Outrigger felt seal

[SwedScott]

Hi

A question that’s have been puzzling me is that if there should be a felt seal fitted between the outrigger housing and the sprocket. My gearbox is of the kind fitted from 1929-30 and onwards.
For the earlier kind of box a felt seal is listed and shown on drawing. On the later box no felt seal is listed, but the area where it could fit is “darkened” on the drawing, as if there was something filling the space
I have in fact manufactured and fitted a felt seal before looking at the right drawing! This seem although cause a bit of friction. Not too bad, as you can turn the sprocket around with one finger, without too much effort. But was this felt seal deemed unnecessary from the beginning? I neither like the thought of any possibility of dirt entering the bearing nor to cause unnecessary friction that maybe heats up the outrigger housing in use!
Does anybody have a clue of how it should be? Maybe just a little detail, but it’s nice to know what’s right!

Best regards
Leif

[PaulR]

The Three Speed gear components 1925 – 1928 listed the felt washer
The Service sheet No 10 from 1928 did not list the felt washer
Part No 3043
In the Parts Listings, this number was delisted by 1936
Maybe sealed bearings were in use by this time
My 1929 machine has never had this felt washer in my ownership
over thousands of kilometers Regards.

[SwedScott]

Thank you Paul.

I suspected before that it was like in your answer. But it’s funny that the parts look the way they do, with room for some kind of seal. Not a great surprise, anyway, because it’s not always that form follows function!
I although doubt that they used a sealed bearing. I have never come across any sealed bearing on any old motorcycle that I have laid my hands upon. The good old felt seals seem to have survived long in the motorcycle industry.

Best regards
Leif

[Author]

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