After replacing my clutch, and at the same time packing the gearbox with 50% grease and 50% oil (through the cover plate), I'm now getting a lot more oil leaking out at the pushrod/clutch arm connection. I suspect most of this is because I've got a gearbox full of oil/grease for once, but it is a lot more leaking than before the clutch repair. I've never opened the gearbox. Is there any kind of seal where the pushrod exists the gearbox that I may have damaged? I'm also going to re-check the cable free play to make sure the pushrod is disengaging from the arm while running. Any other ideas?

Craig

Hi Craig, sounds like you may have overfilled it, its possible you might also get problems with oil working its way through to the clutch.

Rob.

email (option): robmiller11@yahoo.co.uk

I definitely may have overfilled. I added grease through the plate, then oil through the filler plug until it couldn't take any more. The good news (I hope) is that I put in a Triumph pre-unit (wet) clutch, so I hope any leakage to the clutch will be okay.

No seal at the pushrod though, gearbox side?

Yes, there is, part 15-270 in my 1944 RAF parts list: "Clutch push rod cork gland washer" but cork will not stand up. I use a rather hard felt disc, see my notes on Gearbox work in the Technical section

email (option): viaconsu # planet dot nl

Hi Hans-

I saw that note, but it sounds like that is a washer on the clutch side, not the offside (clutch arm side). I'm getting oil leaking from the gearbox out through the pushrod at the clutch arm. This would be a different location than in the tech section correct? Are you saying perhaps I use the same style washer against the inside of the front cover, where the pushrod exists?

"And to prevent oil from the gearbox to enter the clutch through the mainshaft hole, there should be a felt washer around the clutch rod; outside diameter not critical, I use 18 mm, but - depending on the ‘hardness’ of the felt the thickness should be not less than 4 mm. To get it in the right place, slide it over the clutch push rod before mounting the outer gearbox cover."

Hi Craig..The seal is at the clutch end..in fact it is listed as part of the clutch assembly. There was no seal fitted at the other end.
Leakage from the casing at the cover end of the pushrod is not generally a problem...if you have overfilled the box then you have probably created it...The best thing would be to ensure that the oil level is correct and you probably won't have any more trouble..Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Well Ian, this is on the drawing in the Parts List: nr 72



Clearly on the gearbox side; don't be foiled by that clutch chain wheel above! And I may say that it works: no oil to speak of in the clutch rod hole.
I think you refer to part 66-3813: Clutch sleeve cork ring. Or am I wrong....

email (option): viaconsu # planet dot nl

hans does this seal go under the first cover or on the outside

email (option): roger.beck@node6.com

Between inner and outer cover! Test the necessary thickness by putting a piece of putty between the covers; there seems to be some variation.

email (option): viaconsu # planet dot nl

Hans is right on this one..the seal does go at the cover end. The purpose of the seal was to prevent oil migrating along the pushrod, through the mainshaft, to the clutch. It was not there primarily to prevent oil leaks through the cover. The seal was cork in WD boxes (15~270) but was, interestingly, omitted from later boxes so perhaps may have been deemed unecessary. However, this could have been an omission on BSAs part..the 6 spring clutch was a 'wet' clutch so oil contamination would not have been an isssue in that case, but the seal was also not listed for AA models, which retained the single spring clutch.
I never use this seal, the cork ring in the back of the clutch sleeve, or the sleeve gear felt washer and haven't experienced any clutch problems related to oil contamination of the plates or, for that matter, a leak from the front cover at this point.
I am still puzzled as to why you should overfill the gearbox and then seek to cure the resulting leaks
...Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

No reason to be puzzled! The overfill was unintentional. I used to have a gear oil leak at the sprocket (I posted a question about seal options on the chain side with teh sprocket). Someone recommended packing with grease as an alternative. I did that, but I didn't check the volume of grease very specifically since it's semi-solid, so I also topped off with gear oil to be safe. Unecessarily in hindsight! Nonetheless, my new oil/grease combo was very likely more than was needed, so it sounds likely that it is now slowly draining out at the clutch arm and leveling with each ride. I suppose even with the seal Hans points out, the excess oil/grease was going to come out somewhere.

Thanks for the input. After a few more leaky rides I suspect the problem will be gone!