BSA A65 Lightning Primary chaincase oil

On or around Fri, 27 Apr 2007 11:00:32 +1000, Julian Cann
enlightened us thusly:

>An old non-computer literate friend has the above bike and wants to know
>the correct oil for the primary chain case.
>Some say engine oil....others auto transmission fluid.
>He recently topped up the oil and found he could no longer turn the
>engine over on the kick start.
>Any help gratefully received.

what did he put in it?

has to be possible that it's fought with what's in there.

consensus here (mind, neither me nor Father has ever had an A65) is engine
oil, on the basis that sooner or later you'll get a leak one way or the
other

when he says "can't turn it over" is this "it feels a bit stiff" or "it's
locked solid"?

too-heavy oil might be a problem, but I doubt engine oil comes into that
category. EP90 or something might.
--
Austin Shackles. www.ddol-las.net my opinions are just that
Travel The Galaxy! Meet Fascinating Life Forms...
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 >> Stay informed about: BSA A65 Lightning Primary chaincase oil 

In article ,
austinDITCHTHISFORBETTERRESULTS DeleteThis @ddol-las.net (Austin Shackles) wrote:

> consensus here (mind, neither me nor Father has ever had an A65) is
> engine oil, on the basis that sooner or later you'll get a leak one
> way or the other

Well, with the Bonnevile I had at one point, it was engine oil. With a
wet clutch you really do not want something with high viscosity like
EP90.


Ken Young
 >> Stay informed about: BSA A65 Lightning Primary chaincase oil 

Julian Cann wrote:

> An old non-computer literate friend has the above bike and wants to know
> the correct oil for the primary chain case.
> Some say engine oil....others auto transmission fluid.
> He recently topped up the oil and found he could no longer turn the
> engine over on the kick start.
> Any help gratefully received.

From the Twins and Triples book, "1/4 pint/142cc of SAE 10-30", which I
presume is not 10/30 multi, but any grade between 10 and 30, depending
on local weather.
So I'd have a wild guess that a 10/30 multigrade would be fine.

If he cannot turn it over, then I'd say there is something other than
the wrong oil grade used.The chaincase oil is only around a inch 'deep',
just enough to cover the bottom chain run, this then throws oil all
around the case, and onto the clutch - the clutch is not totally
immersed.
Drain the oil out, then try again. It will run fine with no oil, though
dont go doing 100 mile trips with no oil. If it turns over easily, then
it was an oil issue. Refill with the correct amount and grade, then see
how it is.
Alan.

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 >> Stay informed about: BSA A65 Lightning Primary chaincase oil 

"Julian Cann" wrote in message

> An old non-computer literate friend has the above bike and wants to know
> the correct oil for the primary chain case.
> Some say engine oil....others auto transmission fluid.
> He recently topped up the oil and found he could no longer turn the
> engine over on the kick start.
> Any help gratefully received.
>
>
Probably the oil is too thick (heavy) or he may have just put too much in
and it has got on the clutch plates and making it slip when he tries to kick
it over. Drain it out or remove the cover, dismantle the clutch and wash the
plates in petrol or degreaser and try again. Can't think of any other
problem caused by just putting some oil in.

Martin
 >> Stay informed about: BSA A65 Lightning Primary chaincase oil 

wrote in message

> In article ,
> austinDITCHTHISFORBETTERRESULTS RemoveThis @ddol-las.net (Austin Shackles) wrote:
>
> > consensus here (mind, neither me nor Father has ever had an A65) is
> > engine oil, on the basis that sooner or later you'll get a leak one
> > way or the other
>
> Well, with the Bonnevile I had at one point, it was engine oil. With a
> wet clutch you really do not want something with high viscosity like
> EP90.
>

I wouldn't recommend it for road use but I ran a racing sidecar outfit (750
Suzuki two-stroke triple) with EP-90 in the transmission for 3 seasons. It
was a bitch to free the clutch first thing in the morning but, after that,
it worked fine. It ran the same clutch plates for the entire three seasons,
which is more than I can say for just about every other engine component.

T.
 >> Stay informed about: BSA A65 Lightning Primary chaincase oil 

Oily wrote:
> "Julian Cann" wrote in message
>
>> An old non-computer literate friend has the above bike and wants to
>> know the correct oil for the primary chain case.
>> Some say engine oil....others auto transmission fluid.
>> He recently topped up the oil and found he could no longer turn the
>> engine over on the kick start.
>> Any help gratefully received.
>>
>>
> Probably the oil is too thick (heavy) or he may have just put too
> much in and it has got on the clutch plates and making it slip when
> he tries to kick it over. Drain it out or remove the cover, dismantle
> the clutch and wash the plates in petrol or degreaser and try again.
> Can't think of any other problem caused by just putting some oil in.

He might have topped it up through the spark plug hole...

--
platypus

"Merely corroborative detail, intended to
give artistic verisimilitude to an otherwise
bald and unconvincing narrative.”
 >> Stay informed about: BSA A65 Lightning Primary chaincase oil 

On Fri, 27 Apr 2007 20:40:24 GMT, "platypus"
wrote:

>Oily wrote:
>> Probably the oil is too thick (heavy) or he may have just put too
>> much in and it has got on the clutch plates and making it slip when
>> he tries to kick it over. Drain it out or remove the cover, dismantle
>> the clutch and wash the plates in petrol or degreaser and try again.
>> Can't think of any other problem caused by just putting some oil in.
>
>He might have topped it up through the spark plug hole...

Heh. I recall a housemate telling me that the gearbox oil was draining
terribly slowly out of his bike. I turned out that he'd mistaken a
relief valve or a selector indent plunger (I forget which) for the
drain plug.

--
-Pip
 >> Stay informed about: BSA A65 Lightning Primary chaincase oil 

"platypus" wrote in message

> Oily wrote:
> > "Julian Cann" wrote in message
> >
> >> An old non-computer literate friend has the above bike and wants to
> >> know the correct oil for the primary chain case.
> >> Some say engine oil....others auto transmission fluid.
> >> He recently topped up the oil and found he could no longer turn the
> >> engine over on the kick start.
> >> Any help gratefully received.
> >>
> >>
> > Probably the oil is too thick (heavy) or he may have just put too
> > much in and it has got on the clutch plates and making it slip when
> > he tries to kick it over. Drain it out or remove the cover, dismantle
> > the clutch and wash the plates in petrol or degreaser and try again.
> > Can't think of any other problem caused by just putting some oil in.
>
> He might have topped it up through the spark plug hole...
>
>
You might be right....... if it was a two smoke with drive side crank oil
seal gone.

Oily
 >> Stay informed about: BSA A65 Lightning Primary chaincase oil 

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 >> Stay informed about: BSA A65 Lightning Primary chaincase oil 

"Julian Cann" wrote in message

> An old non-computer literate friend has the above bike and wants to
> know the correct oil for the primary chain case.
> Some say engine oil....others auto transmission fluid.
> He recently topped up the oil and found he could no longer turn the
> engine over on the kick start.
> Any help gratefully received.

He has probably used something with lots of extra slippery additives. The
clutch may now be slipping because the plates can no longer grip properly.

--
Tony
'04 XL1200C, '95 LS650
OMF#24
 >> Stay informed about: BSA A65 Lightning Primary chaincase oil 

The BSA A65 only take 140ml of 10w40 engine oil be careful to ensure no more
than this amount is in the clutch case or it will stick the plates together.
Use engine oild for older cars/mororcycles as it does not contain the same
solvents and detergents as modern oils do. If the clutch is locked up this
can mean that the clutch plates are stuck together so put bike in neutral
and pull clutch in and kick it over a few times to separate them before
putting bike into gear or it could prematurely damage/wear the splines/gears
etc. Safest thing to do if he does not want to strip the bike is remove
bottom primary drain plug leave bike on side stand and let it drain. Replace
plug and measure 140ml of new non-detergent mineral engine oil 10w40. Worse
case scenario is that the clutch drum back plate has come lose from woodruff
key and jammed up against cush drive! Fingers crossed its the former and not
the latter. Or if he has put the washer that holds the clutch assembly the
wrong way around, easy mistake, I have done it and that locks the clutch up
too. Washer should have dished side outwards then torque to BSA torque
setting using clutch lock up tool.

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 >> Stay informed about: BSA A65 Lightning Primary chaincase oil