Ariel Owners Motorcycle Club

Thanks Paul, I'll see if I can get some Allen keys tomorrow morning and get the pump off. I had intended to drop the sump plate and drain whatever excess is there. Slightly odd that it didn't smoke at all and surprisingly littke excess oil cane out when I removed the primary side drain screw

Update: pump etc dissembled & checked- nothing adverse seen. Both pass the suction pop test, but still no oil return, so its the trailer home in disgrace

Update to the update: may have been the effect of 5 Ariel men standing around the VB, but oil was returning when I started it up again a few hours after I had put it back together !
But the magdyno is soaked in oil, so I think the trailer home is still the way to go.

bevanclark wrote: ↑Fri Mar 17, 2023 1:04 am Update: pump etc dissembled & checked- nothing adverse seen. Both pass the suction pop test, but still no oil return, so its the trailer home in disgrace

Sounds like a ball contaminated with something small?

I would doubt that a magdyno covered externally in oil will cause much trouble. They are pretty well accustomed to this. I shouldn't think you will have much inside it either.

You did say a trailer home was costly.....

Some magnetos have a "proper" seal on the driveshaft The magdyno (Lucas) has not but it has to go around the fibre gear /slipping clutch drive and usually a lot of oil there will make it slip and cook itself. There's a fair bit of oil gets in the magneto chain area of an Ariel single and it the motor has crook rings and is "pushed Hard" there can be a bit of pressure there. Nev

Final update: did the rally rides and had a great time. Bike didn't miss a beat. Met some really great guys. First ever bike rally for me.
Trailered it home though, just in case.
Will strip things down and clean up the mess. Definitely oil in the mag and dynamo.
Cheers, Bevan

Removing the Mag armature is a bit of an effort and you will lose some of the magnetism. Remove the cover near the points end and heat the whole thing a bit and let the oil drain out the open end over a while. Don't be extreme about the heat about 70 c is plenty. Grease the bearing you have exposed and finally remove the HT pickup and clean the slip ring with lint free cloth as you turn it. Nev

hi Bevan ;
if i get any oil in my magnetos [ or anywhere i need to clean it off ] i use an aerosol of brake cleaner and give it a few blasts at it via the points end while mag is still on bike , usually just dries off quite quickly and away you go .
i oiled my cables the other week and some came out into mag from the adv/ret cable , easy clean with can of brake cleaner.

my ajs twin k2f mag has a tiny oiling hole in it coming from timing case and on odd occasion i find oil residue in there and just give it a blast with the brake cleaner and all good again .

brake cleaner is great for cleaning out dynamos too if they get oil in them .

most brake cleaner is just naptha [white petrol , coleman camping stove fuel , spirit wipe degreaser ] .

hope you get it sorted easily .

ian