From:Rohan
E-Mail:<rohan333@optusnet.com.au>
Subject:RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: Whats the best oilto use
Response to:908
Date:Thu Mar 3 18:54:03 2005
Err, I think you missed something Steve.

We've had this discussion before about pouring modern oils
into old engines. Rob deals in freshly rebuilt (and cleaned
out) engines just run in - for which synthetic oils may be
ideal.

But in old engines with maybe the original pistons (with no
oil rings) and no real oil filtering system this may not be
so ideal. All the soot, sludge and metal particles circulate
with the oil - not so good for engine life, and all the
carbon and varnish seals which have formed are washed
away...

Jerry Hatfield reported he was persuaded to try synthetic in
his (good condition) late Indian4. Bike became a very heavy
user of oil - so he went back to mineral, end of problem.
Other folks privately reported similar problems, and
worse...  But ideal in new engines, as stated.

Flushing out the clutch compartment to try and free a gummy
clutch was apparently a normal dealer procedure - (Don't
know if its in the Indian Service Shots series, I don't have
a full set - do Hen have an equivalent ?) notwithstanding
warnings about flushing out any freed up sludge. What owner
would shell out for a full engine-strip and rebuild if a
pint of kero would do the trick ?  I don't know if this can
be done in a Hen, but Ace and Indian4 have a big bung
directly above the clutch/flywheel to allow this. The oil
doesn't circulate between compartments, except for a bit of
slosh on steep hills - in Indians at least ?

Maybe Rob would like to estimate the cost of a rebuild to
remedy this - and a estimated time-to-completion ?
Stories of about $10,000 and ten years wait are a little
offputting ?

Cheers,
Rohan.