Timing cover leak

[Oggers]

Ian

I agree that Velo clutch adjustment is not straighforward. However, I find that if it is done right, changing gear can be just sublime. My MSS is near perfect. The Viper has yet to attain this peak of peeling perfection as I have the leak on the kickstarter housing to address first!

I would have thought that a flanged cover at least instead of the useless banded cover would not have been that more expensive to produce. Certainly the Velo club recommends these as being a great improvement, and I am tempted myself. Pricey though....     

[iansoady]

My Venom had the cover with tiny screws all around it which was better than the band but still not good. The fact that the inner cover is already liberally supplied with holes doesn't help....

[Oggers]

Ian

Well quite.. why Velocette and others could not emulate Ariel and heaven forfend - Triumph - in providing a proper cover goodness only knows. Penny wise and pound foolish springs to mind....I wonder if such an arrangement put folk off buying them back in the day? As an aside, there is a school of thought which suggests that not putting in any oil in the chaincase at all and simply spraying the primary chain with lube every now and then may suffice. After all, that is what is done with the drive chain.....

[iansoady]

There's a lot of debate about doing this for Nortons which have a slightly better oilbath chaincase. Some people who've tried it report reduced chain life, and of course the oil lubricates other things like the clutch bearing.

I had an odd hybrid for a while - Norton ES2 engine / box in an Enfield frame - and because of the close coupling of the engine and box only an outer cover over the primary chain. Despite frequent oil can applications the chain wore very quickly.

[Oggers]

Well I now have a new band seal to fit around the chaincase. I'll also give some thought to pouring in some warm tallow to help seal the base of the joint - as one handbook advises - or some modern equivalent perhaps? I really do loathe the things! Never seen a truly oil-tight banded seal yet.....   

[Rex]

When I had my old MAC I used a book called "Norm's Technicalities" as a guide for maintenance tasks etc and it was particularly good for explaining how to set up the clutch. When you get your head around how the clutch works it's a far simpler design (and easier to adjust) than the usual 3/4/5/6 spring things as used on most old bikes.
That's one of things so endearing (hoho) about Scotts...they use the release mechanism design of the Velo and Vincent, along with a six spring clutch as used on most British vertical twins of the 1950s.

[iansoady]

I had a Matchless G80 with a band seal and there was a special seal available - called the Buckingham seal IIRC? Anyway it seemed to work much better than the standard one. I have a word copy of the "reliable" manual which may or may not be the same as Norm's technicalities if you would like it. It has a long section on the clutch.....

[Oggers]

Opinion is divided over the effectiveness of the "Buckingham" seal. More importantly perhaps is the condition and flatness of the mating faces and obtaining an even gap all round. I have tried several times with varying results, but silk purse from sow's ear springs to mind all too readily.