Hey all , long time since l ve been on the forum . Anyway my question is this .... my WLA has a ring seal around the sprocket shaft that leaks badly ......... does anyone know if l can replace this seal without removing the motor and splitting the cases .  l have a new seal to put in but need an experienced answer to my question before venturing on . Thanks Greg

Hi Greg,

When you say it leaks badly do you mean you leave it for a week and it's emptied the oil tank all over the floor?

Cheers
Dave

Hello Dave , it hisses when l turn the motor over by hand . The seal is worn out and l wouldn t be surprised if it is the original . l realise they all leak but am hoping to replace it without splitting the cases . Most dealers l talk to say they replace it while the motor is out and split however  looking at shape of the seal and the fact it has a ring holding it in makes me think it can be removed without so much work  . No manual l look in or the Palmer publication mentions this seals replacement at all. If they do l cant find it . Regards Greg

Thanks Greg,

My WL wet sumps if I leave it sit for a week which means I end up with oil all over the floor.

Oil leaks past the check ball on the pump until the bottom end is full with oil and then it leaks out past that seal.

Any pressure inside the cast should be vented out through the breather which is located on the exhaust side down near the scavenger pump.

I'd check to make sure that's not blocked if you're getting hissing out of the sprocket side.

Good luck with it.

Cheers
Dave

Hello Dave , thanks for your reply , it makes alot of sense . My bike is in bits and l am slowly getting it back together . l am going to put some photos up of where l am at with it and my small ( amusing  workshop when l get a chance. Thanks again and l hope you sort your oil pump problem out.  Regards Greg 

G'day Greg, Dave and others,

It must be the season for it. I've just got my WLA back on the road after 2 years (it was a long paint job!). Same oil leak.

I took it out for a spin to my letterbox and back, about 1.5 kms. Got back home parked it, checked it that night, all good. Flew out to work next day. My wife rang me two days later, "um Honey, there's a big puddle of oil under the Harley". When I got back home, I found the oil tank bone dry, the only oil drip I could find was coming past that very same seal. I didn't think about hand cranking it, already got the primary drive and sprocket off.

1. Do I replace the seal regardless?

2. Same question as Greg, do I have to pull the motor and split the cases. My manual doesn't mention the seal, although the diagrams do indicate it is accessable externally.

3. Anyone in Australia selling those seals?

4. Why did it take a couple of days to leak? Any help or suggestions much appreciated.

Regards Brian.  

p.s. My dear wife saw how distressed I was about this, so she cleaned up the oil, degreased the workshop floor and placed a WHITE towel and drip tray under the bike! Is that love or what?

 

Hey Dave,

I've been thinking about what you wrote regarding that leaking check valve/ball thing. I reckon you're on the money there.
That would explain why it took a couple of days to show itself.
I'll check it and let you know how I get on.

Regards
BT

If you think about it, oil is pumped in via the oil pump and picked up in the crankcase by the scavenger pump and pumped back into the tank. There is never a large amount of oil in the crank case. When the bike is not running, the only way oil can get into the crank case is by leaking past the check ball in the oil pump. The only other way it can get in there is by the return line in the oil tank. As you'd know the oil comes back into the tank just near the filler. If there is a hole in the line inside the tank that is below the oil level then the oil will leak back down the return line and into the crank case. Cheers Dave

Hello all , well it seems the sprocket shaft seal is a big thing in everyones life including mine hahahah. Just for the records , what Dave says makes alot of sense and for those that are interested Colony make a replacement called the SPROCKET SHAFT SEAL ASSEMBLY . The part number is 8211-2 and it s claim to fame is Improved Design Guaranteed To Stop Oil Leakage. l think there is a dealer in Sydney by the name of Redgrave or something or maybe Redfern Cycles . Hope my info is of use to someone . And by the way.... the man whos wife compassionately cleaned up the floor after the bike had leaked oil .... your a very lucky man ..... does she have a sister ????

I recently went on an event (pictures in link below) and a number of the bikes had the metal oil lines replaced with rubber ones and people had installed a tap in the line for this very problem.

http://s236.photobucket.com/albums/ff287/David72Vette/WL%2075th%20Anniversary/?albumview=slideshow

Some people leave the drain plug out of the crankcase and drain the oil into a container which is neater than having oil all over the garage floor and it can then be put back into the tank.  Im going down the path of refinishing my oil pump like described above and I'll see how that goes.

Personally I wouldnt want to trap all the oil inside the crankcase.  I've heard its not good for them, it will make starting very hard and once its started the oil will pour out of the breather until the scavenger pump catchs up.  

If you like WL's have a look at these pictures which I've collected over the years

http://s236.photobucket.com/albums/ff287/David72Vette/WL%20Pictures/?albumview=slideshow

Cheers

Dave

 

 

Hi Bob,

Yep they were. Did you go?

Cheers
Dave

l have a couple more questions regarding the 1943 WLA that l am putting back together . The first one is ... on the brake crossover bell crank there is a flat sqaure section on the top of it with a hole in it . l assume the hole is for a grease nipple to keep the rear support rod and brake crossover lubricated .The thing that puzzles me is the hole is too big for a HD grease nipple . Therefore the previous owner of the crossover has either tapped it for a bigger grease nipple or it isnt used for a grease nipple . lf the later is the case , then what is the hole for ????
My next question is ... the transmission has an adjustment bolt .. which is a bolt with a washer type section on it and the bolt itself threads into the transmission . Access to the bolt is thru a hole in the frame. What has me baffled is this .. the hole in the frame is bigger than the washer section on the bolt ..... so what does the bolt have to screw against to pull the transmission back if needs be ?????? As l see it, if the hole in the frame was smaller than the bolts washer section and the washer section of the bolt was on the rear wheel side of the hole in the frame , then forwards and backwards adjustment of the transmision would be possible . Useful and helpful answers to these questions would be great . Regards Greg

Hi Greg,

Any chance you could post a picture of the issue regarding the hole as I cant quiet get my head around it.

In regards to the gearbox adjuster its not uncommon and I have seen a couple of things.

- I've seen rear guards that hand down long enough so the adjuster bolt goes through the guard and it screws up aginst that which pulls the guard up against the frame

- I've seen people lift the adjuster slightly as the pressure gets applied so the adjuster isnt sitting directly in the hole and its pulling up on the edge of the frame

- I just put a larger OD washer with the same ID as the bolt and tighen it.

Cheers

Dave

Thanks Dave here are 2 pictures of the part in question . l also put some photos of the bike and where l have put my parts while working on it . As they say .. where there is a wil there is a way . Regards Greg

An organised mess hahaha

Hi Greg,

I like your project. Whats your plans with it?

Good news is my brake crossover thing looks exactly like your's. Bad news is, it has a normal size grease nipple in it. As you said, someone has drilled and tapped your's out.

Depending on what you wanted to do I see them come up on US ebay regularily or alterntively Im sure 45 Parts Depot or 45 Restoration Company would have reproduction ones.

Ross,

You're spot on, they are getting more and more expensive and even the average ones are fetching good dollars. Great for people that have them, no so great for those that want one.

Cheers
Dave

Thanks Dave, l thought the previous owner may have retapped it  but at least l know it is for a grease nipple .... which makes sense .

l will sort something out with it  and they are around . The reason l refered to the part  as a brake x over  bell crank is because that is what  Bruce Palmer refers to it as in his How to Restore ur HD book . ( just for the records )

What are my plans with my bike??? thanks for the interest  ... well l am going to put it together and get it running as l have no idea what is going to work and what isnt . l have spent alot of time chasing nuts and bolts and bits of this and bits of that for her over 2 years and enjoyed it alot . 

So l will let you know when l have it running if l dont talk to you before hand as l am sure l will have  more questions heading the forums way before l am finished  especially regarding the rewiring side of things . 

Regards Greg  

Good idea Greg. I had grand plans of a full restoration when i first bought mine and in the end I just got it running and have fixed things as they break (which happens oftern) I've rewired mine and its an easy job. I bought a repro harness and blew the wiring diagram in the book up to A3 size and away i went.

Here's a couple of before and afters of my bike




After

Hi In regards to your gear box adjuster, have a look at your frame under the gear box, you will see a built up area with a slot in it, the flat washer section of the adjuster bolt fits into this slot, so when the adjuster is turned the gear box will move back or forth , the hole in the frame is larger for easy fitment of the adjuster bolt after gearbox fitment. The oil pump, to stop it wet sumping you will need lapped the seats as mentioned, im not a fan of oil tapes in the feed line, you only have to forget to turn it on once...The shaft bush is not a seal, it only prevents the oil leaving the motor when it is running, by having a large spiral machined into the inner surface , to direct the oil on the shaft back into the sump.The Colony seal kit has a lip on it and will aid in the oil loss but wont fix the oil pump leak that is the cause of the problem, i have fitted them to 3 of my bike and they work, splitting the case's is the best way to replace these items.

Here is a photo of a N.O.S Bushing
Regards Rod

The gear box adjuster slot in the frame just in front of the large hole.

 Hi Dave,

Nice job, did you have the Dusting sidecar? Or did you buy it from the chap in Melbourne?

just interested as considering getting one for my WLA, how does she run with the sidecar?

cheers