I'll be interested in the opinions/experiences of others. Maybe it will save others from the embarrassment that I suffered . . . .
In April, we had the Ariel Owners' Club's Annual "Long Distance Run". This year it was based in Tiverton, Devon. Now, to the club, doing 150 miles around the Devon lanes constitutes a long distance but I had to cover nearly 1,000 miles to get there and back. No problem.
My Ariel 'VH' 500 single is currently off the road with a split fuel tank. simple, I'll take the 1988 100 GS 'bumblebee'. It sailed down to Devon last October and will just walk that 1,000 mile weekend
.
All went well on the way down and on Saturday 15th I set off following the set route around the small lanes in Devon. At the first checkpoint (AKA Tea stop) Disaster
.
As I pulled in to Stogumber Railway Station (to see the steam trains) I found my right leg and RHS of the motor were covered in oil, blue smoke was everywhere . . The oil cooler matrix had failed
.
I had to abandon the rest of the morning's run and seek help, which I found in the 'distinctive' shape of the owner of "Wookie's Cycles" in a back lane in Williton.
Now, as you might imagine, the man 'Wookie' has more hair than Chubaka and in his black, oily overalls is an imposing sight. However the hair hides one of nature's gentleman and he was great.
The oil pipes were seized to the cooler and the fittings just sheared off. An hour of fruitless fettling failed to get the broken bits out of the unions so the pipes were cut and joined. Being held with jubilee clips. It looked as though it would hold. Wookie didn't want payment but I forced £20 beer money into his hand and went to the local garage for oil, degreaser spray and the use of their 'Jet Washer' (for me as much as the bike).
From there I headed up the A39 to Lynmouth for the lunch stop and completed the afternoon run with three others.
Sunday morning I set off at 08:30 to head for Edinburgh but, half a mile from junction 27 of the M5 there was a pall of smoke and oil spraying out of the stainless braiding around the oil pipes - the inner oil pipes had now failed.
I admitted defeat and called the RAC, was collected at 12:30 and, four 13-ton truck rides later, got home at 23:30. an 'Interesting' day (the recovery drivers were a great bunch).
Question: How long does an oil cooler last ?? Mine was 28 years old and had obviously reached the end of its life. I now have a new one fitted and have made up a copper loop with the old banjo unions soldered to the ends which I'll carry as an emergency fix should it ever happen again.
Do people treat oil coolers as 'consumables' and replace them after e.g. 20 years - maybe we should .
Has anyone had a similar experience ??
Bob.
In April, we had the Ariel Owners' Club's Annual "Long Distance Run". This year it was based in Tiverton, Devon. Now, to the club, doing 150 miles around the Devon lanes constitutes a long distance but I had to cover nearly 1,000 miles to get there and back. No problem.
My Ariel 'VH' 500 single is currently off the road with a split fuel tank. simple, I'll take the 1988 100 GS 'bumblebee'. It sailed down to Devon last October and will just walk that 1,000 mile weekend
.All went well on the way down and on Saturday 15th I set off following the set route around the small lanes in Devon. At the first checkpoint (AKA Tea stop) Disaster
.As I pulled in to Stogumber Railway Station (to see the steam trains) I found my right leg and RHS of the motor were covered in oil, blue smoke was everywhere . . The oil cooler matrix had failed
.I had to abandon the rest of the morning's run and seek help, which I found in the 'distinctive' shape of the owner of "Wookie's Cycles" in a back lane in Williton.
Now, as you might imagine, the man 'Wookie' has more hair than Chubaka and in his black, oily overalls is an imposing sight. However the hair hides one of nature's gentleman and he was great.
The oil pipes were seized to the cooler and the fittings just sheared off. An hour of fruitless fettling failed to get the broken bits out of the unions so the pipes were cut and joined. Being held with jubilee clips. It looked as though it would hold. Wookie didn't want payment but I forced £20 beer money into his hand and went to the local garage for oil, degreaser spray and the use of their 'Jet Washer' (for me as much as the bike).
From there I headed up the A39 to Lynmouth for the lunch stop and completed the afternoon run with three others.
Sunday morning I set off at 08:30 to head for Edinburgh but, half a mile from junction 27 of the M5 there was a pall of smoke and oil spraying out of the stainless braiding around the oil pipes - the inner oil pipes had now failed.
I admitted defeat and called the RAC, was collected at 12:30 and, four 13-ton truck rides later, got home at 23:30. an 'Interesting' day (the recovery drivers were a great bunch).
Question: How long does an oil cooler last ?? Mine was 28 years old and had obviously reached the end of its life. I now have a new one fitted and have made up a copper loop with the old banjo unions soldered to the ends which I'll carry as an emergency fix should it ever happen again.
Do people treat oil coolers as 'consumables' and replace them after e.g. 20 years - maybe we should .
Has anyone had a similar experience ??
Bob.
. Not wishing to tempt fate but to date I've never had to fall back on recovery.
.
.
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