Nice follow up information, but the video just showed two blokes fiddling with the top of the engine. A closer view of what’s being done would’ve been appreciated.
Good to hear that you and Gaz have been able to rectify the bike at minimal cost, Dave. My guess would be that the tank didn't come off the bike when it was 'serviced.' I'd have taken the opportunity to check the tappets, to verify that job hadn't been botched, too. Back in the day tank removal was a very simple job, usually one or two mounting bolts and disconnect the fuel line. Thank the regulators for all the complicated emissions crap on bikes these days; I'm told it's called progress...
My squashed and kinked drain tube (plus chips on my frame) are another reason I'm going the diy route in future. I reckon with a couple of goes the tank off job will be easy to master 👍
I think in the service they could not get that fuel line off so did it with the tank on (maybe lifted a little) making it difficult to get the rubber gasket back correctly leading to that leak. Another excellent informative video. Thanks 👍
That gasket was a mess. My guess is the mechanic was not paying attention when he put the rocker cover back on, knocked the gasket out of alignment and tightened it down, tearing it up. It's a close space with minimal clearance. I could easily see me screwing it up but a true mechanic should know better.
top bloke that Gaz.... however your repair seemed to lack a mug of tea.... or even biccys.... tsk tsk .... and repeat after me well twill be easier next time.... glad its all back ready to rock n roll... have fun,
It was always a easy job to adjust the valves on a British motorcycles. New so-called simple bikes are not so simple to do easy tasks on.Old British motorcycles were made by bikers for bikers. Simple design made maintenance easy and more likely to be done instead of being neglected. They should have hydraulic valve adjustment and belt drive to cut down on maintenance. Shim valve adjustment is a pain in the ass.
Good job - I don't think anyone else only an owner would take such care and attention on this job. So the motto if you want something done properly do it yourself comes to mind.
Been there so many times, in the distant past ........ so called professionals screwing up jobs on your car or bike and allowing you the privilege of paying them vast sums of money just so you can do the job again at further expense ...... sigh 😢 Needless to say, I do it all myself these days and have no problems. Glad to see you got your issue sorted. When I did the first service on my Hunter, I was very careful to get that rocker cover gasket placed correctly ...... it's a bit tricky but easily achievable. All the best, Phil 👍
You don’t need sealant. What you DO need is some aerosol contact cement spray. Spray the top surface of the gasket and seat it into the cover. Wait for it to dry. Now, any time you remove the cover the gasket stays securely attached to the cover. You are lucky that the bolts didn’t snap. The book says 12nm but several people have had them break at 10nm. Snug is good enough.
You may rip the gasket again in the future having used gasket sealer , clean the gasket channels under and over smear both with a smell amount of vasaline then tuck the gasket into the bottom groove and then put the cover gently back in place check all the way around that its fitted properly then fit n hand tighten the bolts then torque them, chances are you are correct about the damage to the gasket or the mechanic used sealer breaking the gasket when you were going about your repair but it was probably leaking because of the tappet check, i trust very few people to put tools near my bikes or cars , experience has taught me that not everyone will treat it as if its their own,😅👍
Glad you got it sorted with minimal expense. I'd have rechecked the valve clearances whilst i was in there and also would like to have seen closer film of the action. .guess you'll never go back to that dealer again!!. Just emphasises the benfits of doing your own work. Something I've done for over 50 years now!. All the best from north lincs and a fellow classic 350 owner. ANDY.
Hi Glyn well it is said that sun shines on the righteous 😁 …..seriously without your pointer I would have been waiting weeks/ months much appreciated buddy 👍🏻
Ironic that you have to take a bike to a main dealer to have this simple job done to keep it in warranty! I have just bought a brand new 350 and will have the first service done by the main dealer to get the first years warranty. After that I'll do my own servicing as I always do. Glad it's sorted and a heads up for those of us who will be doing the same.
I do feel for you, That gasket is quite fussy to get back in position correctly. I just did my 300 mile service and had to take the tank off a second time due to me not getting it right the first time. Luckily I did not damage the seal and could reuse it. I think it is because I had a spare at hand. As my father said many times, " If you have the spare at hand you will not need it but if you do not have it you will need it.
If you ask me -- oh you did 😁 but to my mind there's a very, very strong chance that rocker cover didn't come off due to the fuel tank issue, it was lifted to try and check the tappets. IF, IF they did get the tank off then you have to question their competence given the damage to the gasket. Either way, dreadful level of service from whomever did it for you, perhaps giving them a wide berth in the future would be a good idea. Glad you've managed to get it sorted.
Good morning Dave. Pleased to see the Clsic 350 is back on the road again. I'd say you've had very poor service by the company / person(s) concerned, resulting in the damage & subsequent oil leak, added expense, inconvenience etc. I would be wondering, also, if the valve clearance check & adjustmets had been carried out correctly? Most DIY owners (including myself) seem to find that they are too tight on 1st inspection. Best wishes & thank you again for all your content.
I'd also like to add, as a fairly competent DIY'er, of a similar age & experience as yourself, I've found claimed 'easy' jobs are not always the case at all. My own aproach is to attempt if I feel confident, (as in first aid terms 'do no harm') & know when to quit or seek help, as you did, to reduce the risk of ever escalating expenses. The initial task may indeed be relatively straight forward but as you've demonstrated, things can quickly escalate into multiple & specialised areas! Kind regards, John.
I elected to do my own service despite voiding the warranty. This is exactly why I elected to not take it to a dealer. After all, the warranty basically only covers parts (not labor) and labor is typically the larger expense. Since I provide my own labor, it’s free and done right (or at least I only have myself to blame if it’s wrong). Doing my own maintenance also gives the added benefit of being thoroughly acquainted and familiar with my bike.
Good one, Dave. Always a great feeling to finally overcome an awkward job on a bike. Plus, there's now the added bonus that you're a little more familiar with the machine should you, as some have already rightly commented, need to 're-visit' that part of the bike again.👍
Well done & now you know what to do in future 💪💪 Don’t go back to that mechanic. Lesson learnt. When re-fitting the rocker box with the gasket sitting on the head in the approximate place (it follows the machined surface) double check the groove of the rocker box cover is enveloping the gasket all the way around using a pencil torch, visually confirming & you can also sense it when it (rocker box) seats itself on the gasket. It sorts of “drops” on the gasket to groove. Again, we’ll done & no matter however long it takes doing it yourself, you aren’t being charged for it.😉
Having tried both methods I would say , you are far less likely to have a seating problem if you fit the gasket into it's locating groove in the rocker cover before you refit the cover to the engine A small amount of heavy grease in the groove will keep the gasket in olace.
The mechanic crimped the gasket. Having just done the same job it's not easy to know if it's well seated. I doubt he tried to adjust tappets with the tank left on. It's impossible. In any case: job done! I also used Hitchcocks. After trying India for a much cheaper rear rack. Only to get a rack that fits the Classic 350, not the Classic 350 REborn. Although the description said it would fit. Lesson learned.
I’m really attracted to Royal Enfield but their policy of not supplying factory service manuals and parts breakdowns has really cooled my desire to own one Every other manufacturer supplies this information I’ve a Kawasaki , a Yamaha and an old Sportster and all three companies sold me their full factory service manuals You shouldn’t have to go to Internet forums to get accurate torque information
Good Morning Dave , Not as pricey as i thought it would be tbh , i think Dave when it had its service he had the same issue with the tank ( no room ) & slid the cover on & trapping the gasket tbf , but your on the road again for just a little money , by the way this was a very instructive video , so take care & ride safe
Great honest video and true to form of a much larger percent of Motorcyclists if we are all being totally honest with ourselves. I remember fitting new exhausts to the Interceptor and what should have been no longer than an hours job took me half Day! 😅 Had I had the knowledge of the adjuster to align properly and also to fit the front end 1st…well, let’s just say I’m not a mechanic…but hey, if you don’t make mistakes then you’re not learning. Great work though 👊
Freddie Dobbs has been waiting an entire summer or riding season on a gasket for he's Triumph. Business's today don't have the staff, they're hell bent on doing away with people. Supermarkets are particularly bad at this staff cutting exercise, Banks being the worst because they closed shop and paid everyone off. Motorcyclist are frighten to leave they're pride and joy in for a service for fear of it never going again. My mate left he's KTM Superduke in for service and had to be recovered the following day with a fuel problem created during service. Will there even be Motorcycle dealerships in the future. Will the Amazon man delivery your new Royal Enfield. The UK 🇬🇧 and the World has been invaded by Greedy Woke governments who hate people. Why do we vote for them, l hear you ask, well we don't, theyre self elected these days.
Ditto. My KTM 1090 went in for a service a couple of years ago and 30 miles later it wouldn't start. Back at main dealer for over 7 weeks until they 'diagnosed' faulty fuel pump. Another £500 bill, ffs. Incompetent doesn't adequately describe it, and they've since gone bust, wonder why. Now more than happy with my RE Interceptor, lovely jubbly😊.
I wonder how many other J-class 350s have chewed up gaskets from improper fitment? Not a difficult job but definitely a fiddly one, and not one to do against the clock. The good news is Hitchcock's sell the appropriate Lego to get things up and running. Where would we be without them?
Nice to see some really good steady work, nothing rushed. Iv'e rebuilt several old classic engines from the ground up, it's all achievable with good steady progress. Well done to you both, regards Steve.
Top marks to Gaz for helping you out. I recall you saying you had an independent service the bike, could he have damaged the connector as well as making a hash of the gasket fitment? I'm glad you are all sorted Dave. Regards Edward.
Thanks again TBW 👍. I had to lift the rear of my tank yesterday to investigate why the overflow drain wasn't working. Turned out to be a kinked and flattened overflow tube. I ended up cutting off a 1cm potion where its pushed onto the tank. Worth checking when done with a small amount of petrol in a syringe.
Good afternoon Dave. Well done to you and Gaz for fixing the tank and gasket issue. My take on the problem is that you used a very sloppy mechanic who simply couldn't be bothered. Modern bikes, including classics, are much more complicated than genuine classics and generally nowhere near as nice to work on. I was working on a BSA C15 with a mate yesterday and, by comparison to a modern bike, a delight to work on. The problem in that case was an electrical fault which we traced to a replacement switch made in, you've guessed it, China. Incidentally, as the law stands, a manufacturer cannot refuse to honour a warranty claim on the grounds of work not being done by a main dealer, PROVIDED that genuine parts have been used. All the best, Stephen.
Glad you are back in the saddle Dave . You have to work hard to bugger a gasket that badly. Not much doubt where the responsibility lies. Treat the bike to a gallon and yourself to a pint! David Ambrose.
This is exactly why simple is better. I’m not mechanically inclined, but dammed if I pay some moron to fix my bike. I have one guy I trust to work on my bmw1200 and I do the complex work and I do maintenance and mechanical jobs on my other bikes. Nice job.
@@thebingleywheeler 2013 bmw 1200RT I absolutely love it. It wasn’t exactly what I wanted but he made me a deal I couldn’t refuse. I also have a 1997 bmw R850R (rare in the states) and a 2010 Honda NT700. It’s an addiction. I started riding again a little over a year ago. It’s changed my life. I bought the 1200 for long distance travel but I can’t stop riding it. I want one more bike. I may get a RE classic 350 or an Interceptor 650. I sold my 2007 Bullet 500 w/ sidecar bc it took up too much room and had too many issues. I should’ve never bought it…but it started the run. I’ve been enjoying you video’s. Keep’em coming.
Good job well done for me without doubt the person who did the job should have sorted it out without charge .Ok things can happen but when the y do then they should be put right interesting though I do wonder with the new gasket is a sealant strictly necessary ? or can they be fitted without using in this case a little rubber grease just wondering .Interesting cheers👌👍
They can be fitted without sealant and some RU-vidrs do, but it's tricky. Which presumably is why they use so much at the factory? The gasket is a rubbery silicone affair, with no structural integrity of its own, unlike the traditional hard variety. This has to slot into a channel of modest depth in the rocker cover, and you are working mostly by feel and a pencil torch.
I refitted my gasket and used a few dabs of heavy grease to keep the gasket stuck in the groove in the rocker cover whilst ifittedit. Didn't use any gasket sealant as it's only a low pressure splash oil lubrication. I have had no leaks since.
Nice to see your all fixed. Pity the last person that did your valves was careless in re fitting the rocker cover. I know they are tight to fit but it was obvious the mechanic did a bad job.
Well done boys, now you can be confident in the bike knowing you've done a good job 👍 You would have hoped the mechanic would do a better job on what is really an easy bike to work on
Glad you got the bike sorted dave. Took the 350 classic out on demo last weekend, what a lovely bike, so relaxing ride. Bit different to ride than my 12 bandit .and now I am same generation as you, dare i say it was more enjoyable 😊
Good video Dave First well done on getting the bike back on the road . Second , I'm really surprised that you did not check the valve clearances , particularly as it's only a 5 min job and you were literally staring at the rocker arms ! I would not trust somebody else to set them correctly, particularly someone who couldn't even manage to seat the gasket correctly. I've heard a few people say that you can alter the valve clearances after simply raising the tank and it probably is possible , however, it is extremely difficult to ensure that the rocker cover is correctly seated without the tank being remo ved. All the best. ..Mike
Cheers Mike we were on a very tight time schedule but the valve clearance checks are coming soon….we assumed that since the cover had obviously come of that at least they had been done…..but…..🤔
Really glad you did an update on this saga. Glad it was cheap and easy to sort. Also that you found a competent person to help you. No shame in not being a mechanic but there is in selling one's self as one.. Enjoy your lovely bike now.
Well done Dave. Having an extra set of hands is always good. Now you will have the knowledge how to remove the tank again without the worry of breaking things. There are other things to break along the way. That's how I learned to wrench on my bikes. Take care and looking forward to your next ride. Cheers
Well done mate, really pleased your sorted and back on the road. I think you’ve shown along with your mate and the input from other RE owners you can do it to yourself, nice job 👍
