[Rob Rydell]

I have filled the oil filter and cleaned and checked the oil pump disk to no joy.
This is on a 1957 Hounds Arrow 250CC. I think they all have the same oil system.
I get oil at the back drain plug but none to the front one. Someone please tell me the trick.

Thanks

Rob

[carlo]

Where are these drain plugs located?
At the risk of stating  the obvious (your post doesn't suggest that you're sure about this)....

The main oil supply is in a housing that surrounds  the crankcase with the filler tube and cap at the front. The drain plug for it should be located near where the oil filter goes in. If no oil drains out when you remove that plug, either you have no oil in the tank, or there's some serious blockage in there.
The only "rear" plug I can think of would be the transmission drain plug.


Do you have a manual for this bike? 
As you stated, the oiling system is similar to other Enfields, with  one difference. You have a feed pump that  pulls oil from the tank,  through the filter, and into the big end of the connecting rod. Also splashing some onto the cylinder wall.  After sucking excess oil from the crankcase, the return pump  on your engine pumps  most  of it up to the valve rockers, and from there, into the cam tunnel and timing chest, from there draining back into the oil tank. .
 The twin cylinder engines use the feed pump for supplying all oil to the engine, and the return pump is only there to return it to the tank. The twins also  have a screw that  plugs a small hole in the crankcase, but I'd hesitate to call that a "drain plug".
The illustrations I have available of your engine don't show that little screw, so I'm making the assumption that the rear plug you're talking about is the transmission plug.
If your engine does have a screw into the crankcase, and you're seeing oil come out this hole, then perhaps your "return pump" isn't working. 
Determining if the pumps are working on a big twin is easy; you just remove the oil filler cap and look into the hole to see spurts of oil coming out the return pipe into the tank.
There's a similar pipe on the 250 single, but it only returns oil from the pressure relief valve, so I can't say how much oil you'd see coming out that, or even if it's visible in the filler neck like it is in the twins.

[ERC]

Carlo is correct the only drain plug on this is a rather large one that when removed should have a long screen on it.  ERC

[Rob Rydell]

Hey guys thanks for you thoughts.
This is a pre unit bike meaning case and trans are not together.
On single motors and maybe some twin R/E  they have big brass drain plugs both forward and aft on the main cases both have screens . Thanks for trying to help. I got the information from the guys on the brit board. Should have stated. this is my first R/E but not brit bike I must have confused you two as much as you did me with 1/2 knowledge and guess work. I am truly thankful that you offered to help.

Rob

[Rosetap]

Whenever I suspect that I've drained the pumps I open em up and fill em with some vaseline/petroleum jelly to be sure that they start off with suction.  It will mix with the oil and flow just as nicely once warm.  I've also done this to oil filters when they're mounted in such a way that I can't pre-fill them with oil without it pouring out, like when they're upside-down.

Gotta keep that oil flowing.

[Rob Rydell]

Thanks for the tip going out and give it shot today.

thanks again

[Rob Rydell]

Oil problem fixed. Thanks to all boards have it running now. Its a nice little thumper. Now I just need a transmission or gear cluster.