Reasonable Mods for Your Vincent: Part 2 - Vincent HRD Owners Club

Reasonable Mods for Your Vincent: Part 2Carl HungnessIGNITION SYSTEMS: Your original magneto, restored with a modern day condenser willprovide you with years of service. Nevertheless, I recall having veteran Vincent owner Dick Perrycomment to me, ‘If you really want it to start very easily, and always idle, you’ll go to a batteryignition.’ I used a magneto for about 15 years and it was adequate for the job, once I learnedprecisely how to start the machine. Today we have more choices than ever before.First, the Series ‘D’ distributor can provide excellent service especially if you have the unitrebuilt. Roy Price performs the function and provides a new distributor for £165. He also rebuildsthe ATD for £105 and supplies new stronger units for £149. Contact information is: Roy Price, 14Heron Court, St. Neots, Cambs. PE19 1TH. Tel: 01480 473 225. He is a regular advertiser in MPH.John McDougal has a Harley-Davidson based battery operated conversion available as well.Address printed previously.The creative Francois Grosset has what is reported by no less an authority than Patrick Godetto be a fabulous electronic ignition system coupled with proper integrated mechanical advanceavailable for €500. The Grosset ignition is fitted as standard equipment on Patrick Godet’s Eglis, andit is therefore considered to be the finest available on the market. Patrick Godet has had experiencewith virtually every ignition system on the market and would utilise only the finest available.Francois and his son have also developed a small CNC machine and they are churning outspecialised items from motorcycle parts to artwork. We had a glimpse of some Perspex theyengraved with the Vincent logo, another of a pair of valves and a humorous piece sure to be lovedby those who are not fans of Japanese bikes. Francois is one of the industry’s more creative andartistic men whose presence is appreciated.Contact information is: Francois Grosset, Le Pont Ricoul, 35720 St. Pierre de Plesguen, France.E-mail: pontricoul@aol.comTony Harris is the man who has revived the old BT-H name with his self generating electronicmagneto also with electronic advance/retard. The BT-H unit has also received rave reviewsand I am a very satisfied customer. My own bike starts easier and I now trust the idle morethan ever. Tony’s Twin unit sells for £510 while the Comet unit is £460. E-mail: bt-h@bt-h.bizWebsite: www.bt-h.biz The devices are regularly seen in MPH ads.I do not have enough technical knowledge of other units on the market such as the Pazonand Boyer Bransden to give you an educated report, but both have been utilised successfully onour bikes. The Pazon unit has recently received great reviews on the Club’s Forum and they areconcentrating on the Vincent unit so it is surely one to be considered. Their website tells us thesystem was developed with assistance from veterans in the industry, Kirby Rowbotham and BobDunn. Website: www.pazon.com and Vin Parts International is a dealer for the Pazon systems.John Healy the man who quietly supplies Vincent parts in the US through his Coventry Sparescompany spent a good deal of time one day explaining to me just how to install my ATD back inthe days when we didn’t have the choices now available. It is wonderful to see several units onthe market.Last and certainly not least is the advent of a combination dynamo/magneto unit made inGermany and publicised on the afore-mentioned German spares website. We have been unableto obtain further information on this unit.

ELECTRIC STARTERS: The aforementioned Francois Grosset solved the electric start problemfor Vincent Twins with his kit that leaves the stock kick starter in place, and usable. Francois’craftsmanship and dedication to the Vincent are well known in the Vincent fraternity and his‘electric leg’ has turned many a Garage Queen into a daily rider. Pricing starts at €1,500, contactinformation already provided. He regularly advertises in the MPH.Master Vincent engineer Bob Dunn has also installed electric starters on Vincents but to ourknowledge does not provide a kit. Bob is well known in Vincent circles as being an accomplishedjourneyman in all manner of things Vincent. Contact information: dunn.vincent@virgin.net Todate we have not seen his starter advertised in the MPH which most likely tells us Mr. Dunn is anextremely busy man who may upon occasion be convinced to install an electric starter on yourbike. He is probably swamped with rebuilding work and may not market a kit.HEATED HAND GRIPS: I include these devices because I find them invaluable even on chillysummer evenings. I built my own utilising some phenolic that would just slip over the handlebar.I wrapped the phenolic with 24AWG Nickel Chromium wire so it didn’t touch the wire next toit. Then I shellacked the assembly daily for about a week to provide a slippery surface for therubber grip to slide over. Each grip is wrapped with one wire and both ends are fed to a deadshort. I fed them through the interior of the handlebar to a thermostat (later deleted). They workvery well at speed but sliding the rubber grip over the assembly provided an exercise in patienceand creativity.I have just discovered the Aerostitch Warm Wrap Grips part number 103 for US$45. Theyutilise the popular hook and loop attachment system so are easily removed. They draw 1.6 ampsThe same firm makes a heated grip kit part number 1400 for US$27 as well as heated grips partnumber 1891 for US$107. Tel: 800 222 1994. Website: www.aerostitch.com These are the folkswho make the high quality riding gear and their products are first class. They also sell heated seatpads as well as a line of heated clothing.PROPSTANDS AND CENTERSTANDS: If your Vincent has not fallen over because the stockprop stand is too short, then you have not experienced the accompanying frown that occurswhen you see your bike laying on its side. Personally I had the lugs on the stand assembly FT118ASremoved and re-positioned to give a greater angle. Then I lengthened the stand itself and finallyinstalled a cloven hoof to the bottom. My own bike has long rear springs and sits high.You can eliminate the procedure just described by buying a longer set of propstand legsfrom Michael Breeding who also makes the Series ‘B’ and ‘C’ feet. His propstand legs are 3½”longer and are made from 4140 Chrome Moly. They are priced at US$125 each and Mike reportsthey work perfectly even with a 21” front and 19” rear wheel. E-mail: mbreeding@cnsp.comWebsite: www.mikesindianparts.comNeal Videan supplies either a complete kit with or without a 1970–1982 Triumph propstandthat fits through the lower sidecar mount. The Triumph stand is so sturdy you can use it whilestarting the bike as well. The kit sells for AU$295 complete or AU$165 and you supply the leg.Neal also replicates the rear stand and the attendant Series ‘B’ or ‘C’ end castings ready to bebrazed in. Price is AU$275. Neal makes clutches and vulcanised gaskets which we’ll discuss later.Dave Hills’ tread down centre stands have also been one of the most welcome additions seenin recent years. His centre stands are fitted in about an hour and can be used on any suspension/tyre combination. The primer finish stands sell for £125, and are regularly advertised in MPH.E-mail: d.hills@ntlworld.comAnother suggestion comes from Jim Wilson who says I use a Honda F4 side stand bolted ontoleft side, FT106/8 plate. It must be shortened and slightly modified with a grinder.

SEAT AND TANK COVERS: G. Bailey hasbeen supplying original style seat covers forSeries ‘B,’ ‘C’ and ‘D’ for many years, each pricedat £35 as are his tank covers. He too is a regularMPH advertiser. Contact information: G. Bailey,127 Wrose Road, Shipley, West YorkshireBD18 1NL. Tel: 01274 584 095.The VOC Spares Company Limited makes aLong Dualseat, extended by four inches (partnumber PR1BA) that is appreciated by all whohave used it.OIL LEAKS: There is no possibility I can tellyou how to make your Vincent stop leakingoil if you want to ride it. I have heard talesof master craftsmen riding their machines300 miles in a day and parking it over a whiteWhere will you beon 29th August 2009?If you’re not going to beat the Club’s AnnualRally, then you’ll miss theunveiling of the Club’snewly-donated bike.Don’t Miss it!towel and don’t doubt the stories. My own bike has gone for a couple of years at a clip withoutdripping, but she’s leaked more than she has held her liquids.There are a few seals on the market that can be utilised in place of the standard washers, suchas the A27 banjo washer. The two brands Dowty and Stat-o-Seal come to mind as well as theseals provided by Earl’s Supply Co. Earl’s has outlets in both the US and UK. They are basically apiece of rubber molded into a thin aluminum washer and work very well.However, Neal Videan seems to have come up with a set of re-usable washers that have provenexcellent in retaining the oil that Phil Irving said was, ‘devilish stuff to control.’ Neal’s VulcanisedNitrile Rubber inspection cap washers even allow one to position the Vincent name as he chooses.He makes washers for all of the bike’s applications including return oil pipes, banjo bolts andpushrod seals. Since he uses distributors in the UK and USA we’ll list contact information at theend of this article. Neal advertises upon occasion in MPH.Another master machinist, Dan Smith informs me, ‘A possible oil leak everyone misses in thekickstart cover is the drilled hole H. It has only a 1 ⁄32“ land between the hole and the bevel gearchamber. The same where the casting is relieved around the cam spindle boss. I’ve seen caseswhere the hole breaks into the bevel gear chamber or just comes to a sharp edge. I machine an‘O’ ring groove in the case under the G50 plate.’The ET188 little copper washers on your oil return lines are prone to leak and Member TomGross notes, ‘I ream them out so a ¼” O ring just fits. They let me tighten the bolts just enoughto keep things leak-proof and not enough to split the little fibre washers under the banjo, which Isuspect, is where most leaks come from.’ I agree — I have inadvertently ruined several of the smallfibre washers by overtightening. The copper washers are punched from a sheet and thereforenot flat when received. Some judicious work with a file, or better yet flat sharpening stones willflatten them.The Twin exhaust lifter anchorage tube ET168 will never get rusty as it provides a tunnelfor copious amounts of petroleum to exit the timing chest and cover the pillion passenger’sleg as well as your rear wheel! There is probably no other place on a Twin that leaks as much.Nevertheless, every major Vincent supplier contacted now supplies a kit to eliminate the leak.Contact information on each appear at the end of this article. You may have to dismantle yourtiming chest to install the kit, but the work is worth it. While you’re in there, the Series ‘D’exhaust lifter adjusters are recommended as replacements as they allow individual adjusting.Conway Motors Ltd. specifies ‘O’ ring seal kits for the nagging leaks on our G4 and G40 shaftsas well as crankshaft seal kits.

Sealing the dynamo mounting holeadequately will most likely bring very desirableresults. The best we can recommend is to makesure you fit all the pieces including the ET164hat shaped washer and use silicone carefully.Again, Member Jim Wilson noted it ispossible to make a moulded seal for the dynamoopening by using a two part epoxy such asPOR 15 or one supplied by the Eastwood Co. Ihaven’t tried this dodge, but it seems like oneof the best suggestions yet.Pushrod tubes, especially on the diecastengines are a continuing problem. Iexperienced leakage and finally determinedthe opening in the head and the engine casewere not parallel. Robert Watson suggestedthe installation of aluminum inserts into theHave you paid foryour Annual RallyMeal Tickets yet?If not, please seepage fourengine case, properly ‘O’ ringed would solve the problem and it did. The inserts are grooved toaccept Viton ‘O’ rings to manufacturer specs can be Loctited in.The use of silicone is prevalent today and the following from Simon Dinsdale is useful: Siliconesealant can be very dangerous to use due to excess squeeze. I’m sure you have all heard thisbefore. The method I use on timing covers, etc. is to remove burrs (with a surface plate if you haveaccess) and remove all old gasket and oil by your own preferred method. Then, on the crankcasesurface smear a light coating of engine oil. On the other mating surface coat with your favouritesilicone sealant and assemble and leave for a minimum of six hours. Do not worry about excesssqueezing out. After the silicone has cured, dismantle the joint. A gentle tap with a rubber malletmay be required, but the oil on the crankcase should mean the silicone will have only adhered tothe removable cover.Take the cover away from the engine and trim off the dangerous excess silicone which hasbeen squeezed out.You how have the perfect moulded silicone gasket adhered to the removable cover whichwhen bolted up will not stick the parts together but in my experience created a leak tight joint.The cover can also be easily removed on the roadside if required and if the mating faces havenot been damaged, will seal back up without using any more sealant and the worry of excesssqueezing out. This method has successfully worked for me for years, but comes with the usualuse at your own risk disclaimers.One thing to remember when trying to locate a leak is that it is reported that air is swirlingforward under your bike at speed so as to mis-direct your inspection for sure.Among Vincent suppliers you will find most stock Banjo Bolts with a drain plug and crankcaseor Gearbox with a magnet.ANTI-SUMPING VALVES: Even if your bike doesn’t leak oil, chances are it fills the sump upwith oil every time you shut it off and let it sit for a couple of days. Conway Motors Ltd. hascome up with a dependable and easily installed valve that will solve the problem. Installed inthe oil feed line, it keeps the oil from entering the sump. No problems have ever been reportedin utilising this valve.Draining the oil with the tubular valve in place presents a minor hiccup that can be easilysolved by having an extra A44AS fitting connected to another line. Thus, one unscrews the A44ASon the bike, screw in the new one that is attached to a hose you use for draining. A kit is availableto accomplish the task.To be continued…