A65 Lightning project......

[ChrisG]

Hi Dave,
Please see attached photo of the footrest arrangement on James Rushton's LC. As you will see, the footrest fits along the rearset bar, the rear of which appears to bolt on the inside of the old rear footrest lug.
Hope this helps
Chris

[geraldhattrick75]

Thanks for the very informative picture Chris, it confirms what I have been trying to do to mine today...... (unfortunately an oil leak has re-directed my attention...)

J.R's silencer mounting bracket suggests that my silencer might still be different enough as to warrant my making up a new bracket- which I am doing.


Thanks for that Chris.

[geraldhattrick75]

Back on the 1965/ A65 oil leak trail and still very confused.

I originally fitted pretty plastic pipes and they looked rather nice and.... they leaked.

Changed the jubilee clips to much better ones and.... it leaked.

Changed all the pipes to rubber, throughout, (hell of a job but finished doing it on thursday night as I was going in to hospital for a small surgical procedure for a questionable lesion on my chest)....   and still it leaks.

The oil seems to be coming from pretty much everywhere, especially beneath the manifold. (Might try a new one of those too if I can find one)

So I will remove all the rubber pipes and manifold while I'm at it (as soon as the doctors allow (8 to 10 days)) and fit new manifold O rings, and reducers from 10mm (oil filter fittings) to 8mm (remaining BSA pipe fittings)

So my questions are: is there a gasket between the oil manifold and crankcase? (I have assumed not), and are X rings better than O rings? (sorry if I have already asked these questions before)


Thanks for all your very helpful advice so far.

Regards,
Dave.

[geraldhattrick75]

P.S. and to think I thought I was practically finished on this project a few weeks ago..... (still it keeps me off the street corners...)

[Guitarzanbikes]

Dave your perseverance and tenacity is to be admired mate! Reading the tails of woe remind me so much of my ownership of the bike, I thought at one time she was cursed, like some sort of hex had been put on her! She was though the best and worst bike I've ever had... (work that one out!) when she was going she was absolutely untouchable, when she wasn't I just left her sulking in the corner of the garage and used something else. Keep at it Dave, it will be worth it, she will reward you in spades... eventually mate! Mark

[geraldhattrick75]

Thanks Mark, that's very kind.

Strangely enough mate, I kinda enjoy the problems, almost as much as anything else..... Kinda.

All a bit weird.....


My new plan?
Gonna remove all the rubber pipework, clean it all up, measure all the pipe fittings so I've got exactly the right rubber pipes... But I'm also going to remove the manifold, fit new 'O' rings and a fibre washer under the manifold securing bolt......

Let's see it leak after that.....

Dave.

[ChrisG]

Unfortunately the in/outlet manifold is not the best design in the world although with O rings you'd think it should be. I had a leaking issue for ages on my OIF Thunderbolt and seemed to be replacing the O rings regularly - not an easy job on the OIF bike as the frame bottom rail runs very close.
Main problem is the bolt holding it on is on one side of both holes. This means the pressure around the O ring is uneven, not the ideal way to make an O ring joint work. However, on top of this, the flat joint surface on the manifold is an odd shape with sharp corners that can interfere with raised parts of the case holding it off slightly so I needed to fettle the edges to avoid this.

In the end I realised the port most likely to leak is the return as it has to pump past the aftermarket filter in the return line, so I resorted to helping the O ring seal by putting some Hylomar or silicone sealant around that O ring only. If any goo breaks away, the filter will catch it.
Maybe worth a try?
Chris

[geraldhattrick75]

Thanks Chris, that's exactly what I will do.

(Mind, I aint even started the engine yet, so I dread to think what might have happened if I'd put the system under load.)


Thanks again,
Dave.

[geraldhattrick75]

Latest is that I removed all the pipes and manifold and cleaned everything up.
I then replaced the manifold (after sticking a thin layer of gaskety stuff over the flat surface, and felt washer on the bolt (also sealed)).

I bypassed the filter and just connected new 8mm rubber pipes from oil tank directly to oil manifold and return.

Within 30 mins................................................ it was leaking again.

Close up inspection suggests that the inner case gasket might be leaking.

I am about to order a new gasket and am enquiring about an oil pipe manifold.  The gasket comes in two sizes; 0.4mm and 0.8mm. (Unless you say otherwise I'm inclined to buy a 0.8mm


Regards a comment I made recently about not being upset by these challenges....


This one has changed all that and it would be fair to say that I am now A TAD PEEVED.....

Excuse me for that.....

[DAVE BRADY]

Hi Dave,

The thicker gasket could make your engine sound a bit more rattly as the end float on the idler gear will increase.  I used a thicker gasket on one of my A65s and the noise is greater.  I would get the gasket from SRM.
You will prevail.

Dave.

[geraldhattrick75]

Gasket ordered from SRS Dave.

Thank you for that.

Dave.

[geraldhattrick75]

Well I've taken advice from Bess on the 3 pipe manifold and have bought a used one.
Apparently it will fit perfectly ok on my A65 and takes the round section 'O' seals... and even oils the rockers better.


But mainly it should eliminate one of the possible problem areas. (ie. my original manifold)

Present situation is: oil tank feed is connected to tank return, oil manifold is removed..... And oil continues to dribble out of the engine. (I might actually have a 'Golden Goose bike that creates oil....)

I've heard nowt from SRM so I might phone em tomorrow to confirm they have my order.

Thanks again for your help guys.....

Best regards,
Dave.

[geraldhattrick75]

Right, multifarious sizes of rubber oil pipe and pipe clips later, I have all the oil hoses (and an anti wet sump valve) fitted. (3 pipe manifold and thicker 2.5mm thick oil seals)

Yesterday I re-fitted the timing side, and outer, cases.

I'm presently refitting the rearset footrests and silencer.....


In fact, I'm doing everything I can think of- in order to put off filling the oil tank.... and watching it spread all over the floor again.

Fraid I aint got much confidence in that thing called 'oiltightness'.....


Thanks for all your help. I'll let you know how it goes,
Dave

[geraldhattrick75]

Latest update: It seems to be oil tight at last... (so maybe that part is fixed... Maybe...)

Engine starting- wise: even when using K2 SAMOSTART ENGINE START SPRAY, can't get the slightest sign of life from her... (the spark (more yellow than Blue) jumps a 1/4 inch gap easily... (Boyer Bransden Mk4 Ignition system (fully charged 12 volt Motobatt AGM battery)).

I realise that the 3 basics of getting an infernal combustion engine to work is: fuel, spark and timing, but I'm beginning to think their might be a fourth that I know nothing about...

Still not sure I'm getting fuel through the Mikuni VM30-565 carb, even after stripping it down and blowing through all jets and airways and confirming the float level (as best it can be done).

So I figure; a new set of plugs mainly 'cos it's a cheap option (what plug would you good folk suggest please? (Champion N3C or NGK B8ES ?).


After that I'll be joining the Hogwarts magic club and see if a cheap 'Merlin's wand' might be able to help....

Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.......


P.S. May you all have a happy and safe New year....

[idie]

With modern spark plugs there is no glazing on the ceramic on the nose part. if your vehicle doesn't start quickly the ceramic will soak up fuel and short out the spark. Try and get some older champion plugs ones without the C next to the number. I would try dropping down to a N4 plug.