oil dripping fast from gearbox cover when I rehydrated the machine after 15+ years

A

aaronabutt

Forum User
Non-VOC Member
Hello to all
I recently bought a vincent rapide (1949) that had been stored in a nice warm dry place for 15+ years. being turned over sometimes, but the primary, oil tank and gearbox were drained.
When I refilled the oil tank I topped up the geabox through the filler hole, refilled the primary too. right away I noticed a steady drip of oil from the gearbox cover down underneath. This kept me from starting the bike which was so disappointing you can't imagine after waiting a year to get my hands on the bike (it is far away from me for 46 weeks a year) and to my dismay it kept leaking for weeks.
I trust someone can tell me if I have done wrong by overfilling the gearbox? but surely it wouldnt leak so badly?
I noticed no gasket ( I know there isnt supposed to be one) or gasket maker around the edges, but this bike was kept so well and in such good order it makes me wonder how it could have been stored with a leak like that. could the plates warp? the screws all seem tight?
please advise and tell me what the repair entails:confused:
 
T

timetraveller

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
Are you sure that you filled up the gearbox and not the kick starter cover? The gearbox filler is a small screw on cover above the clutch and in front of the dynamo drive housing. There is a dip stick in this which shows to what hight the gearbox should be filled. If you have put oil in the kick starter cover then it will leak out as there is not supposed to be any oil in there. On the other hand if you have over filled the gearbox (to the top for example) then you will also get a leak from the kick start cover as oil will find its way out of the gearbox through a variety of holes from the inside of the gearbox into the kick starter cover, which will then leak. If you have over filled the primary chain case then oil will also leak into the kick starter cover via the long hole which goes right through the engine from the kick starter spindle into the rear of the primary drive enclosure. Most of us blocked up that hole with a cork decades ago but that still does not mean that you can overfill the primary drive with impunity.
 
Len Matthews

Len Matthews

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VOC Member
I recall someone once telling me that his Vincent uses no engine oil at all. How did he know? "Well," he said "I check it regularly with the dipstick".
 
A

aaronabutt

Forum User
Non-VOC Member
Thanks so much for your reply. I don't think I put any oil in the kick start cover as I didn't take anything off. Unless there's an inspection cap on top of it? then I might have! I read that the machine will leak through the cover if there is too much oil in the primary or gearbox, so that must be the culprit. I noticed more of a drip when the machine was on its right hand side stand. But as it kept on leaking for weeks I began to think there was something else wrong. I filled the primary up to its recommended level, but must have overfilled it, or as you say, chucked a load of oil into some kicker cover inspection hole?
perhaps its the kicker spindle hole that needs to be corked. I've read about that too and now see that it's a must, especially if you're using the right side stand.
 
C

clevtrev

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VOC Member
aaronabutt said:
Thanks so much for your reply. I don't think I put any oil in the kick start cover as I didn't take anything off. Unless there's an inspection cap on top of it? then I might have! I read that the machine will leak through the cover if there is too much oil in the primary or gearbox, so that must be the culprit. I noticed more of a drip when the machine was on its right hand side stand. But as it kept on leaking for weeks I began to think there was something else wrong. I filled the primary up to its recommended level, but must have overfilled it, or as you say, chucked a load of oil into some kicker cover inspection hole?
perhaps its the kicker spindle hole that needs to be corked. I've read about that too and now see that it's a must, especially if you're using the right side stand.
Click to expand...

Could be coming through your output shaft, especially if you put too much in, and use the right stand.
 
M

mr.hutch

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
Interesting to note the inspection cap problem, as in my copy of the excelent,
'The Ultimate Motorcycle Book', Dorling Kindersley, 1993, ISBN 0 7513 0043 8, which is crammed full of really detailed, splendid photographs, shows on pages 82-83, a Vincent with the inspection cap ET24/1 labeled as the gearbox filler cap.
I allways meant to get in touch with their art department, but never did, after all its not a technical publication as such.

Good luck, Mr.Hutch and go with care
 
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