alloy rear mudguards (again....)

1660bob

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Hi All, having failed miserably in my attempts to get the alloy rear mudguard to fit, I have concluded, also, that the radius of the replacement guard(s) is too small.(least the one i bought is)
With the blade hard up against the RFM at the upper of the two forward mount points, and fitted to the hinge, I am getting a good 5/8-3/4" gap at the lower forward mounting lug. My old guard,(looks like an earlier replacement) also has a gap to be "spacered" at the bottom mount, but only 1/4" or so. I pressed on and fitted the rear flap only to find that the rear stand misses the flap by,again, a good 5/8-3/4"!!. The old guard flap had scrapes and scratches on it from the stand clobbering it when raised up to the catch!. Clearly,with large gaps front AND rear the overall rad of the replacements is far too small,(unless my Vincent has been stretched!!!)
I bought the guard from the Spares Scheme some time ago and it has been stored ever since, but i read on this forum that the "latest" mudguards are a better fit.
Has anyone fitted a rear guard lately-are the problems sorted? I don`t want to buy another replacement that is too short....
Bob.
 

clevtrev

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
Hi All, having failed miserably in my attempts to get the alloy rear mudguard to fit, I have concluded, also, that the radius of the replacement guard(s) is too small.(least the one i bought is)
With the blade hard up against the RFM at the upper of the two forward mount points, and fitted to the hinge, I am getting a good 5/8-3/4" gap at the lower forward mounting lug. My old guard,(looks like an earlier replacement) also has a gap to be "spacered" at the bottom mount, but only 1/4" or so. I pressed on and fitted the rear flap only to find that the rear stand misses the flap by,again, a good 5/8-3/4"!!. The old guard flap had scrapes and scratches on it from the stand clobbering it when raised up to the catch!. Clearly,with large gaps front AND rear the overall rad of the replacements is far too small,(unless my Vincent has been stretched!!!)
I bought the guard from the Spares Scheme some time ago and it has been stored ever since, but i read on this forum that the "latest" mudguards are a better fit.
Has anyone fitted a rear guard lately-are the problems sorted? I don`t want to buy another replacement that is too short....
Bob.
Any purchased over the last forty years were just like that. Put a spacer between the guard and frame, at the lower mounting point.
 

Ken Tidswell

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VOC Member
There is a monopoly of manufacture of mudguards, as Trevor said they have always been like this for forty years. Those in the trade put a dent in the rear guard under the top loop of the frame , which cannot be seen. You do not then need a spacer . The alloy guards are low quality. Hence the request in MPH for alternative foreign suppliers. The replacement cost of new dies/rollers was about £16,000 costed several years ago. Alternatively the glass fibre touring guards are also a source of anguish, the are very well made, and beautifully finished. They have to be made to fit, people have sanded holes in them to improve the fit. The original steel ones could be forced to fit in away that fibreglass won't tolerate. that is hammered to shape. Try drink in the company of friends it helps.
 

Hugo Myatt

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Regarding steel touring guards the originals had some rather amateurish looking dents in them as supplied by the works. These were to accommodate the RFM frame tubes on the rear guard and the stays on the front guard. I believe the fibreglass replacements do not have these dents. One original pair that I sent off for enamelling was returned with these dents beautifully knocked out. I kind gesture that turned out to be a pain in the ----.
 

Albervin

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I bought a lovely set here in Australia. Of course they fit a Series C perfectly but I was fitting them to a B and so had to do a bit of judicious cutting and banging. They are the correct curve for the hinge and clear the chain guard. Even on my B I only needed a 1/8" spacer. Maybe your guards are Series B in shape? Anyway these ones on the bike are a much heavier gauge aluminium than anything else I have seen so are able to be "man-handled" a bit. They were not cheap and if you have to pay shipping to UK or Europe then they could become downright expensive. BUT they do fit.
 

Albervin

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VOC Member
Terry Prince. He had them made but they are unpolished because he can't find anyone who will do the right job for the right price.
 

piggywig

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Non-VOC Member
Alyn, This may or may not be relevant. A few years ago I bought a rear guard and flap from Prince that were not used until 18 months later, by which time I unwrapped them to find the two parts incompatible, that is the guard was 7 3/8" width (arcuate) and the flap 8 1/16" ! By that time there were many other unresolved and far bigger engine rebuild issues with this 'specialist' and the guard became less of a concern. It was eventually used after being matched up with another more standard flap that had been previously discarded. It pays to never throw anything Vincent away. Since then I am happy to buy from more reliable suppliers who actually accept responsibility for parts supplied regardless of the manufacturer. I now find the cost of postage from U.K. a small price to pay for the generally high quality of parts supplied. Although I have only owned a Vincent twin since 1963, fitting problems with alloy guards (and exhaust pipes especially) have always been present, needing a workshop and full set of tools, plenty of time and patience and a good deal of luck. Cursing is optional but beer complicates it even further.

Col.
 

Albervin

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VOC Member
Col, I know what you mean. Some of the people who supplied parts to Terry several years ago were less than professional. This is why Terry actually commissioned these guards to his specification rather than rely on someone else's measurements. I trial fitted these new guards to the old C rear end and they fitted without spacers, the hinge fitted and there was no gap between blade and flap. The flap was pre cut and only required a little tweak to slide under the blade. I know the history of your bike and understand your angst but my first Vincent was rebuilt by a well known English "rebuilder" (now deceased) and it was a lot worse than yours. The rebuild was so bad it caused me to "highside" due to the mismatched bushes in the forks seizing!! Now that is real pain!:mad: Regards beer, I suggest a South Australian brand.:p
 

piggywig

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Non-VOC Member
Alyn,

Alyn,
Oh that it were that simple! "Let down by his suppliers" to me is certainly not a legitimate reason to then on-sell the same sub standard parts in order to recoup the initial outlay, thereby passing on the problem. In my opinion, the retailer should ensure parts supplied are fit for use, and if not, rectify by exchange or refund. In the case of V.O.S.C. and Vin-Parts, when alerted to any problems arising in their orders, (which admittedly is not very often) both very smartly take steps to correct errors or omissions. Long may they remain in business. After the 'long sleep' and rebuild the bike is once again running nicely and after 2000 miles I'm well on the way to total happiness. The only mystery left is why I left it dormant under the house for over 30 years.??
Col.
 
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