended in the USA for BSA.
Also, check out the routine lubrication. Every 4000 miles "Drain and refill oil tank....."
Dave.