The strangest place to find a cotter pin?

roccaas

roccaas

Well-known member
The legs of this pin are sticking out of the "bottom dead center" of the Flywheel Housing. What is supposed to be in this hole?

I've looked into the gospel according to Les, but find no description of this hole and what is supposed to fill it.

This is looking from astern to forward (yes, I've pulled off the oil pan and re-tightened the #3 Big End to successfully cut out the clatter at spark advance).

Thanks
 

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<quote> from Brattons
This is the large cotter pin (3/16" X 1") that hangs out of the hole in the bottom of the flywheel. Oil slowly collects in the flywheel housing and drips from the hole. If the hole is clogged by road dirt, the oil can eventually reach the clutch disc, causing the disc to slip. With the cotter pin through the hole, each bump will move the pin up and down, keeping the hole clear.
 
This cotter pin is supposed to keep the hole it's in from getting plugged. The hole is supposed to let out oil that leaks out of the rear main bearing. If it was not there oil would build up in the housing. If you have a good engine, no oil will leak.
 
Well now that makes perfect sense!

Sort of like the engineering on an AK-47. Loose enough to work in mud, tight enough to always work!
 
Harley Davidson used a cotter pin in the drain hole of the primary chain cover. It was fairly common back in the dirt road days. These machines were designed to leak!
 
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