Yep , I checked the part at Hitchcocks ..£14_99. Looks like it's easy to fit. Now the hard part is done the Wheeler should remove the rocker cover , 3 bolts to remove , (move the engine off TDC so that the cover doesn't catch on the rocker arm, ) ,next with cover off , place the engine back to TDC and check the valve clearances which only takes 5 mins and then fit a new rocker cover gasket , ( reuse the old if it's not damaged) , Just be careful to route the breather hoses correctly when 're installing the tank Having an assistant to hold the tank makes life easier when refittiing Bobs yer Uncle !
I'm a gas engineer and plumber. I take it that the petrol pump in the tank is there as it has fuel injection. This will mean that downstream from the pump the fuel is at quite high pressure. On all such click and fit connections it's the pressure in the system that holds it in place. The trick is to push the connection in first before activating the release button, then it comes apart with no effort. It will never come off if your pulling it. So as I was told as a kid. " Don't be pulling it lad, you'll go blind"!
I am here, to seek knowledge from those that have gone before me. I too have the oil leak from the top of the engine and suspect it to be the valve cover gasket. Thank you for posting this video. It is unfortunate that RE didn't place the release connectors lower down on the bike to make this tank removal more simple. This is exactly why I still have my good ole trusty 1978 Honda CB 400T Hawk.
Sorry you've had this problem Dave. Good for you for trying and having the honesty to post the video. The problem is the P word.... Plastic. All the best, Stephen.
Don't beat yourself up about it. You are now a better mechanic and a lot wiser. A bit of time and money is all that's required. Thank you for your uploads. 👍
As a non mechanic who works on his own bikes I find the key is to know when to step away from the bike and take a break. When one encounters an issue the tendency is to get stressed out, a little panicky, you get frustrated and determined to push ahead and finish the job and if you keep at it it never ends well.
Thanks Dave for your painfully honest account. My Dad was an industrial safety officer, and would never spare me gruesome stories about horrible accidents.... his motive, like yours, so it would not happen to me. At least you are in one piece ! I've done that service on my classic 350. It was not easy because of the limited access, but the connectors did come away fairly readily. I guess I got lucky with the fittings on my bike. However, I did make a big blunder.... having worked on bikes from the early sixties, I made the mistake of setting the tappets using thou feeler gauges instead of mm gauges.. Got everything put back together, then realized my mistake and had to go back and do it all over again using an mm gauge. Hope the dealer can get you back on the road soon. If the rest of us were as honest with ourselves and others as you are, the world would be a much better place. David Ambrose.
Thats total pain mate . Sorry to hear about that. Problem is its the wrong end you had a go at See that little yellow square at the other end put a rag under it and press it the connector just pops off. Its self sealing so you only get a small dribble of fuel the whole pipe remains attached to the tank.
@kevindarkstar I found it a lot easier to remove the fuel line at the tank. The first time I removed it, I unclipped it at the injector but found it difficult to access. I think TBW definitely had a problem with the connector though. Should have come off easily.
Mate, I took the City & Guilds courses in motorcycle engineering many years ago and I can say hand on heart, I learnt more about "real world" bike mechanics from magazine articles, mates and just giving things a go. Little by little, you'll get there if you stick at it.. Rome wasn't built in a day and none of us are born to spanner 👍🏼 Everything is over-complicated these days; look at the tank on a proper old classic bike and it's nothing more than a simple metal container, with a simple fuel cap and on/off tap. Most modern machines have ten times more parts in the fuel cap alone!!. This is all done by design; if it's harder for the owner of a machine to do the work themselves then they're far more likely to take it to an authorised dealer. And of course, the more complicated something is, the more parts there are to wear out, which results in us giving more of our precious wonga to the manufacturers.
Could happen to anyone, don't beat yourself up about it. I've done loads of mechanical stuff in my life, from kit car builds to bike restorations, including engine work and got myself into many a mess. I made me realise and repect the skill of the professional. One thing I've learnt is that the proverbal technical hitch is always round the corner. I reckon mechanical work is 80% struggling with something. We've all been there.
Not to worry, everyone does this sort of thing. I've been working on small engines off and on all my life and I still break things. It's usually because I've had too much coffee. I appreciate it when someone owns up and shares their mistakes, it helps us viewers know what to look for. In a few years I'm going to own one of these and now I have a heads up to what can go wrong in that area. Thank you.
I am sure your more than able to have completed this task without any disasters and we all have had some kind of disaster at some time when welding a spanner ?as for the dealership they have disasters too but they have the luxury of diving into there stores and fixing it in a jif, its so frustrating when a 5min job becomes a nightmare fore the home mechanic. I'm enjoying your site very much esp with no background music👍
You put a smile on my face as I know what you are talking about. You described so nicely how the blood pressure is slowly rising 😅 and it happened to me with these plastik connectors, mainly in electricity lines.
I’m so sorry you have had this difficult experience. To be fair, the fuel pipe connection is in most cases relatively easy to remove. There definitely seems to have been a manufacturing problem with yours because it shouldn’t have been that hard to remove. I have the 350 Meteor and the fuel connection is identical as far as I can see, and my tank has been off a couple of times for upgrading jobs. But I could see from the footage that something wasn’t quite right with yours. I should show the footage to Appleyards if I were you, because it will support the warranty claim. It should not be that difficult, even for a rookie, so don’t be so hard on yourself. Anyway, hopefully the dealership will sort it out for you. Btw, Royal Enfield fully intends simple jobs of maintenance to be done by owners and even publish “how to” videos on quite a few servicing jobs on their website. Take care, and don’t be discouraged or be hard on yourself!
Top marks for honesty and self criticism! I found this job to be a real pig, the electrical connector under the tank being very difficult to remove and replace. The "proper" fuel line connector is also extremely difficult to access, although far easier to remove and click back on. And if anyone can explain why, once adjusted, the valve lifter clearances change after turning the engine over, i will buy that person a drink! After adjusting, turning over, readjusting, four times I put everything back, and I'm fairly happy with the result. A very experienced mechanic I sent an audio clip (he recognised the bike and model without knowing what it was beforehand) said it was a little noisy, but I will wait until 2.000 km to redo the gaps.
Sorry to hear of your problems and I admire your courage on taking on the job in the first place. Personally I am an out and out coward when it comes to doing jobs on my bike. I've been riding for over 40 years and all I ever do is, put the fuel in, pump up the tyres and lube the chain. When I was young my relative worked at BSA and the bikes were oily, smelly and dirty. Whenever I need anything done I go to a main dealer and I know it costs a fortune but they have the tools and know what they are doing and in the end it's best for everyone. The lessons I have learnt are, never reuse a gasket, always use main dealerships and don 't over estimate your ability. Good luck and I hope that you get things fixed.
Although gutting for you -putting up this video will help a lot of owners.Shouldn’t be too expensive to sort out though.Just part of life’s learning curve.
F no they don't. That will be $500 please. Valve clearance check is no longer required/needed at first service. It's all a bunch of charges for nothing.
In the "old days" when i was always busy with old Triumphs and Harleys these things were vastened and loosened with a simpel clamp which you could screw loose. Nowadays these "easy" springs. Brrrr. You are pressing and pulling and the thing just doesn't come of. Hope your can resolve it soon, thx for the honest, very reckocknisable video.
It's a right bugger to get off until you find out. As I recall you press the two tabs on the side and push the plug toward the tank. Then you continue pressing tabs and it will be off. I do hope if others bother to read this they will either tell me I'm right or wrong.
Oh dear, gutted for you Dave! I was fully contemplating doing the 1500 mile service on my 350 myself, not any more!! Thank you for your posting of this disaster, you've probably saved many people a lot of grief and expense, Hope the spare part is readily available and you soon have the 350 back in service. Take care , ride safe
Not long ago you posted a video about the greasy relays/misfire issue. Not only was it extremely helpful and informative it gave me the confidence to sort the issue myself. Fair play for having the bottle to have a go at this, and the fact things went wrong clearly are no fault of yours. Videos like this where things don't go to plan are far more useful than heavily edited "it's really easy" videos! Hope your classic is back up and running soon mate.
TBW it just goes to show us ‘home mechanics’ are fallible and not all of us bikers are instant mechanical gods once we’ve got our full bike license 😉👍🏻
Fair play for uploading that, and I suspect you are correct in that the tank has never been off between assembly and now, good luck with getting sorted and back on the road.
Thanks for posting this. Things like this happen even to the best qualified. No shame, just bravery in showing this. Keyboard warriors will be there, guaranteed. Press on.
Sorry to see you've had a problem Dave , we've all had those situations where we wished we hadn't bothered to mess with something but it'll get sorted and you'll soon be back on the road! 👍
Yes, I remember squeezing the snot out of my fuel connector before I finally got it off. Not as easy as some contend I will admit, but I wasn't about to drive 200 miles to the dealership to have it done or maybe not done. How do you really know what they do.
Who hasn't broken something when trying to do a job at some point. As a friend once said, "he who has never made a mistake has never done anything" At least you tried and are more the wiser for it.
Seems to me you were seriously hampered by a faulty component! Thanks very much for sharing this, it’s good to be aware of potential issues, cheers! 👏👍😀🏍. Hope you’ve managed to get it sorted! 👍
Yup good on you for having a go and never let it put you off. -For a minute I thought you were going to say you dropped the tank on the concrete floor, disaster averted!
Feel for you mate I really do. It’s possible that fuel line connector could have been like it since new, this is why sometimes it’s best to get your first service done by an RE dealer but there you go, hope you get it sorted👍
The important thing is you gave it a go. You learn buy mistakes and that will give you confidence to try again . Don’t give up on diy mechanics it’s rewarding and you get a sense achievement when things go right . When they go wrong get determination to get it sorted out. Good luck love your vids.👍
Removing any thing from any machine can be, easy IF the connectors holding it onto the machine play ball and separate as they are meant to do. I once spent a full day trying to undo one bolt holding an EGR valve onto a Ford Mondeo trying to get it off to clean up the interior of the valve. I had to admit defeat and re tighten the 2,I had removed. At least I knew I had given it my best shot and that was some consolation, I suppose.
I'm not surprised Stuat Fillingham watches this channel. Brave video. Good for you. I remember damaging the tank of an R1100GS performing a mundane task years ago. Nick J
Don’t be too hard on yourself. If we’re honest, I think most of us, certainly including me, have been in similar situations. We get a bit older and a bit wiser and move on. One of my favourite sayings is ‘it could have been worse’ and I think in your case, this could easily apply. Onwards and upwards!
Been there - done that, as they say. No need to beat yourself up over it. You took it on which many folks won’t even try. And you’ve learned a lot in the process. As we all do. I think your analysis of what may have led to the oil leak was pretty likely correct. OR, he may have jimmied up the connector when reinstalling the tank. Thanks for the honest posting. No doubt you’ve helped others with your experience.
Well done for trying! Personally, I don’t use gloves when small clips are to be removed. You don’t get a “feel” of the retaining tangs with gloves on. A tiny amount of fuel is released, this can be absorbed with a rag. I can only say well done for having a crack! You learn as you go!
Well done for being so honest and as a consequence make us novices more aware of the things that can go wrong. We've all been there, it can happen to anyone. I think your thoughts on the incorrect positioning of the gasket due to trying to do it with the tank still on, then causing the oil leak, was spot on. Keep them videos coming, I value and enjoy them all. Thanks, Pete (I too own a wonderful RE Classic 350!)
in order to become skilled, you have to learn from your mistakes, best thing to do when you struggle is to mash a cuppa tea, sit down and enjoy the brew, stops the stress, and often you get an insight into the problem, i had a 1965 GT continental 250cc, it had a fibre glass tank held on with a bungy and two bolts... but it leaked oil like no ones business....
I don’t think this is your fault,looks like a defective clip which has resulted in the snapping of the other end. I’m willing to bet your quite right the mech that did the first service was not prepared to push the issue and took the easy road which resulted in the leak. If it had been an Enfield dealer and there had been a breakage they would have just replaced the damaged part. All the best
Thanks so much Dave for this. We learn so much more from our failures than our successes. TMF came in for loads of stick - unfairly in my opinion when he changed the shocks on his Interceptor. Yes, he fumbled a bit, made some errors. But he was brave enough to document the whole thing as you have too. From the manual for the Classic 350 (item no. 5.2.11) it shows the fuel line being split by removing the "quick connect" further down - basically the part you've snapped off. The part where it connects to the tank is left in situ.
This tale of woe seems so, so familiar to me, Dave. Props to you for uploading this here headache job! Many a job I've tackled described by others to be 'a doddle' - only to find the opposite. In most cases the 'guru' who told me such things had omitted vital info to the Sucess of the process. At least you have options. Despite the anguish this caused, fine video as ever. Hope you get resolution QuickTime..... 👍 👍
I empathise totally with you as I often try to DIY fix things and end up creating a lot more unforeseen issues and far worse problems! Great content nevertheless.
Don't beat yourself up. If you never tried it and never broke anything you never learn anything. Great effort - similar has happened to all of us at some point!
At least you had a go and have learnt through experience (always the most painful way), As others have said you might have found it a lot easier removing the lower connector with the yellow press in tabs . I don't know if you checked your valve clearances etc but I found that initially moving the piston awAy from TDC. Made rocker cover removal easier as at TDC. The top of the inlet rocker arm catches on the inner ribs of the rocker cover , (same when replacing the rocker cover) ...When checking the valve clearances put it back to TDC. Also I used some heavy grease in the gasket groove on the rocker cover in order to hold the gasket in place whilst replacing the cover. The only issue I had was in replacing the tank as I got my breather hoses in the wrong orientation and the tank would not go back on ..took me half an hour to get it correct Best of luck ..Mike
As already said, don’t beat yourself up, it happens to everyone in one form or another, including those who may think they know better. Nobody ever gets anywhere without first making mistakes.
We all have one of these where the simplest of jobs turns into a headache. Just got my classic and doing some mods I noticed some bolts where proper tight on and just manage to undo. The first service I’m letting dealer do as any issues they have replacement parts on hand under warranty. I imagine once this connection is removed it will free it up for easy future removal. I think whoever attempted before may be the cause also the fact perhaps why gasket was I’ll fitted 😢
I think you may find that the part that has broken is where you should press the 2 yellow parts to disconnect the tank fuel line it's the same on the interceptor the color is the clue. Reading instructions and then reading them again sometimes helps, keep up the good work love the channel.
That's a real shame - I feel your pain. So near, yet so far. As others have said, it's the other end you take off - the yellow button. I did my clearances for the first time yesterday and encountered the same problem. Whilst trying to remove the wrong end, I remembered Uncle Stu saying access was almost impossible at the wrong end, so that led me to the other end and sure enough, off it popped. I however discovered that one of my breather pipes was flapping around in the breeze...When I bought the bike, I asked for a satnav cable to be added. That was done and routed under the tank. Now, when it came to the 300 mile service, I booked the bike back in, and thought I'll let them do the valve check, etc. etc. Having now checked the invoice for that service (I know - rather late...), I see there is no mention of a valve check, so Sherlock here deduces it wasn't done. Hmmm. On checking yesterday, I found both inlet and exhaust valves were very tight. All done now. I reckon one of the breather tubes wasn't replaced when the tank was off for the satnav cable. I've assumed that the tube with the pre-formed bend is the inner one - that seems to make sense. If any wise contributor out there knows otherwise, please alert me to my error.
The breather pipes are different diameters and require a firm push on to the tank nipples. The only way to do this is to lift the front of the tank and attach them first. Trying it once the rear plastic connectors are fitted is virtually impossible, and I attempted it both ways. Not surprised one of your breathers had become detached in the routing process.
You are refreshingly honest. Please let us know how you explained to Appleyards why you didn't take the bike to them for the service in the first place! Cheers, another entertaining video. Thank you
None of us are infallible, Dave, so there's no need to beat yourself up over it. 10/10 for the mia culpa and for the honesty. We've all made mistakes; it's how we learn. As Confusius put it, "Man who has made mistake and not yet recognised it has made two mistakes already." I've been riding and doing my own spannering for 64 years - including 36 years on my various race cars - and I still get things wrong sometimes. The fact that all vehicle manufacturers now use plastic components made from cheap Chinese chewing-gum doesn't help, either!
It usually helps if you squeeze the two releases in,push the pipe fwd& keep squeezing,that usually works on most joints of that kind..its all a learning curve...Ian
Sorry this happened, been there, done that.. It is easy to get frustrated and apply too much force or bang into something unintentionally. The more spannering you do the more mistakes you will make and the more you will learn. It's just the way humans learn.
Hi again. I second the comments about your honesty and lack of ego. As a 21 year old youth I worked as an apprentice mechanic a Honda dealer. I had a CB450 and had to replace the twin overhead cams. Big job and complicated. All done up and ready for the first start I kicked and kicked forever. Oh crap, is the cam timing right? Is the ignition timing right? How’s the fuel, how’s the spark? Well after a long time one of the veteran mechanics told me they switched the spark plug leads while I was busy elsewhere! All in fun but it taught me to slow down check the basics and don’t take anything for granted. All good lessons throughout my life. 😊😅😂
The fuel plug on my Classic 350 is a nightmare to release, too. Im looking for a different type to replace it.
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It's relatable as heck, I've done similar things in the past.. These days I don't want to work on anything mechanical, I'll get experts to do it instead. But that's a case of know thyself, and I know I'm anything but handy 😂
Well, and by that you got from 20 hp to 5 hp. The same happened once to me with a plastic hose attachment on a car years ago and it sadly got expensive. Hope you fix it without any further trouble.👍
I'm sorry to hear about your mishap. I've got fingers like pork sausages, that's why I only deal with the most basic of tasks in bike repair is there any recourse you can pursue with the people who did the last work on your bike it sounds like they may have added to your problems. Cheers Bernie
Always have a similar problem trying to remove the tank on my Moto Guzzi, in the end I fitted a jubilee clip so I could release the tube with a socket set rather than trying to use the push fit connector that would never seem to disconnect . Bit of a pain having to ratchet the clip loose but at least I know it's going to release the fuel pipe.
Morning Dave sorry you have had an issue with the fuel line - hope you sort soon. Nonetheless your video as other have said is still very informative - not everything goes to plan but we learn 👍
We‘ve all been down that road, it’s what makes us experienced. Trying to find that part in Germany is at present impossible. An option maybe for you to talk and explain to a sympathetic RE workshop of your woes, literally bite the bullet and pay for them to have it sorted. 1)In the meantime, the rest of us have learned (and still are!) to stick to the Dealerships whilst the motorcycle is still in the warranty period. 2) To check-out the competence beforehand of an open workshop by reading the feedbacks online. I believe that the majority of motorcyclists will over time evolve (and be forced!!!) into becoming detectives before trusting their bikes to people we don’t know. Joining an owners club can also be a fulfilling option. Good luck from Düsseldorf 🍀
That’s bad luck. No ridicule from here, I would be in the same boat. I still haven’t removed the Interceptor tank, after 4 1/2 years. Sounds way too complicated with all the connectors, compared to my cx500. Lol. I’m sure I will have ago at some point after plenty of revision. Hope you can get it sorted relatively inexpensively.
It's Okay, none of us are perfect. I always check out"Ride With Warro", always great service advice ( like removing bottom yellow clip) and no extraneous chatter. I do my own servicing on my Classic, just a bit of confidence needed and it's very straight forward. Greetings from Australia, regards Bill.
i'm not a fan of lifting the tank either. but having done it once (installing the fuelx), and it going wrong quite dramatically at 75mph (a lot of hot petrol everywhere) but then taking it all to bits at the side of the motorway and doing it again, i'm not so worried any more. mistakes are for learning stuff. these bullets forgive.
Hey, weve all made mistakes and fair play for showing your experience, could well help someone else. The part that has broken looks to be the injector. As regards removing the connector that you were struggling with, i have to remove a lot of these in my work and some can be a real pig. Just a thought, just in case you didnt try this, as you depress the side buttons, try pushing the the connector on to the fitting before pulling back, it eases the load on the locking tabs. Not trying to teach you to suck eggs, but believe me, i do this pretty much every day. Good luck.
Don't beat yourself up, none of this is down to you and you could have never foreseen this happening, I've been working on cars and bikes for years and some things are straight forward and some things are not its as simple as that, i had the same problem on my BMW, and ended up replacing the clip, in all fairness those fitting are pretty good you just got a bad one, I have a Himalayan now and the fuel release clip is a bit temperamental on that, take care ...... colin 😀
Good on ya publishing this honest video, you are also passing on wisdom to others. I removed my Interceptor tank only a couple of days ago, same issue… never has been easy so I chock up tank with a piece of wood to ensure I never over lift it over max height. Hope u get it sorted soon cheers
Are you aware that your 350 Classic isn't eligible to display a black with silver lettering number when ridden on the road ? But I hope the fuel pipe and oil weep issued gets resolved soon 👍
Thought I’d try disconnecting mine on my 350 classic no need to disconnect the tank just push both sides of the clip and it comes straight off in seconds clearly you must have a faulty part there was getting worried as I intend to do my valves myself 👍
Well done for giving it a go bruv, trying to be a mechanic in your own garage is a must for us but unless you have spent time in the trade there are always going to be mistakes and we learn from them as you have. So don't beat yourself up about it as it is all part of the learning process.
The tank removal on my Interceptor was a proper bastard ! . I had to press that little arsehole button in with a flat bladed screwdriver to get it to unlatch. Hope it gets sorted quickly mate.
Hi bingley wheeler, sorry to see what has happened to you . Hopefully the garrige will fix your bike and maybe they will tell you how to remove the fuel connection under your tank for your self and hope it will soon be fixt for you and you never no it could have been damàged buy some and you had the problem from some one else has done
OMG gutted for ya, I to have struggled in the past with stuff like this, whatever was wrong with the good old Jubilee clips. Hope you soon get sorted. I would be tempted to call into your local (if you ave one close) R.E. dealer & ask a mechanic to show you how to remove it. If he struggles then you know it's faulty & not down to you. Regards Steve
Instead of ridiculing you, a behaviorwhich would be very rude and that would not show any solidarity to you in such moment of pain since you unfortunately had hurt you beloved (and beautiful) Classic 350, I prefer to ridicule myself so I'll tell you a short story. I have a friend who is a very skilled mechanic, that sort of guy who is capable of fixing "anything". It happens that he is specialized on Harley-Davidson motorcycles and he takes mechanical care of mine. Several years ago, when I entered the "Harley world" (whatever it means) I thought it would be a good idea to learn to make some degree of the maintenence of my then first Harley ever. So I asked him if he could teach me some basics of the "magic". He, a very good and generous friend, said Yeah! I'll teach you. After nearly one year after that conversation spent inside he's repair shop he came to me, and said, Man, I'm sorry, but I got to tell you you have two left hands! I had to agree and since then I (mostly) never touched a simple screwdiver again to mess with my bike.😂 As Clint Eastwood pointed in one of his Dirty Harry movies, "A man got to know his limitations". 🤷♂️ Judging by the number of spaners and other tools very visible hanging on the wall of your garage I must say that you are probably much more mechanicaly inclined and skilled than I am. So don't be so severe with yourself. Hope your Classic 350 get healed in no time, best regards from Brazil. ✌
This is why I love brass fuel fittings although I have busted a few of those in my time. I'm not a fan of plastic but it keeps the cost down so that's why its used. Keep us updated of progress and I'm sure you will get it sorted.
Learning curve .Best to remove petrol pipe clip nearer tank much easier (as other videos by diy.) Note tank looked very high ,fuel line in tension making job harder . Good luck
I have a Himalayan ,,it has the same type of connector... Me too struggled with it,,, I,m thinking of making the whole thing easier by adding another connector in a better position,,,cos you should be able to get the tank of without any hassle,,,perhaps I,m too old school
Ha ha mate, I'm definitely "a rookie like you"! My bike comes on Tuesday, I'm going to try and leave it alone as much as I can, lol! Am I right to assume you could now check the rocker gaps and stuff, and of course the gasket? At least you can do that whilst the tank is off. Also, I (perhaps like you) am a bloke with a bit more enthusiasm than knowledge - and I just enjoy getting stuck in and getting my hands mucky. Honestly mate I go into tearing my '62 beetle engine down with full and complete awareness that I might do it wrong, but I enjoy it anyway. It's my hobby. So if I cock something up in my hobby whilst having a perfectly happy and enjoyable time, then it doesn't really matter! In fact it just means I have more fun and games to look forward to fixing what I just cocked up and getting filthy in the garage all over again. So it's all ok!! Good luck with it, and don't worry a bit.👍👍
I Think that was not your fault more a component fault. We would have all done the same in an attempt to complete a so called "easy" task. The Pros' obviously couldn't remove that connector either. It would have needed to be replaced at some point and if the garage broke it you might have been charged a hidden supplement.
