Hitchcocks Forum

Was on here recently with a leaking kickstart O-Ring problem. That got sorted last weekend.


As I've recently been playing with a blogging site I decided that I'd stick up a post on my fix. A lot of pictures of a grotty engine and very little of interest to people here but thought I'd post and let you know.


http://www.johnwhitmore.org/blog/2016/0 ... rted-leak/


Do links work on this forum? Soon find out.

That's quite a photo journey.. I own a 2003 Bullet too, so I'll be keeping an eye on your blog. Like you, I blog about my bike. See the link two lines down..

You kan make links here but you need to do the html as you post (i.e. create the link) but, as you are blogging, then you may have the necessary insight to do that.


My blog: "Thumper Diaries"

That is a very clear step-by-step guide. Just one thing, did it work and stop the oil leak?! One thing I've found, if you need to torque (or just fully tighten) the timing side gearbox mainshaft nut you can hold it by re-fitting the clutch cush drive spider and gripping that with Mole grips. The spider is hardened and probably won't mark. You may need a second pair of hands if you're not a gibbon though! Note, some early 350s don't have the spider.

REgards, Mark

Yes the leak from the kickstart shaft was fixed by a slightly fatter O-Ring. I've a strange bike in that tolerances are out here and there. I was actually at Hitchcock's to get a exhaust downpipe and the third on fitted the bike, first two wouldn't fit into the head.


I think I probably have to add a breather hole to the filler cap on the gearbox. Somebody posted on that and even though a 2003 shouldn't need it I think I do. The kickstart shaft leak is fixed but there's a very slight leak past the gasket, a brand new gasket, which makes me think I might been a breather.

FWIW the weep from the bottom filter on the EFI can also be fixed by a fatter O-ring, the groove is 30mm OD, 25mm ID, oem O-ring is only like 1.5mm fat. Building to tight tolerances is not RE's strong point.

You can do links jfw but they need to be in http code.