Hello, my name is Tony and I have agreed to help a friend service and maintain their black shadow. The bike has sat stable for 5 months now in a secure garage. My friend is not physically able to do this work themself and my first tasks are to drain the oil and fuel, replace the battery and fuel and oil filters, to get it ready for regular starting and short riding. Is anyone willing to advise me on best techniques for draining old stale fuel and oil. I would greatly appreciate your assistance to me in servicing and maintaining this wonderful old bike.
Request for Servicing Assistance
- Thread starter Tony Milsom
- Start date
Draining the fuel is straight forward and simple. To drain the oil, unscrew the banjo bolt under the right front side of the engine. The oil pump may have allowed oil to fill the crankcase, so unscrew the drain plug accessed through the left hand front engine plate. The gearbox oil has a drain on the underside. If the primary drive is standard, it drains by loosening all the primary cover screws and pulling the cover away from the crankcase. If it is gasketed, not too bad. If it has sealer, not so good, because then you have to dismantle the clutch and reseal the joint. The standard clutch is not like any you have seen before. The oil filter is behind the large brass hex cover under the magneto in front. The brakes may need attention, too.
To do all this well and safely for your friend, you really need to get the right books from http://www.vincentspares.co.uk/ or http://www.shop.vintech.co.uk/acatalog/
Riders Handbook
Know Thy Beast - E.M.G.Stevens New 4th Edition
Vincent Motorcycles ( Third Edition ) - Paul Richardson
- at a minimum.
Consider joining the VOC and meeting up with your local Section, they will be happy to guide you. https://www.voc.uk.com/clubshop/applform.php http://www.voc.uk.com/index.php
To do all this well and safely for your friend, you really need to get the right books from http://www.vincentspares.co.uk/ or http://www.shop.vintech.co.uk/acatalog/
Riders Handbook
Know Thy Beast - E.M.G.Stevens New 4th Edition
Vincent Motorcycles ( Third Edition ) - Paul Richardson
- at a minimum.
Consider joining the VOC and meeting up with your local Section, they will be happy to guide you. https://www.voc.uk.com/clubshop/applform.php http://www.voc.uk.com/index.php
All as bmetcalf says above. But if the bike has only been stored for a short time it is unlikely that primary chaincase oil will be too bad.
What I would reccomend is to obtain one of those syphon tubes with a pump on top. Made of plastic and cheap, suck out what you can, from the large cap on the primary chaincase. You can pour is some fresh oil and suck that out if the oil is very dirty. Then fill to level plug, horizontal plug low down on chaincase.
Please don't go down the road of taking off the Chaincase, therein lays trouble - as bmetcalf indicates. Best of luck with your servicing, you will find that the Vincent twin is easy to work on, just be prepared for perhaps different ways of doing things.
What I would reccomend is to obtain one of those syphon tubes with a pump on top. Made of plastic and cheap, suck out what you can, from the large cap on the primary chaincase. You can pour is some fresh oil and suck that out if the oil is very dirty. Then fill to level plug, horizontal plug low down on chaincase.
Please don't go down the road of taking off the Chaincase, therein lays trouble - as bmetcalf indicates. Best of luck with your servicing, you will find that the Vincent twin is easy to work on, just be prepared for perhaps different ways of doing things.
