Lubing swingarm. What could possibly go wrong?

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Someone had mentioned they saw a post on this mod. It may have been mine. I posted it years ago.
First off I did the Keigler clamp mod to the swingarms cradle and as i was doing that
I came up with this mod to make it easier to oil.
I took the center bolt out which locates the swingarms shaft.
I found a socket head bolt, drilled the center out and JB welded in a barbed brass nipple.
I then put clear plastic tubing to reach up to the top of the oil tank.
I then took out the nipple on the end cap for venting and with a hypodermic needle, without the needle, I filled the tube with 170w oil.
I kept injecting oil until it came out of the nipple hole.
I put the nipple back on and plugged the other end of the tube with a thumb screw.
At a glance you can see the oil level.
I have pictures of the whole thing but am too dumb to figure how to post them.
But you get the idea.
 
Don't get so much snow where I live these days
Plenty of black ice though and that's when the roads are salted
It rips the hell out of chrome and alloy
 
Guido said:
Someone had mentioned they saw a post on this mod. It may have been mine. I posted it years ago.
First off I did the Keigler clamp mod to the swingarms cradle and as i was doing that
I came up with this mod to make it easier to oil.
I took the center bolt out which locates the swingarms shaft.
I found a socket head bolt, drilled the center out and JB welded in a barbed brass nipple.
I then put clear plastic tubing to reach up to the top of the oil tank.
I then took out the nipple on the end cap for venting and with a hypodermic needle, without the needle, I filled the tube with 170w oil.
I kept injecting oil until it came out of the nipple hole.
I put the nipple back on and plugged the other end of the tube with a thumb screw.
At a glance you can see the oil level.
I have pictures of the whole thing but am too dumb to figure how to post them.
But you get the idea.
Click to expand...
Guido, it might have been in this post: https://www.accessnorton.com/NortonCommando/swingarm-oil-101-needed.16424/

I did someting similar, an oil line between the center of the swing arm and a brake fluid reservoir hidden under the saddle.
Filled the reservoir with a 50/50% mixture of ISO680 heavy oil and 20W50 motor oil.
This proved just the right mixture to lubricate but without noticeable dripping from the arm.
 
I've always questioned the lubricant used for those bushings...

I ASSUME they are OilLite (or equivalent) bushings which come from the factory impregnated with 30wt oil. In the Norton, oil is injected into the spindle itself, not the bushing. The oil then (supposedly) works it's way into the bushing through a couple of very small holes in the spindle. I have always wondered if the Norton spec lubricant - 140W oil - is more about reducing drips caused by over-lubricating rather than providing proper lubrication. Since 30Wt oil is the bushing "spec," it seems to me that 30 would be a much better choice for actually distributing itself into the bushing and providing effective lubrication.

I'm not convinced that the heavier oils actually get into the bushing at all...
 
MexicoMike said:
In the Norton, oil is injected into the spindle itself, not the bushing. The oil then (supposedly) works it's way into the bushing through a couple of very small holes in the spindle.
Click to expand...

This appears to be a common misconception.
If the oil nipple is used then the oil is not injected into the spindle.

When refilling through the oil nipple, the oil is pumped into the narrow space at the R/H end of the assembly, as the outer end of the bush is behind the oil nipple the oil is then in direct contact with the R/H bush where it will be absorbed by the sintered Oilite. If the oil nipple is unscrewed then the end of the bush should be visible inside the hole.

When that space has been filled to the level of the spindle drilling the oil will flow across to the space at the L/H end where it comes into contact with the outer end of the L/H bush.
 
What could possibly go wrong?-well I had a spare cradle and swingarm in the basement that I thought I would recondition for future use. The caps on the swingarm ends are missing and the pivot pin is packed full of grease, and I can't seem to find a piece of 1/2-20 threaded rod locally to make a pin puller. Glad I don't need to use it right now.
 
MikeG said:
What could possibly go wrong?-well I had a spare cradle and swingarm in the basement that I thought I would recondition for future use. The caps on the swingarm ends are missing and the pivot pin is packed full of grease, and I can't seem to find a piece of 1/2-20 threaded rod locally to make a pin puller. Glad I don't need to use it right now.
Click to expand...
Full of grease ???
 
MikeG said:
What could possibly go wrong?-well I had a spare cradle and swingarm in the basement that I thought I would recondition for future use. The caps on the swingarm ends are missing and the pivot pin is packed full of grease, and I can't seem to find a piece of 1/2-20 threaded rod locally to make a pin puller. Glad I don't need to use it right now.
Click to expand...
Shouldn't need to pull it - you have no end caps - push from the other side.
 
Yes-chassis grease-and the pin does not want to move, and the swingarm does not pivot on the pin either. Perhaps someone back in the day thought that fitting was a perfect match for his grease gun, pumped it full, and the bushings never saw a bit of proper lube after that.?
 
L.A.B. said:
This appears to be a common misconception.
If the oil nipple is used then the oil is not injected into the spindle.

When refilling through the oil nipple, the oil is pumped into the narrow space at the R/H end of the assembly, as the outer end of the bush is behind the oil nipple, the oil is then in direct contact with the R/H bush where it will be absorbed by the sintered Oilite. If the oil nipple is unscrewed then the end of the bush should be visible inside the hole.

When that space has been filled to the level of the spindle drilling the oil will flow across to the space at the L/H end where it comes into contact with the outer end of the L/H bush.
Click to expand...
To be honest i might at some point get around to the centre bolt drilling & pipe mod... but until then (i find it easier for me that is) to lay the bike over as far as possible and take the nipple out to fill the chamber this also allows any trapped air within the shaft to rise and vent
 
MikeG said:
Yes-chassis grease-and the pin does not want to move, and the swingarm does not pivot on the pin either. Perhaps someone back in the day thought that fitting was a perfect match for his grease gun, pumped it full, and the bushings never saw a bit of proper lube after that.?
Click to expand...
Probably will come loose with heat. Try laying in the sun if you don't want to use a torch.
 
I thought of using heat but it scares me a bit. Don't want to damage the tube in the cradle. I'm assuming that that's where the binding happens? Between the pin and the cradle tube?
 
MexicoMike said:
I've always questioned the lubricant used for those bushings...

I ASSUME they are OilLite (or equivalent) bushings which come from the factory impregnated with 30wt oil. In the Norton, oil is injected into the spindle itself, not the bushing. The oil then (supposedly) works it's way into the bushing through a couple of very small holes in the spindle. I have always wondered if the Norton spec lubricant - 140W oil - is more about reducing drips caused by over-lubricating rather than providing proper lubrication. Since 30Wt oil is the bushing "spec," it seems to me that 30 would be a much better choice for actually distributing itself into the bushing and providing effective lubrication.

I'm not convinced that the heavier oils actually get into the bushing at all...
Click to expand...
Well, the level of the mixture in the brake reservoir is descending, and it needs replenishing periodically, so the oil must be going somewhere, I guess.
The term "heavy oil" I used was wrong, should be "liquid grease".
 
MikeG said:
I thought of using heat but it scares me a bit. Don't want to damage the tube in the cradle. I'm assuming that that's where the binding happens? Between the pin and the cradle tube?
Click to expand...
Probably stuck everywhere. You shouldn't need mega heat, just warm it. The sun method cannot hurt it.

Alternatively, dig the grease out of the spindle and direct heat in there - should come loose before the cradle tube gets hot.
 
Tried a heat gun...got the swingarm to pivot but the pin won't move.
 
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