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Am I right in thinking that my 1960 TS175 should have a filter gauze that comes out with the oil drain plug? No sign of one on my bike...

Mine does - you can buy new ones:

https://www.bevelsingleparts.com/568

Others may be available.

Is your 175 Italian or Spanish?
The Spanish oil filter tube screws into the RH crankcase and stays in place when the outer plug is unscrewed.

Mine is an Italian one, with a DM frame number prefix. If this bike has never had a filter, just putting one of those filter / drain plugs that Ranton Rambler suggested wouldn't actually do anything? Without splitting the cases to see where the oil pickup is and how it works, I'm not sure that would do anything? But what do I know?

My understanding is that the oil pump is in the right-hand side of the motor, and the thin nose of the gauze pokes into the inlet port. The oil is then drawn through the gauze before it goes into the pump. It's a coarse "brick catcher" so will only stop bigger particles getting into the pump and damaging it.

There is probably a diagram somewhere.

If the pump is working OK, it would be worth fitting a filter (suction strainer) in my opinion to guard against future problems.

Ian

For wide case,,, no experience with narrow case.
The last wide case strainer I purchased was very poorly made.
The plastic nose tube didn’t fit in the hole in the oil feed hole in the right case.
It crushed the gauze when nipped up.
The underside of the nut flange was not flat and leaked oil.
Then the thread cracked.
I emailed the seller and got no reply (well known Italian parts supplier)
Many other parts from there been good.
BEWARE

Graeme

Hi Graeme,

Nigel Lacey a while back posted a picture of his oil strainer and another available brand, and his had a much finer mesh on the strainer. So as you say, buyer beware. Pattern parts are always a bit of a lottery.

Cheers,

Colin