Lets talk feeler gauges

[SportsterDoc]

One of the things I learned about BSAs is that they had a built in chain oiler. Inside the primary case is a small well that catches some of the primary chain oil. The oil passes through a tunnel to a rubber tube over the chain next to the sprocket. The result is a greasy bike. When I had mine apart I dropped some solder into the well, and removed the rubber hose. My BSAs stayed clean after that.

The chains of that era all had master links. So removing and installing a chain was easy. When I changed the motor oil, I boiled the chain in the used oil and hung it up on the clothes line with a coat hanger to allow the excess to drip off. Back then the used oil was poured down a sewer or a hole in the back yard. Wouldn't that make today's tree huggers scream.

Did mom fuss?

One of the things I learned about BSAs is that they had a built in chain oiler. Inside the primary case is a small well that catches some of the primary chain oil. The oil passes through a tunnel to a rubber tube over the chain next to the sprocket. The result is a greasy bike. When I had mine apart I dropped some solder into the well, and removed the rubber hose. My BSAs stayed clean after that.

The chains of that era all had master links. So removing and installing a chain was easy. When I changed the motor oil, I boiled the chain in the used oil and hung it up on the clothes line with a coat hanger to allow the excess to drip off. Back then the used oil was poured down a sewer or a hole in the back yard. Wouldn't that make today's tree huggers scream.

Do you remember when oil was sprayed on dirt roads to keep the dust down?!

My mum didn't fuss about that. But leaving rubber tire marks on the basement stairs dragging my bikes down to the basement to work on them during the winter was not appreciated.

I remember when they use to use the oil from the transformers on hydro poles to spray on dirt roads. That did stop until the public found out it contained hazardous PCBs.

PCBs were a big deal when the 1971 Sylmar earthquake severely damaged the Sylmar Converter Station in the north part of the Los Angeles San Fernando Valley...especially since the station was right next to the Van Norman Reservoir, which lost part of the dam facing, resulting in the evacuation of ~80,000 residents.