88 auto is in the house :)

great stuff.
my shop dug a 420 Auto (like yours I think it was an 82) out of an abandoned storage unit and I went weakly through it , it was filled with water.....but had enough oil film to protect it for the most part. idea was to verify that it would work then go back and do a real restoration on it. even the bore was pitted from corrosion,,, but heck the thing started and actually ran quite well.
Local Husky and Rokon Auto legend Ron Bishop still had containers of Univis on the shelf so that was used per the book. Thing worked great as it could without a real build,
Ron had all the know how and plenty of trans parts for it....but we never went back to do the restoration,,, a guy that always wanted one bought it from the shop as is and that was that. So my point is that I did in my life get the chance to ride a husky auto the 420 Auto from the early 80s......what do I remember most ..that it basically freewheeled when you let off the gas.

Sma

Smart purchase. Best oil currently available for the Husky auto transmission. I have tried everything under the sun.

Marty

I had three autos ac. One 390 ran. I never got to ride it. Got a call from Craig's husky site and a guy with one leg wanted it. Who am I to stop someone from riding. I sold the bike with all the extra parts bikes. I had plenty of bikes to ride anyway. I like listening to the videos when they shift they sound so cool. It worries me when they sound a tad lazy when the auto shifts. Shouldn't they shift quicker and harder?

Does anyone know? I'm under the impression and have been told by several people the Ohlins Shock oil is the same as the Husqvarna Automatic transmission oil?

Thats what i heard way back when i use to go the Husky dealer in the 80s.

No . It's centrifugal clutches dragging the rpm back down . It's not a f1 or wrc car spec hydraulic operated dog set .

Oil to use in Autos, a hot topic, particularly if you drop the oil out after a decent run, it will be extremely hot, Husqvarna knew this and chose an oil to suit which they did not change through the entire manufacturing life of the Auto. My advice would be if it is not broken don't fix it! There are very similar oils if you cannot get the original manufacturer oil- http://www.stanleyhydraulics.com/si...com/files/pdf/gtr20-user-manual-5-2013-v9.pdf This link will take you to a power pack for a hydraulic breaker manual and give you some suitable alternatives.
Other essentials for Autos are fit a spring cover to the first gear clutch, glue a powerful magnet to the cover to collect as much of the floating swarf as you can, a real low tickover and ride it like you stole it. Pottering along just results in increased clutch slipping and generating more heat and swarf.

I'm no engineer Bill, spent most of my working life on building sites but I would say that in 35 years of Auto Husky ownership grit in the oil would be a very big no no for these bikes. It's why i recommend to any Auto owner the importance of an oil change after EVERY ride. The shoes shed an awful lot of swarf which will quickly destroy all the very delicate bearings these gearboxes use. I can't emphasise enough how important it is to keep the oil as clean as possible if you want the best possible mileage out of them.

On another note a few years ago I bought a very nice looking 500 aircooled 3 speed Auto. I was told by the seller that the gearbox had just had an overhaul by his local bikeshop. I soon learned that you don't trust work done by mechanics with no knowledge of Husky Auto's. Because he couldn't get a new clutch cover gasket he thought it would be ok to use silicone sealant instead of a new gasket. The result was that the overspill of silicone into the gearbox side reacted with the oil and extremely high temperatures these engines run at. It gummed up all the free wheel bearings used on the output shaft which were impossible to clean, had to renew the whole lot.

You need to get yourself one of the Auto's for your collection Bill, I think you would find the inner workings of the gearbox fascinating, the only downside for you would be that you can't bump start an Auto.

They do not shift in the sense one might first think. As the speed of the forward shaft increases the next set of shoes start to make contact and both "gears" could be considered pushing. Once the next set of shoes is pretty much not slipping the previous "gear" is no longer pushing as it has an one way clutch or freewheel on the rear shaft. Yes it is desirable not to have the two "gear" pushing situation for too long but on the other hand you do not want to have the bike come over backwards. I have my doubts that all of the different springs for the higher gear shoes that once were available (perhaps not even in the parts sheets) to tune the bike's shifting characteristics are available. The chain ratio also is supposed to effect the shifting as well. I never messed with that stuff the bikes I rode extremely rarely stood up the way I rode which is about right in my estimation.


At one point I had in mind to fill the crank by adding layers of sheet in a manner you would likely approve of from a balance standpoint to fully fill the crank cavity of the 430 and take away one gear (and/or one set of bob weights) to make it a two speed to try and improve results as a hillclimb machine.

Fran

I want to add that the times I rode the 420 (maybe 6 times) as stated above the thing worked so much better when you rode at aggressive pace or almost race pace , not just cruising. Those centrifugal clutches would grab good under solid RPM and load with minimal slippage and propel you forward smoothly.

I was told by a older NETRA rider if you rode the husky auto hard the tranny held up. If you babied it and let it constantly shift up and down a lot it would hammer itself apart.

That's why I mentioned the type f oil having micro scopic grit in it. I figured it's not good for the husky auto.

Good working, long lasting trick for hydraulics is keeping the oil clean. Change the oil often.

Where does a guy buy some new springs from?
Also who sell the free wheel bearings?
Would like to have some parts on hand if i ever need them.

Thanks

Steve

Dave Pratt (tri trophy on ebay) has a bunch of auto stuff, even had the first gear hub assy in stock....

Sent a email, none listed on his page ATM.
Thanks

You will find spares elusive and expensive when you do find them, also most people who ride them and I include myself hoard them. It is not all bad news as for instance Michel Dufayard has had some clutch springs made and a manufacturer in Germany makes some of the one way bearings.

He has a lot of parts that he does not post on ebay for some reason.....

Thanks Autopilot for mentioning about a previous owner using silicone sealer . My buddy bought a 420 auto and kick starting it was hit or miss . I took the 1st gear clutch apart and seemed like the Sprague bearing was sticking . Cleaned it out carefully and reassembled . So far so good , everytime we've tried it since it's been catching . I'll update more after our September ride as my friend is planning on using it then and yes , po used silicone sealer to seal the case . Must have been done and not run much as silicone wasn't dirty .

Yes The original Ohlins shock oil was used in the autos. But I don't think that is totally true anymore. Ohlins USA told me a couple of years ago they reformulated their shock oil. Of coarse the Ohlins rep could not tell me what changed.

Marty

Well i found lots of work to do on the old bike.

Got some new parts and old parts on the way. Found some really crappy work from a PO , not the guy i bought it from i hope. Some bolts are falling out here and there.
On the hunt for a swing arm or fix this 1. Got another number plate, the chain rash looks like s**t.
fix the dents in the pipe and silencer Seized up bearings to replace. Replace the seat cover, it a 1/3 green. Bought a new set of shoes, drum and springs for the primary drive. Doing some Evan's coolant, water pump guard, skid plate and case saver. (sprocket cover fell off) stainless steel plate on the back inside of the side cover. Fork boots and some better bar clamp spacers.