Unofficial Royal Enfield Community Forum

Royal Enfield Motorcycles => Bullet with the UCE engine => Topic started by: Rich Mintz on June 15, 2013, 02:35:06 pm

Title: Happy oil change day!!
Post by: Rich Mintz on June 15, 2013, 02:35:06 pm
THIS IS THE DAY I change my own oil for the first time, with supplies from NFG and the moral support from you all. (Right?)

Just watched singh5g's excellent video: http://youtu.be/Uo0IW8JVS_I. And good thing too - it reminded me I need to pick up a 19mm wrench and a funnel. Will let you know how it goes...


Title: Re: Happy oil change day!!
Post by: wildbill on June 15, 2013, 03:27:38 pm
best advise - go easy when you tighten up the sump plug/screws etc :)
Title: Re: Happy oil change day!!
Post by: GSS on June 15, 2013, 08:25:38 pm
+1. Be gentle with the bolts!
Title: Re: Happy oil change day!!
Post by: Rich Mintz on June 15, 2013, 10:29:10 pm
Oil change complete. It was easy! I followed along to singh5g's video, rather than the service manual (although I did look at the service manual).

I checked the oil level in the glass window before i started, and no oil was visible. When I filled it up at the end, it took about 1.7L (just as predicted).

I didn't change any of the O-rings or washers -- they looked intact and un-squished. I was a little surprised that there was no gasket under the oil filter cover. The gaskets supplied by NFG weren't for my bike, so I just put it back together the way I found it.

The used oil came out totally black. (About 2500 mi since the last change, mostly city driving.)

One thing: along with some metal filings, a small solid metal cylinder (about 2mm long, like the size of a chocolate sprinkle, but machined evenly) was attached to the magnetic plug. Any idea where this came from?

Easy job. I'm about to take the bike out for a spin.
Title: Re: Happy oil change day!!
Post by: Arizoni on June 16, 2013, 02:31:38 am
The metal cylinder might be a pin that is intended to hold a shift fork or shifting cam in position so the bike will shift into first gear?
Title: Re: Happy oil change day!!
Post by: Rich Mintz on June 16, 2013, 07:06:40 am
Here's a picture of the metal cylinder that came out with my waste oil:

http://instagram.com/p/am_CD_prg6/
Title: Re: Happy oil change day!!
Post by: Arizoni on June 16, 2013, 07:24:26 am
When you go to a authorized RE mechanic, take that with you and show it to him.

He might know where it is supposed to go so it will speed up the process of trouble shooting your shifting problem.
Title: Re: Happy oil change day!!
Post by: heloego on June 16, 2013, 01:43:39 pm
+1
That is definitely a retaining pin! Either it wasn't pressed in fully at the factory, or it's boss is too loose. It doesn't look worn, so I suspect it just wasn't fully pressed in place during assembly. Do a Show & Tell with an RE mechanic before you decide to ride.
Good Show using the Quarter as a size reference.
Title: Re: Happy oil change day!!
Post by: mattsz on June 16, 2013, 02:30:30 pm
Lucky it came out with the oil so you could find it!!!
Title: Re: Happy oil change day!!
Post by: Rich Mintz on June 16, 2013, 03:01:35 pm
1. Can someone please explain in plain English what you think the likely proper function of this retaining pin is? Is it as Arizoni said yesterday?

2. How risky is it for me to continue riding for the moment?  To get an authorized mechanic to pay attention to me involves a day off work and a ~40-mile ride, and that's if I'm lucky and they have time to talk to me. I was planning to do another 250-mile ride to DC on Wednesday. It's not too late for me to take the train instead.

Title: Re: Not So Happy oil change day!!
Post by: Craig McClure on June 16, 2013, 06:03:16 pm
Sorry to say, it looks like a roller bearing to me, & that should not be adrift in your engine!  I'd get it to the dealer ASAP.
No sweat if still under warantee.
Title: Re: Happy oil change day!!
Post by: barenekd on June 16, 2013, 09:22:23 pm
I'd go with the shifter pin since that's the part that doesn't work! It wont hurt it or ride without first gear.
Bare
Title: Re: Happy oil change day!!
Post by: Rich Mintz on June 17, 2013, 01:28:02 am
I like Bare's answer better. :)

Seriously -- the bike's now gone 500 miles in its current condition (with no 1st gear and mostly no neutral). It feels like, as far as it goes, it's OK to ride. But I won't make my final decision about Wednesday's long ride for a day or two.

And as soon as I can schedule time with a dealer, I will. Emailing Kevin privately about that.
Title: Re: Happy oil change day!!
Post by: wildbill on June 17, 2013, 09:51:01 am
lets look on the positive side-it's still a great bike to ride -with or without 1st gear ;)
Title: Re: Happy oil change day!!
Post by: ROVERMAN on June 17, 2013, 04:35:58 pm
Got to go with Craig on this one, looks like a roller from a "Torrington" style bearing. :( :( :(. Used to find a lot of these in auto trans pans when changing filters etc.
Title: Re: Happy oil change day!!
Post by: gashousegorilla on June 17, 2013, 06:36:01 pm
The metal cylinder might be a pin that is intended to hold a shift fork or shifting cam in position so the bike will shift into first gear?

  That would be my bet....  the roller bearing or pin in the shift cam.
Title: Re: Happy oil change day!!
Post by: barenekd on June 17, 2013, 07:18:08 pm
Quote
1. Can someone please explain in plain English what you think the likely proper function of this retaining pin is? Is it as Arizoni said yesterday?

The shifting mechanism has a disc attached on top of a rotating slotted cam that moves the shifting forks back and forth that engage the gears together. The disc has four pins like the one you have in your hand.  There is a Wide U-shaped hook that is attached to a bar that is pulled back and forth by the shifting levers engaged by the shift lever. As the U shaped hook goes back and forth, it pulls or pushes the appropriate pin to rotate the disk and cam which moves the forks.
Pics attached
Bare
Title: Re: Happy oil change day!!
Post by: ROVERMAN on June 17, 2013, 08:55:32 pm
I see what you mean Bare. I will amend my guess to one of the shift pins, i think you nailed it.
Title: Re: Happy oil change day!!
Post by: Arizoni on June 18, 2013, 12:41:49 am
If I was going to guess, the discovered pin is the "First Gear Pin". :)

If it fell out, all the lever moving in the world wouldn't put the transmission in first gear.

Also, if our guesses are correct, riding the motorcycle long distances would be totally safe as long as first gear wasn't really needed.
Title: Re: Happy oil change day!!
Post by: singhg5 on June 18, 2013, 04:58:42 am
@Rich:

You may want to call CMW to see if they have the parts in stock.

Part Number for the roller (#25 in picture below) = 550075

If the ratchet plate (23) is bad, then whole cam plate will need to be replaced.

Part Number for the gear shifting Cam Plate Assembly (22 and 23 in picture) = 570216.

The crankcase will have to be split open to do the job.
Title: Re: Happy oil change day!!
Post by: heloego on June 18, 2013, 04:16:05 pm
Rich,
If for no other reason, getting the warranty service on this will also determine whether the other pins are loose. If one already ended up in your sump, the odds are good you may find another next time. No point in letting it go for too long.
Title: Re: Happy oil change day!!
Post by: Rich Mintz on June 18, 2013, 05:31:24 pm
Don't you worry. I'll definitely have a dealer look at it as soon as practical... I'm adventurous and incrementally more risk-tolerant than some people, but not crazy!
Title: Re: Happy oil change day!!
Post by: Rich Mintz on June 19, 2013, 05:53:15 pm
Happy to report I've just gone 185 mi in 3.5 hrs (NYC to White Marsh, Maryland via turnpike with no problems. Bike is running beautifully on the new oil. And if I'm not mistaken, I've seen a small improvement in MPG. Is that possible?
Title: Re: Happy oil change day!!
Post by: barenekd on June 19, 2013, 08:25:33 pm
As the bike breaks in, it will usually get better mileage. As the parts are fitting together properly the internal drag goes down.
Bare