Ariel Owners Motorcycle Club

Hi,

I’ve just picked up my father’s Ariel 350 Red Hunter. It is a 1959 bike that he has owned since 1965. There’s quite a leak from the sump, does anyone know the gasket thickness? It needs an oil change anyway so I’ll do that as part of the job.

Thanks

Paul

Also looking for a recommendation for someone who can repair / fettle the Ariel in Worcestershire (I’m not far from Shelsley Walsh)

Cheers,

Paul

I think that gasket is about 0.75mm - the steel sump late is easily distorted, so it may need straightening up. And the screws can easily drip a bit as they don't go into blind holes and oil can work its way down the threads. (People have various ways of 'improving matters' if it gets really bad or starts to annoy...)
These are fairly simple machines and pretty robust so don't be intimidated about getting stuck into the bike yourself - there were reprints of handbooks on ebay not so long ago so there's info about (although you might have got stuff along with the bike).
I don't know of anyone who does repairs/fettling, I'd strongly recommend joining the Owners' Club as you're not that far from a couple of fairly active branches with members who I'm sure would be only to delighted to assist in a non-commercial way.

SG

Thanks Simon, will join the club

If the bike has been stood for a long while, it may have 'wet sumped'.

i.e. The oil that should be in the oil tank, has seeped past the pump and settled in the bottom of the engine. This is another cause of leaking from around the sump plate.

You could make a gasket, thickness is not critical, but easier to look at Draganfly or if you join the club, use the club spares scheme.

Oh yes, and the bike looks to be in good order.

Let us know about your progress, and ask as many questions on here as you like.

What Simon says....I'd also take a closer look and see if it really is the sump that is root cause. Other things can leak and gravity sometimes makes it look as if stuff at the base of the bike is leaking. If it is the sump, then drain it, straighten it up if necessary, dress/clean off the mating faces and replace the gasket. Perhaps smear the screw threads with the green Loctite or similar to prevent the weeps that Simon mentions.

Thanks all. I’m used to leaky Land Rovers but bikes are new to me, other than a Beta 125 trials bike my son and I use ok the farm. I also picked up my father’s KTM Duke 690, which doesn’t leak!

Next step is to book my bike test….I did the CBT a few years ago but it has lapsed so I’m starting again.

hi , i would drop the sump if it has been standing for awhile to let the oil out that leaks past the pump and i would take out sludge trap out of flywheel and give it a good clean

Oil change complete, sludge catcher all cleaned and sump not leaking anymore….just another leak higher up..

I’m also struggling a little to get the position of the advanced/ retard right. I guess I’ll get the hang of it in time.

I’ll join to owners club and look for help near Worcester.

Hi Paul,
Regarding the advance/retard: the general process for starting all magneto powered bikes with manual advance/retard is pretty similar:
- knock back the lever from full advance by about 1/4 of its travel
- once it starts, move to full advance.

This assumes two things:
- you have correctly identified if it is a tight wire or slack wire advance magneto. When looking at the points cover, if the advance/retard cable enters the magneto from the right (the rear end of the bike), it is tight wire advance; if it enters from the left (closest to the cylinder) it is slack wire advance).
- the timing has been set correctly.
Cheers,
Bevan