Old Britts Oil Pressure Gauge

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Deckard

Deckard

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Well, I wanted another gauge for my '71 project about to begin, but Fred said no more gauge mounts and nothing planned to that end.
Anybody have one to sell? I can also put in Classified- WTB, but will start with this.
I also have the one that mounts on the handle bar mounts, but OB's is prettier.
Are there other gauge kits? Those were the only 2 that I remember seeing
 
Morgo do one but it is a bar mount.

Morgo Oil Pressure Gauge – Morgo Power Equipment

www.morgo.co.uk

Being cheap I go DIY with Marlin sourced gauges (who also do bar type mounts)

Marlin's Genuine Accessories

Marlin's Genuine Accessories clock thermometer compass
www.marlinsclocks.com

I still need to make something for the Norton but have the Marlin gauge on the shelf and the rocker spindles were drilled for uncluttered connection.

Old Britts Oil Pressure Gauge




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Deckard said:
Yes, I have that one. I'll utilize it if no Old Britts gauge surfaces. Gotta have some idea of oil pressure on these engines.
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Well...we never needed one back in the day when we all road these bikes a LOT harder than I suspect most of us do nowadays. An OP gauge on a Commando street bike is just something to make you worry needlessly because you will see readings lower than you think they should be. That will result in the need to "fix" a non-existent problem, a "problem" the engine has functioned perfectly well with for 50 years... ;)
 
Deckard said:
Well, I wanted another gauge for my '71 project about to begin, but Fred said no more gauge mounts and nothing planned to that end.
Anybody have one to sell? I can also put in Classified- WTB, but will start with this.
I also have the one that mounts on the handle bar mounts, but OB's is prettier.
Are there other gauge kits? Those were the only 2 that I remember seeing
Click to expand...
I'm thinking about doing a mounting similar to the OB but as a 3D print, partly because I have access to one and partly 'cos I think it could be an interesting thing to do. I like the idea of running the oil pipe up the center of the steering stem instead of having a longer line around to the front between the guages.
Mind you, at the rate at which things are going this may be a next year project :-(
 
MexicoMike said:
Well...we never needed one back in the day when we all road these bikes a LOT harder than I suspect most of us do nowadays. An OP gauge on a Commando street bike is just something to make you worry needlessly because you will see readings lower than you think they should be. That will result in the need to "fix" a non-existent problem, a "problem" the engine has functioned perfectly well with for 50 years... ;)
Click to expand...
Well, I've caught two blown conical seals on my MKIII with an oil pressure gauge so I respectfully disagree.
 
Here's my solution:
Old Britts Oil Pressure Gauge
Old Britts Oil Pressure GaugeOld Britts Oil Pressure GaugeOld Britts Oil Pressure GaugeOld Britts Oil Pressure Gauge

After adding rear sets and majorca bars I found the riding position a bit too hard on my back for more than a few hours riding. I made the bar back risers to bring them up an inch and back an inch and a half. Since I now had the room, and my rockers were already drilled it was an easy task to fabricate the gauge mount and plumb it in via the same path as Old BrittsOld Britts Oil Pressure Gauge
 
JimNH said:
Well, I've caught two blown conical seals on my MKIII with an oil pressure gauge so I respectfully disagree.
Click to expand...

Just curious - Did the original seal fail on its own or did the two failures occur after work was done/the seal replaced?
 
JimNH said:
Well, I've caught two blown conical seals on my MKIII with an oil pressure gauge so I respectfully disagree.
Click to expand...
Indeed. Once I put the OB gauge on my 850, I saw how low the pressure was once it was at operating temps.
When I had the gauge on my 750 the pressures at idle and off idle RPM's were much higher. Remedied that by the replacing the relief valve from spares. I'll have to order the spring shims to fix the original. Again, I wouldn't have known that without a gauge. All my vehicles have oil pressure gauges and volt meters or an ammeter.
 
Well, that's kind of my point - it wasn't a problem until you put a gauge on it. :rolleyes: I checked my Commando's OP once some years ago due to comments here and found it was quite low based on what I would expect. Then I thought about it and realized the bike had been running fine that way since 1973...snd still is. So I decided that Norton was correct in not installing an OP gauge - neither did any other moto makers... ;)

However, as we have generally agreed - do whatever you are comfortable doing! If you are uncomfortable NOT having an OP gauge, by all means, install one!
 
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I know what the pressure is in my 2.5 yo motor, and low at idle is what it is on our bikes. I just want to see if it suddenly deviates before I hear it go.
 
MexicoMike said:
Just curious - Did the original seal fail on its own or did the two failures occur after work was done/the seal replaced?
Click to expand...
What I believe was the original was the first to blow as the bike was very low mileage. I replaced it and several years later it also split. There's no apparent reason for it to split except perhaps the very high oil pressure when cold. I ride easy until the gauge comes off the peg.

Before the first one let go entirely the bike began to wet sump, something I had never noticed before. When the second one blew the same thing happened but I'd forgotten that wet sumping had preceded the first failure. I believe that as it begins to split it lets oil seep past the valve but still seals the pump to the timing cover.

A good return flow is meaningless if that seal is bad as oil is dumped into the timing case, returned to the sump where the pump dutifully returns it to the tank.

I have the last failed seal in my hand now and it still has the impressions of being nicely seated. It split starting right at the cone where the valve rests.
 
I have a new OB setup that I bought and installed in my ‘72 for a week or so, then bagged up and stored. PM me. Ben
 
Scout63 said:
I have a new OB setup that I bought and installed in my ‘72 for a week or so, then bagged up and stored. PM me. Ben
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Well, that didn't work out, seller's remorse.

Fred says that no more gauge mounts because whoever made them became slow and the polishing of the billet slowed down the process even more.
He didn't want to do the polishing either.
I'd take one unpolished and communicated that, but they're winding down now. Maybe hope in the future if that is re-considered after a little time in retirement.

Anybody else got one that they'll sell?
 
I've had an OB one on my MKIII since 2007 and can say it has been trouble free since. I do understand people that don't feel it's something they want on their bike, I have often wondered if it or the line split how it could cause a failure in itself. Over the years the fluid in the gauge has leaked out but it still works fine. On my 72 I never felt the need to fit one, although the triumph type warning light seems to be a safer way to go.
 
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